How do I know if my house needs rewiring?
If your wiring is rubber or fabric-insulated, or it hasn't been checked for many years, it's time to find out. An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) gives you a clear answer. It shows whether the wiring can be kept, repaired or needs replacing.
These are the signs we see most often in older Leicester homes:
- Rubber or fabric-covered cable
- Common before the 1960s. The insulation goes brittle and crumbles with age.
- Lead-sheathed cable
- Grey metal-covered cable from the early 20th century. Well past its working life.
- Round-pin sockets
- A sure sign the wiring behind them is very old.
- No earth on lighting circuits
- Common in older installations. Metal light fittings can't be safely earthed.
- Scorching, buzzing or warm sockets
- Switch off if safe and have it checked straight away.
- Too few sockets
- Extension leads everywhere usually means the circuits are overdue for updating.
Do black and red wires mean I need a rewire?
No, not by themselves. Red and black were the standard UK colours until 2006, when they changed to brown and blue. Plenty of red-and-black PVC wiring is still in good condition.
What matters is the condition of the cable and how it tests. Many 1960s to 1990s homes, including the post-war estates in Braunstone and New Parks, have PVC wiring that only needs better earthing, a few extra sockets and perhaps a newer board. We'll tell you honestly if a partial update will do the job instead of a full rewire.
What's the difference between a full and partial rewire?
A full rewire replaces every circuit in the property. A partial rewire replaces the wiring in part of it, such as one floor, an extension or a kitchen, and leaves the rest in place if it tests well.
- Full rewire
- All circuits and accessories. Best for older or mixed wiring.
- Partial rewire
- One floor, an extension or a set of circuits. Rest of the house tested and kept.
- Kitchen or extension
- New circuits for a renovated area, connected to a suitable board.
- Rental property rewire
- Often planned between tenancies to keep disruption low.
What happens during a rewire?
A rewire happens in two stages. First fix is the messy part, and second fix is when everything gets connected and tested.
At first fix we lift floorboards where needed, run new cables through floors and ceilings and cut channels (called chases) in the walls for the cables to sit in. New back boxes go in for sockets and switches. The chases are then filled. At second fix we fit the sockets, switches and light points, connect the circuits and test every one. A rewire is also a good time to fit interlinked smoke and heat alarms, which can run on the new wiring rather than batteries. We work room by room where possible and aim to leave you with working lights and some sockets at the end of each day.
Can I stay in the house during a rewire?
Yes, most people do, but expect dust, noise and some days with limited power. It's much easier if the rooms being worked on are empty or the furniture is moved to the middle and covered.
Bigger houses, solid walls and Victorian terraces with lath-and-plaster ceilings, like many in Highfields and the West End, can take longer. Carpets need lifting in rooms where we go under the floor. If you can move out for the first fix stage, the job usually goes faster, but it isn't required. We'll agree a room-by-room plan with you at the survey.
To get ready, clear or empty the rooms we're starting in, lift or move rugs, and take pictures and mirrors off the walls. Cover anything you can't move. Let us know about alarms, wireless doorbells or smart heating controls so we can reconnect them properly at second fix.
How much does a rewire cost?
It depends on the size of the property, how many sockets and lights you want, and how easy it is to get cables through floors and walls. We price every rewire after a survey visit, and the figure we give you is fixed.
These are the main things that drive it.
A fixed price matters more on a rewire than almost any other job, because it runs over several days. You know the full cost before the first floorboard comes up, and it doesn't change if a room takes longer than planned.
- Size of the house
- More rooms means more circuits and more cable.
- Number of points
- Extra sockets, outdoor points and lighting changes add time and materials.
- Construction
- Solid walls, concrete floors or lath-and-plaster take longer to work through.
- Empty or lived-in
- Empty rooms are quicker to work in than furnished ones.
- Making good
- We'll make it clear in the price what's included.
What certificates do I get after a rewire?
You get an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), and the work is notified to building control as the law requires. A Building Regulations compliance certificate follows.
The EIC records how the new installation was designed and the test results for every circuit, to the current Wiring Regulations (BS 7671, 18th Edition). Keep it with your house documents. Solicitors ask for it when you sell, and landlords can use it alongside their regular EICR, which is needed at least every five years in England.