Rewiring a house while living in it
Short answerRewiring a house while living in it is common and perfectly doable, but it takes longer and is messier than rewiring an empty house: expect a 3-bed to take one to two weeks of electrical work instead of 5 to 7 days, with power off in parts of the house for much of each day. UK guides put a 3-bed rewire at around £5,500 to £8,000, plus plastering and decorating afterwards.
Rewiring a house while living in it is something lots of people do, usually because moving out for a fortnight isn't realistic. It works, but it's disruptive, and the difference between a bearable rewire and a miserable one is mostly planning. This guide covers how long it takes, how much mess to expect, how electricians work around you, and what to sort out before day one.
Can you live in a house while it's rewired?
Yes. Most electricians are used to it. The usual approach is to work room by room, so you always have somewhere to sleep, a working kitchen of some kind and a bathroom. Many keep a temporary supply running, for example to the fridge and a couple of sockets, while the rest of the house is off.
It's harder if:
- you work from home and need reliable power and internet all day
- someone in the house is unwell, very young or has medical equipment that needs power
- you have a lot of furniture and nowhere to move it to
- the house has solid floors or walls that mean more chasing and more dust
In those cases it can be worth staying elsewhere for the noisiest days (the "first fix"), even if you're home for the rest.
How long does a rewire take?
UK cost guides give a 3-bed house roughly 5 to 10 working days for the electrical work. Trade guidance suggests around 6 to 8 days for one electrician on a 3-bed semi, or 3 to 4 days for a two-person team. In an occupied house, add time: moving furniture, covering floors, restoring power each evening and tidying all slow things down. One to two weeks of electrical work for a lived-in 3-bed is a realistic expectation.
Then there's making good: filling chases, replastering where needed and decorating. That can be several more days and is usually a separate job, often a plasterer.
What happens, step by step
1. Survey and plan
The electrician looks at the existing installation, asks where you want sockets, switches, lights, data points and any new circuits (such as an EV charger or electric shower), and quotes. This is the moment to think about how you'll use each room for the next 20 years, not just now.
2. First fix (the messy part)
Old cables are disconnected, new cables are run, and back boxes for sockets and switches are set into the walls. This involves:
- chasing channels in walls for cables
- lifting floorboards upstairs to run cables to downstairs ceilings
- drilling through joists and walls
- working in the loft
This is when most dust and noise happen. Power will be off to the circuits being worked on.
3. Making good
Chases are filled and damaged plaster repaired, ready for the second fix. Many electricians fill their own chases roughly; a proper plaster finish is usually a plasterer's job. See skimming vs replastering and the cost to skim a room.
4. Second fix
Sockets, switches, light fittings and the new consumer unit go in, everything is connected up, and each circuit is tested.
5. Testing and certificates
A rewire is notifiable under Part P. A registered electrician gives you an Electrical Installation Certificate, and their scheme sends you a Building Regulations compliance certificate and notifies the council. Check your electrician's registration first (see how to check an electrician is registered).
How much mess does a rewire make?
Honestly, a lot during first fix. Plaster dust gets everywhere, even with dust sheets. To reduce it:
- Clear rooms as much as you can before work starts. Ask the electrician which rooms they'll do on which days.
- Bag up clothes, bedding and books in rooms being worked on.
- Seal doorways to rooms not being worked on with dust sheets or zip doors.
- Protect floors with heavy-duty covering, especially carpet you're keeping.
- Ask about smoke alarms: dust can set them off, but make sure working alarms are in place every night.
- Plan meals for days when the kitchen circuits are off.
- Hoover with a filter suited to fine dust, not a standard bag vacuum, which can clog.
Plan the rewire into the wider renovation
If you're also doing a kitchen, bathroom or plastering, the order matters. The electrician needs to do first fix before plastering, and second fix after. Rewiring after a fresh skim means damage and redoing work. Our guide to the order of trades in a house renovation sets this out.
Two more things worth deciding early:
- Textured ceilings: if you have Artex or a similar coating applied before 2000, it may contain asbestos. Get a sample tested before anyone drills or chases into it. See plastering over Artex.
- Carpentry: lifted floorboards need relaying properly, and you may want skirting or door frames replaced while things are disrupted anyway. See first fix and second fix carpentry.
What does it cost?
UK 2026 guides put a full rewire of a 3-bed house at around £5,500 to £8,000, with partial rewires from about £2,000. Being in the house doesn't usually change the price much, but it can add time. Budget separately for replastering and decorating; one trade guide suggests a full redecoration of a 3-bed after a rewire can run to £2,000 to £5,000.
Every house is different, so the exact figure comes from the electrician's written quote after a survey. See our house rewire cost guide and consumer unit replacement costs.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which rooms will you do on which days?
- Will we have power to the fridge and somewhere to charge phones every night?
- Will the power and lights be working at the end of each day?
- Who fills the chases, and to what finish?
- Are you lifting and relaying floorboards, and who refits carpets?
- Does the quote include the consumer unit, smoke alarms and certification?
Talk to our electrician
When we renovated our house we learned that a rewire goes far more smoothly when the electrician and plasterer are planned together. We can pass your enquiry to the electrician we used, and the plasterer too if you need one. We're not paid for recommendations. We just pass you to people we trust.
Message us about an electricianFree. We pass you straight to the tradesperson we trust.
Not sure you need a rewire yet? Start with signs your house needs rewiring or an EICR. More about our electrician and our plasterer.
Message us about a plastererFree. We pass you straight to the tradesperson we trust.
Typical prices
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full rewire, 3 bed house | £5,500–£8,000 per job | 2026 UK cost guides; excludes replastering and decorating |
| Partial rewire | £2,000–£6,000 per job | Depends on how many circuits and rooms |
| Redecoration after a 3 bed rewire | £2,000–£5,000 per job | One trade guide's budget figure; varies hugely with finish |
Frequently asked questions
Can I stay in my house during a rewire?
Yes, most people do. Electricians usually work room by room and keep some power running, such as the fridge and a few sockets, while other circuits are off. It is noisier, dustier and slower than rewiring an empty house, so some people stay elsewhere for the first-fix days when walls are chased and floorboards lifted.
How long does it take to rewire a 3 bedroom house?
UK guides typically give 5 to 10 working days for the electrical work on a 3-bed house, depending on the house and the size of the team. In an occupied home, one to two weeks is more realistic. Plastering and decorating afterwards add more time and are usually separate jobs.
How messy is a house rewire?
Very messy during first fix, when cables are run and walls chased. Plaster dust spreads widely even with dust sheets. Clearing rooms, sealing doorways, protecting floors and bagging up soft furnishings make a real difference. Second fix, when sockets and switches go on, is much cleaner.
Do you need to replaster after a rewire?
Usually some plastering is needed. Chases in the walls must be filled and any damaged areas repaired. Some electricians fill chases themselves, but a smooth finish ready for paint is normally a plasterer's job, and many people choose to skim whole rooms at the same time if they were already in poor condition.
Does a rewire need building regulations approval?
A full rewire is notifiable under Part P in England. If you use an electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, they notify building control for you and you receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate plus an Electrical Installation Certificate. Otherwise you need to apply to the council before work starts.