2 Bed flat rewire quote - seems quite high

Big_Mo_2

Hi all,

I've recently bought my first place with my partner, and after one small job leading to another during our renovation we decided the next step would be to have a rewire before continuing on with anything else as the flat had old 1960's pyro cabling and couldn't have any extensions added to it so we'd need to have need rings added to solve this.

Anyway, the flat is based in south london and is a small 2 bed 1960's (solid concrete job) block.

We had an electrician come in this week to have a look around and quote us on a full rewire, chasing in the cables where visible (i.e. by light switches etc) and trunked where it can be hidden.

His quote was £3,840 inc vat. :eek:

The break down was;

Kitchen
Cooker point
Boiler point
7 twin switched sockets
2 light and switch
Kitchen cupboard
New 10 way high integrity consumer unit All relevant earthing.
Spur for underfloor heating and connect heating
Outside front door
New half lantern switched from inside
Lounge
4 twin switched sockets
1 light and switch
Hall cupboard 1 twin switched sockets
Hall 1 light and switch
Bathroom
1 light and switch
Bedroom 2
2 twin switched sockets
1 light and switch
Main bedroom
1 light and switch
3 twin switched sockets

My question is, is this quote really high or about right? I was planning on getting in another electrician anyway for a comparison but I just wanted to general feel for prices. Looking online I've seen London prices for rewires range from around £2500-2800..

Any help is appreciated.

:huh:

martinsurrey

what level of repair will be done? will they replaster and skim leaving it ready to paint?

In Surrey last year I paid £3400 inc vat for a full rewire of a 3 bed semi, but that was just to bond coat (so no skim) as I was getting the plasterer in later in the renovation.

As always, get a few more quotes but that does seem on the high side, even for London,

Big_Mo_2

We have a plasterer coming after to skim over the walls so the electrician was only going to finish with bonding plaster.

Owain_Moneysaver

Big_Mo wrote: »

the flat had old 1960's pyro cabling and couldn't have any extensions added to it so we'd need to have need rings added to solve this.

1960s pyro cabling should last for ever. You have an electrician who doesn't know how to use it, or possibly doesn't have a set of imperial tools for it.

Big_Mo wrote: »

Anyway, the flat is based in south london and is a small 2 bed 1960's (solid concrete job) block.

They are difficult to rewire especially if you want wiring concealed. You can get skirting/architrave and cornice trunking, although it looks more suited to commercial installations.

Big_Mo wrote: »

His quote was £3,840 inc vat. :eek:

Does not sound unreasonable for London prices.

Big_Mo wrote: »

Kitchen cupboard
New 10 way high integrity consumer unit All relevant earthing.
Spur for underfloor heating and connect heating

Underfloor heating should usually be on a separate circuit, especially on a new installation.

Big_Mo wrote: »

Lounge
4 twin switched sockets
1 light and switch

Woefully inadequate. My lounge (in a 1960s concrete flat) now has 2 x separately switched ceiling lights, 2 x separately switched pairs of wall lights, 4 x 5amp table lamp points, about 10 double sockets. Do you want wall sockets positioned for a wall-mount telly?

Big_Mo wrote: »

Bathroom
1 light and switch

No mirror lights or shaver point?

No socket in the hall for the hoover? Do you need sockets near a phone point for broadband stuff?

Big_Mo wrote: »

Main bedroom
1 light and switch
3 twin switched sockets

Again woefully inadequate. No bedhead lights switched 2-way from the door?

I think you will also have to have fitted mains powered battery backed-up smoke detectors.

brightontraveller

If they were doing it correctly then it’s a attractive price loads of chasing in to do but
you can add to pyro easy looking at quotes apart from not enough sockets, switching etc throughout no smokes, phone, data etc nothing about extractors and concrete flat in London your going to need them even if the rooms have windows i.e. kitchen, bathroom…etc there either a novice or cowboy get someone else in

Zoology_Dragon

Our two bed Victorian house in York just cost us £3500 and we only had the main part of the house done, not the kitchen/bathroom extension. It didn't include plastering afterwards but did include a lot of future proofing, e.g., leaving the electric ready for a loft conversion with shower and a new extension.