Rewiring is the biggest electrical job most homes ever have done, and the one people put off longest. It is disruptive and it is not cheap — but wiring does not last forever, and older installations were designed for a household that owned a fraction of the appliances yours does.
Not every old house needs a full rewire. A staged or partial rewire often makes far more sense, and I would rather tell you that than sell you the larger job. This page sets out how to tell which one you are looking at.
Signs worth acting on rather than waiting out.
Pre-1960s insulation goes brittle and crumbles when disturbed. Once it reaches that state it needs replacing rather than patching.
A strong indicator of original mid-century wiring that has passed its service life.
A sign the installation was designed for a different era of household load.
Older installations frequently lack earthing that current rules require.
Individual faults are normal. Faults appearing everywhere suggest the installation as a whole is deteriorating.
Common in houses that have been extended more than once, and a good reason for a proper assessment.
Including a look in the roof space and under the floor. You cannot price a rewire honestly without seeing the cabling.
With the reasoning. If a partial rewire will do, that is what I will tell you.
Where points and lighting actually go. This is the stage worth spending time on — it is much cheaper to move a point on paper than in a wall.
Broken down so you can see what each part costs and defer sections if you want to.
Sequenced so you keep power to the parts of the house you are living in, wherever the layout allows.
Full testing, a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work, and a labelled board that reflects the finished installation.
A rewire is carried out to AS/NZS 3000, which means the new installation gets current-standard protection: correctly rated circuit breakers, RCD protection on final subcircuits, and compliant earthing and bonding. Work is performed under Licence No. 221442C, covered by public liability insurance, and certified with a CCEW on completion. Keep that certificate — it is what a buyer's inspector, and your insurer, will ask for.
Every job is quoted after I have seen it — these are the things that move the number:
Usually not. Most rewires can be staged so you keep power to part of the house while another part is being worked on. It is disruptive, but living through it is normally workable — and I will tell you honestly if your particular layout makes that impractical.
Age alone does not decide it — condition does. The reliable indicators are the cable type in the roof space, the state of the insulation when it is flexed, the earthing arrangement, and whether faults are appearing across multiple circuits. An inspection answers it properly.
Yes, and it is often the sensible approach. Priority normally goes to the switchboard, then the circuits in the worst condition or the highest-risk areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and outdoors. The work gets planned so the later stages connect cleanly.
I keep cutting to the minimum and leave the site tidy, but full patching and painting is normally handled by a plasterer or the builder. What is and is not included will be stated plainly in your quote so there is no assumption either way.
It is not a cosmetic upgrade, so it does not present like a new kitchen — but a documented recent rewire with a compliance certificate removes an obvious objection at sale, and old rubber-insulated wiring is something building inspectors reliably flag.
Based in Kellyville and working right across Sydney. These are the areas I am in most often.
Home Rewiring in Kellyville, NSW
Home Rewiring in Rouse Hill, NSW
Home Rewiring in Castle Hill, NSW
Home Rewiring in Baulkham Hills, NSW
Home Rewiring in Bella Vista, NSW
Home Rewiring in Norwest, NSW
Home Rewiring in Parramatta, NSW
Home Rewiring in Blacktown, NSW
Tell me what you need and I'll come back to you with honest advice and an upfront price. No obligation, no pressure.