Does your house need rewiring?
Wiring does not last forever. Cable insulation dries out and cracks with age, older installations were never designed for the number of appliances a modern home runs, and many older properties have no RCD protection at all. If your wiring is more than 25 to 30 years old, a rewire is often the safest long-term answer.
Common signs are a rewireable fuse box instead of a modern consumer unit, rubber, fabric or lead-sheathed cables, round-pin or discoloured sockets, lights that flicker, fuses or breakers that trip for no obvious reason, and sockets or switches that feel warm or smell of burning. If you are not sure, an EICR (electrical installation condition report) shows the condition of every circuit and tells you exactly what needs attention.
Full or partial rewire?
A full rewire replaces every circuit in the property: new cabling, back boxes, sockets, switches, lighting points and a new 18th Edition consumer unit. It is the right choice for older properties, homes with rubber or lead-sheathed cable, and houses being renovated from top to bottom.
A partial rewire replaces only the circuits that need it, for example the kitchen and bathroom during a refurbishment, or a single floor of the house. The circuits that stay are tested to make sure they are sound. It costs less and causes less disruption, and we will tell you honestly which you need.
How a rewire works
Every rewire starts with a visit to look at the existing installation and talk through how you use each room, so the new layout puts sockets, switches and lights where you actually want them. You get a written quote and a plan agreed before any work starts.
- First fix: new cables run to every socket, switch and light position, with floorboards lifted and walls chased only where needed
- Plastering and decorating can then happen, by your own trades or ones we recommend
- Second fix: sockets, switches, light fittings and the new consumer unit fitted and connected
- Every circuit tested, an Electrical Installation Certificate issued and the work notified to Building Control through our NAPIT registration
- A typical three-bedroom house takes five to eight working days
Living in during a rewire
Most customers stay in the property while we rewire it. We work room by room, dust-sheet as we go, keep the lights and some sockets on overnight where we can, and agree the order of work with you at the start so the kitchen and bathroom are out of action for as short a time as possible. Ash and Ian carry out the work themselves, so the people who quote the job are the people who turn up to do it.
Rewires across Sheffield and Rotherham
We rewire houses, flats and rental properties across Sheffield, Rotherham and the surrounding South Yorkshire area, including landlords who need a property brought up to standard after an unsatisfactory EICR. If you are planning a kitchen, bathroom or extension, it is usually best to rewire at the same time, before any plastering or decorating.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to move out during a rewire?
Not usually. Many customers stay in the property. We work room by room, keep power on where we can overnight, and agree the order of work with you at the start.
How do I know if my house needs rewiring?
Signs include a rewireable fuse box, old round-pin or discoloured sockets, rubber or lead-sheathed cables, frequent tripping and burning smells. An EICR gives a definitive answer and lists exactly what needs attention.
How long does a rewire take?
A typical three-bedroom house takes five to eight working days for the electrical work. A partial rewire of one or two rooms can often be done in a day or two.
Will there be much mess?
There is some disruption, because cables have to reach every socket and light. We lift floorboards and use existing routes where we can, only chase walls where needed, dust-sheet as we go and clean up at the end of each day.
Will I get a certificate?
Yes. A rewire is notifiable work, so you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate and we register the work with Building Control through our NAPIT registration. Keep the paperwork for when you sell or remortgage.