How Much Does It Cost To Rewire An Old House In Australia?
If you own a house which is more than thirty years old, your wiring may no longer be able to cope with the demands of modern everyday life. Large screen televisions, gaming consoles, computers and printers are all a heavy drain on electricity.
There are potential fire hazards if you’re trying to draw a lot of electricity from old wiring. There may not be any visible signs to indicate that the time has come to get your home rewired, but it’s always best to get an electrician to check.
What is a ballpark figure for a rewire?
Wires can easily deteriorate with age but unfortunately rewiring your house isn’t a home improvement which will be admired by others.
You should expect to budget around $6,000 for rewiring a three-bedroomed 1960’s home including an upgrade on your electrical panel. For a five bedroomed property this may increase to $8,000. Prices inevitably vary and there are many factors which will impact cost; you should expect a rewiring project to take anything from a week to ten days.
Labour costs and materials
As always, the size of the house and materials will play a role in the final price – generally the more floors you have the greater the cost. A one-storey home will be cheaper because wiring doesn’t have to stretch out over several levels.
Labour costs will make up a heavy component of any quote because rewiring is time consuming and fiddly. Fittings you select will impact the price; PVC sockets are cheaper than stainless steel ones and copper wiring more expensive than aluminium.
Accessibility and project requirements
Electricians prefer working in empty homes as they can work faster without any interruptions. A house which is easily accessible is a bonus and will make the job easier. You may not realise that a large majority of electrical wiring is hidden in your roof space which is why most electricians prefer at least 50cm crawlspace in attics to move around.
A standard rewire of sockets and lights in individual rooms will be cheaper than more complex requirements. Advanced rewiring which incorporates hidden recessed lighting, USB sockets, outside security lights and electrical work for voice activated devices will naturally be more expensive.
Upgrade of an electrical panel
An electrical panel is the heart of your home’s electrical system as it distributes the electrical current to circuits around the home.
It may need upgrading at the same time as your wiring because it doesn’t have the correct safety devices installed. Items such as RCD’s, Timers and Circuit Breakers.
With any rewiring project, you’ll want to hire a team who know what they’re doing. At PWA Electrical we have a team of trusted, qualified electricians who provide high-quality workmanship at affordable prices. We serve Perth and the surrounding suburbs and are proud to have only five-star reviews from satisfied customers, so why not choose us for all your future electrical requirements?