House Rewiring in Cardiff – Full and Partial Rewires

Fast, Clean, Qualified Electricians
Experienced with rewiring houses
Clear communication with clients, start, middle and end
All certification provided upon completion.
We always use quality British parts, including BS 6004 wire, on all rewiring projects to ensure the highest standards of safety and reliability.

Older, unsafe or heavily altered properties may eventually need a full or partial house rewire. Whilst it’s undeniably a significant undertaking, you don’t have to face it alone. Gabe Electrical’s Cardiff electricians understand the thought of rewiring your entire home can feel overwhelming, but with our expertise and careful planning, we can make the whole process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Our experienced team specialises in complete house rewires, working efficiently to minimise disruption to your daily routine whilst ensuring your home’s electrical system meets BS 7671 and the requirements of Part P of the Building Regulations.

If you are certain your house needs rewiring — or anEICR has confirmed it — think of the project as a blank canvas. Now is your chance to have sockets, lights, switches, and data cabling (which is great for those who work from home) exactly where you want them. Our team will help you position all your accessories exactly where you need them in the most labour-efficient way.

House rewiring experience from James Walsh

James completed his City & Guilds electrical apprenticeship in 1999 and has worked on domestic electrical installations across Cardiff ever since. Full and partial house rewiring is a core Gabe Electrical service, supported by NICEIC Approved Contractor registration, thorough inspection and testing, and the appropriate certification on completion.

Understanding the house rewire process

Here are five reasons your house may need rewiring:

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) has determined that the property is unsatisfactory due to old wiring with low insulation resistance readings.
There are not enough socket outlets, they are single (instead of double) or they are in the wrong place—such as the wrong side of the door opening.
There is no earth wire on the lighting circuit – often flagged up as a code C2 on an EICR if metallic light fittings or switches are installed.
The installation has multiple faults where the root cause(s) cannot be identified after multiple hours of investigation.
The way the house was originally wired does not allow for easy expansion, such as for a new kitchen, extension, or loft conversion. A typical example of this is some houses were wired with one socket circuit.

A rewire involves installing new cables, sockets, switches, lighting points and, where required, a modern consumer unit. The new wiring can be surface-mounted inside plastic trunking or chased into the walls for a neater, hidden finish.
Some think the old wiring is pulled out and replaced with new. While it’s true that old wiring can sometimes be used to pull new cables through conduit already buried inside the walls; in most cases, the old wiring is simply cut out wherever possible—under the floors and at old socket and light switch locations.
As part of the rewire process, it’s likely the fuse box (now called the consumer unit) will be replaced with a modern version that includes RCBO and surge protection.
Some people ask about the electric meter during a rewire. The meter belongs to your energy supplier, and its age doesn’t reflect the condition of your home’s electrical system, known as the consumer side.
A rewire is something you only want to do once, so choose your electrician in Cardiff wisely—hopefully, Gabe Electrical! You want it done once, to a high standard, so you never have to worry about it again.

Typically within a few days after the estimate has been accepted. If you are about to take ownership of a house that needs rewiring, please get in touch as soon as you can to help things move along swiftly. We would love to help meet your expectations so you can move in your new home in a timely manner.

Not easily, no. The best way to rewire a property is from start to finish in one go. If this isn’t possible, then rewiring in sections (like the kitchen in one, or the upstairs in one) would be the next best option.

Not necessarily. The ideal time to rewire a house is when it’s empty, but it can be done occupied. The less furniture and possessions the better as this helps speed up the job and reduce the risk of damage. Gabe Electrical have carried out rewires where the owners have put the contents of the upstairs to the downstairs and when access to the downstairs is necessary, move it all upstairs.

Not unless you want to hire one. We will in-fill all the chases made to install your sockets and switches. The finish will be ready for a decorator. So the walls won’t be exactly how they were before, but as close as we can get for painting or wallpapering. Some people choose to have walls plastered at the same time. And if that’s what you want, then that’s fine with us.

There is no single expiry date for domestic wiring. Its serviceable life depends on the cable type, installation quality, loading, alterations and environmental conditions, which is why periodic inspection and testing remain important.

You will receive an electrical installation certificate listing the circuit details and test readings along with the relevant Part P compliance documentation confirming that the notifiable work meets current building regulations.

Old wiring can pose a fire risk and increase the chances of electrocution. The insulation in cables breaks down over time, which is why electrical testing checks its integrity. When low insulation resistance has been confirmed (and it’s due to the wiring, not a fault), a rewire should be carried out.

Rewire prices vary considerably, so we provide a tailored quotation after inspecting the property and discussing the specification. The principal factors affecting the price include: Some variables include:

If the property is empty.
The number of sockets, lights and switches and their location.
If the wiring is going to be chased inside the walls or installed on the surface in trunking.
The type of flooring installed on the first floor.

Your pre-rewire questions answered

What happens on day one depends on whether you’re staying in the property whilst the rewire takes place. If you are, we will keep lighting and power where you need it. If you’ve moved out, we’ll shut off the existing installation and make a temporary supply so we can work.
Day one usually starts with removing all the upstairs ceiling lights. We’ll install all the new wiring for the upstairs lights and switches. We’ll also run wiring for the landing smoke detector, bathroom extractor fan, shower, and any power to the loft. The idea is to start at the top and work down.
Day two continues with the upstairs, where sections of the floor will be lifted. This lets us rewire all the upstairs sockets and create a route for the wiring from upstairs to the fuse box downstairs.
Depending on the size of your house, by day three, we’ll be well into the first fix (chasing walls, lifting floors, and routing cables).
Day four will involve continuing work downstairs, starting final testing, installing the consumer unit, and finishing the second fix (installing socket outlets and light switches).
Day five might be the last day—depending on the size and complexity of your house, of course.

Typically 08:30 – 16:30 but we are flexible. Sometimes it’s better to work later to get non-noisy jobs finished off.

No. Gabe Electrical is registered under the NICEIC Approved Contractor Scheme. We will notify building control and provide you with the necessary Part P documentation upon completion.

We will arrange safe disposal of any waste we generate during the rewire.

Call us for an update, or we can arrange a call half way through the week if you prefer. We might need to contact you if there are some choices to make on how to achieve something.

That is unlikely.

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The Benefits of Rewiring Your Home:

You choose where all the accessories, like sockets, switches, lights, EV chargers and network connection points are located.
The wiring and accessories are brand new and will last for many years.
You’ll have peace of mind knowing there are no hidden issues under the floors or in the loft.
You can be confident that the electrical system works perfectly and can be safely expanded in the future, for things like an electric vehicle charger or a loft conversion.
You can focus on the look of your home without worrying about lifting floors or chasing walls once the new carpets, tiles, and decoration are in place.
If you sell your home, you’ll have the paperwork to show buyers that the electrical system is safe, up-to-date and carried out by professional electricians.
If you ever need to make an insurance claim, like for flood or wind damage, you’ll have certification from a professional installer that the work was done to a high standard.

Preparing for Your Rewire

Decide whether to stay in the house or move out. Moving out is the preferred option for the following reasons:

The work is more efficient. If you move out, the electricians can focus on the rewire 100% of the time. If you’re there, they need to keep things safe for you and ensure there’s a power supply. The last hour of the day will be spent putting floorboards back down to prevent accidents, only to lift them again the next morning. It’s also quicker to have a ten-minute catch-up call than several ten-minute chats throughout the day. Six chats during the day means an hour of lost work.
You won’t enjoy the noise! If you’re trying to work from home, it’ll be hard to concentrate with all the drilling, banging, and cutting.

We’ve rewired homes where people have stayed with friends, family, neighbours, gone on holiday, or booked an Airbnb.

If you really need to stay, it’s still possible, but it will take longer and cost more than if you moved out.

Do you need to book your pets into somewhere suitable to stay while the rewire work takes place?
If you have a credit-based meter there needs to be enough to allow us to work and test the installation upon completion.
If you are ordering anything to be delivered that requires a signature it might be an idea to ask a neighbour – should we not hear the door with all the noise.
We will have taken a look in your loft as part of the estimate, but it’s important that nothing has changed from the time the assessment was carried out to the day the work starts. We have looked at jobs that are completely different from the estimate to Day one.

Rewiring houses is labour-intensive and something you only want to do once. So, plan it well, choose your electricians wisely (hopefully us!) and look forward to a safe, up-to-date electrical installation with all the sockets, lights and data points where you want them. Done properly, you can put the expense and disruption behind you and not have to worry about the wiring again.

Invite Gabe Electrical in to your home and we will happily share the good, bad and ugly experiences about rewiring houses. Preparation is key for the most successful house rewires. If you decide not to get in touch, then can we take this opportunity to wish you all the best with the rewire and many years of happiness in your new home.

Six more reasons to choose Gabe Electrical for your house rewire

Rewiring is our business. Most electricians do all sorts of electrical work, and so do we. However, rewiring homes is our core skill and something we are very proud of completing to a high standard within a reasonable timeframe.
You can send us photos (or a video) If the wiring hasn’t been condemned as part of an electrical installation condition report (EICR). We will let you know our no-bull thoughts.
Once there is no doubt your home needs rewiring, think what you want, where. Some people find it helpful to put sticky notes where they want electrical accessories to be installed. Now is your time to get the accessories where you want them. If you’re not sure, we can offer suggestions based on rewiring jobs we have completed in houses nearby. But ultimately it’s your house. It’s a lot easier to get all the accessory locations confirmed before the work starts. At the site visit, we will be able to advise about lights, switches and socket locations and how working smart can help save labour costs.
The best time to rewire a house is when it’s empty – before anyone and anything has moved in. If you have moved in, we will be perfectly honest with you about the amount of belongings you have and if we are prepared to take the job on. We don’t want unhappy customers so would rather be completely honest than agree to something we don’t feel fully confident that we can deliver a safe, well-managed and positive outcome.
During your home visit, we’ll discuss any potential additional costs associated with the rewire. While our service includes floor protection, dust mitigation measures (including masking doors), and post-chase wall infill ready for decorating, there may be other considerations for homeowners. We pride ourselves on transparency, and we’ll be upfront and honest with you about any potential extra costs that might not be included in the initial estimate provided by any electrician in South Glamorgan.
If you’ve got the funds available, that’s great! But if you don’t, Gabe Electrical accepts credit cards and bank transfers for all jobs, and we will provide all the necessary documentation upon completion. Beware of cheap quotes; they may end up costing you more once the rewire begins and unforeseen problems arise that weren’t included in the estimate. Cheap quotes could indicate that the electricians are cutting corners by not being insured or affiliated with a trade body. This can make it more difficult for you to access third-party mediation if needed. With Gabe Electrical, you benefit from the NICEIC Platinum Promise, which offers added assurance that the work will be carried out to the highest standard—a level of protection you may not receive from other companies.
If you do need help from other tradespeople, then we will do our best to suggest suitable plasterers, plumbers, carpenters and flooring contractors for you. We will communicate with them to ensure we aren’t in one another’s way regardless of who you hire.