How Much Does a House Rewire Cost in Dublin in 2026?

If you're googling "house rewire cost Dublin" right now, you're probably in one of two situations. Either you've had an inspection and been told the wiring needs replacing, or you're planning a renovation and want to know what you're in for. Either way, you want a number — not a vague "it depends".

I run Gorman Electrical Services. We rewire houses across Dublin every week, and I'm going to give you the most honest breakdown I can. These are the prices we're quoting in 2026, not figures pulled from a 2019 article that someone forgot to update.

House Rewire Prices in Dublin — 2026

Let's get straight to it. Here's what a full house rewire typically costs in Dublin right now:

I know — the first reaction most people have is sticker shock. If you looked this up a year or two ago, you probably saw lower numbers. I'll explain why the prices have moved further down.

Why Has a House Rewire Gotten More Expensive?

I hear this a lot: "My neighbour got their house rewired for €6,000 three years ago — why is it double now?" It's a fair question, and there isn't one single answer. It's a combination of things that have all gone in the same direction at the same time.

• Copper prices — copper is the single biggest material cost in a rewire, and it's up over 40% compared to 2022. Every metre of cable, every connection, every earth bond uses copper.
• Labour costs — there's a genuine shortage of qualified electricians in Ireland. Wages have had to rise to keep people in the trade, and that feeds directly into the price you pay.
• ET 101:2018 compliance — the current Irish wiring standard requires more circuits, more RCDs, and more protective devices than older standards. A modern consumer unit alone costs significantly more than what we were fitting 5 years ago.
• Insurance and certification — Safe Electric registration, public liability, professional indemnity — it all costs more than it used to. Any contractor quoting you €5,000 for a full rewire in 2026 is either cutting corners or not accounting for these properly.
• Supply chain — cables, consumer units, and accessories all come through a supply chain that's still feeling the effects of inflation. Prices haven't come back down to pre-2022 levels — and they're not going to.

None of this is unique to us. Any reputable electrician in Dublin will be quoting similar numbers. If someone is significantly cheaper, it's worth asking why — and whether they're Safe Electric registered.

What Can Push Your Rewire Cost Up (or Down)?

The table above gives you a solid ballpark, but every house has its own quirks. Here are the main things that move the price in either direction:

Things That Add Cost

• Solid concrete floors — if we can't lift floorboards to run cables underneath, we're either chasing into concrete or using surface trunking, both of which take longer
• Old wiring types — rubber-insulated or aluminium wiring from the 60s–80s needs careful removal and disposal. It's slower work.
• Extensions or attic conversions — these need separate sub-circuits and sometimes their own earthing, which adds material and time
• Listed buildings or period homes — you can't just drill through original plasterwork. Everything has to be routed more carefully.
• Smart home wiring — if you want smart switches, USB-C sockets, or multi-room audio run in during the rewire (and honestly, this is the time to do it), that adds to the scope
• Staying in the property during the work — if you're living in the house, we have to work room by room instead of all at once. That adds 15–20% to the bill because it takes longer.

Things That Can Save You Money

• Vacant property — if the house is empty, we can work much faster. No furniture to protect, no working around someone's schedule.
• Timber floors throughout — cables route easily under timber floors. It's the ideal scenario.
• Doing it during a renovation — if the plasterer is coming in after us anyway, we don't need to worry about making good, which saves time
• No asbestos — this sounds obvious, but in older Dublin homes (pre-1990), asbestos can be present in fuse boards or around old storage heaters. If it's there, everything stops until it's professionally removed (separate cost, separate contractor).

What's Actually Included in a Full House Rewire?

When we say "full rewire," we mean everything electrical is replaced from scratch. Here's what that looks like in practice:

1. 1New consumer unit (fuse board) — with individual RCBOs for every circuit, which is the current standard under ET 101:2018
2. 2Complete cable replacement — every cable in the house is pulled out and replaced with new XLPE or LSF cable
3. 3New sockets and switches — standard white fittings unless you've specified something else (chrome, brushed steel, etc.)
4. 4Smoke and heat alarms — hard-wired, interconnected LD2 system. This is now required by building regs.
5. 5New light fittings — or reconnection of your existing ones if they're compatible
6. 6Full testing and inspection — every circuit is tested to IS 10101 standards
7. 7Safe Electric completion certificate — the official cert that proves the work was done by a registered contractor to current standards
8. 8Earthing and bonding — the full protective earthing system is verified or upgraded

What's typically NOT included: making good plasterwork (that's your plasterer's job), painting, and any specialist items like underfloor heating, solar PV, or security systems. We can install all of those — but they're priced separately because not everyone needs them.

How Long Does a House Rewire Take in Dublin?

This is the other question I get constantly. Here's a rough guide:

Those timelines assume the house is vacant or mostly empty. If you're living in the property and we're doing it room by room, add 30–50% to those numbers. It's slower because we have to make each area safe and usable at the end of every day.

How to Get the Best Price on a House Rewire in Dublin

I'm not going to pretend €11,000 or €12,000 is pocket change — it's not. Here are some genuine ways to keep the cost manageable:

• Check if you qualify for a grant — the Housing Aid for Older People scheme covers rewiring for over-66s, and the Vacant Property Grant can cover rewiring as part of a refurbishment. We've got a grant checker tool on our site that tells you in two minutes whether you're eligible.
• Get the work done while the house is empty — if you're between tenants, renovating, or can stay somewhere else for a week, a vacant property is always cheaper to rewire than an occupied one.
• Bundle it with other work — if you need the house re-plastered or are doing a kitchen/bathroom renovation anyway, getting the rewire done at the same time means less disruption and potentially a better overall price.
• Don't wait until it's an emergency — an urgent rewire (because something has failed or a tenant can't move in without a cert) always costs more than a planned one. If your wiring is 25+ years old, it's worth getting a quote now rather than waiting for a problem.
• Use our online estimator — it's the fastest way to get a realistic figure without committing to anything. Takes about 60 seconds.

How to Get a Rewiring Quote From Us

We've tried to make this as painless as possible. You've got three options:

1. 1Online estimator — go to estimator.ges.ie, answer a few questions about your property, and get a price range instantly. This is where most people start.
2. 2Phone us — call 01 963 6636 during business hours. We'll talk through your situation and can usually give a ballpark over the phone if you can describe the property.
3. 3Book a site survey — for complex properties, older homes, or if you just want someone to physically look at the wiring before committing, we'll send someone out. The survey itself is free.

No matter which route you go, there's no pressure. We'll give you a clear price, explain what's involved, and let you make your decision. We've been doing this long enough to know that pushing people doesn't work — and it's not how we operate.

How Do You Know If Your House Needs a Rewire?

Not every old house needs a full rewire. But there are some clear warning signs that shouldn't be ignored:

• The fuse board still has rewirable fuses (the old ceramic type with wire inside) — these offer far less protection than modern RCBOs
• You're tripping breakers regularly — especially when using normal appliances like kettles or hairdryers
• Sockets or switches are warm to the touch, or you can smell burning near them
• The wiring is rubber-insulated — if you pull a socket off the wall and the cable behind it is black rubber rather than modern PVC, it's overdue
• You've got a mix of different wiring from different decades — patchwork wiring is a common problem in Dublin houses that have had multiple extensions or "improvements" over the years
• The house hasn't been rewired in 25+ years — the National Standards Authority of Ireland recommends testing every 10 years and full replacement every 25–30 years

Frequently Asked Questions About House Rewire Costs

Is €11,000 a normal price for a 2-bed rewire in Dublin?

Yes, as of 2026 it is. Prices have risen significantly over the past couple of years due to copper costs, labour shortages, and updated wiring standards. Any Safe Electric registered contractor quoting accurately in Dublin will be in this ballpark. If you're seeing significantly lower prices, check whether that includes VAT, certification, and a full replacement of all circuits.

Can I rewire just part of the house?

Technically yes, but it's not always the best idea. A partial rewire might solve an immediate problem, but you could end up with a mix of old and new wiring that limits what the next electrician can certify. If the wiring is genuinely old throughout, a full rewire is nearly always better value in the long run.

Do I need to move out during a rewire?

You don't have to, but we strongly recommend it. There'll be no power in parts of the house at various points, dust from chasing walls, and cables running everywhere. If you can stay with family or rent somewhere for a few days, it makes the whole process faster (and cheaper — remember, living in adds 15–20% to the cost).

What grants are available for rewiring in 2026?

The main ones are the Housing Aid for Older People scheme (for homeowners aged 66+, income-tested, up to €8,000) and the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (up to €50,000 for bringing an empty property back into use). We've written a full breakdown of all available grants — and there's a Grant Checker tool on our site that tells you in 2 minutes what you might qualify for.

How do I know if an electrician is Safe Electric registered?

Ask for their Safe Electric registration number and check it at safeelectric.ie. Any contractor doing domestic electrical work in Ireland should be registered. If they're not, they can't issue a completion certificate — which means your work isn't officially certified and could cause problems if you ever sell the house or need insurance.

Got more questions? Call us on 01 963 6636 or check out our full house rewiring page at ges.ie/house-rewiring. You can also get a quick estimate at estimator.ges.ie — it takes less than a minute.