How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House in Australia? (2026 Prices)

Rewiring a house in Australia typically costs $4,000–$12,000. A small unit or partial rewire can be $3,000–$6,000, a standard 3-bedroom home is around $7,000–$10,000, and a large or double-storey home often runs $10,000–$15,000+. The biggest variables are the number of points, whether walls are open or finished, and switchboard upgrades.

How much does it cost to rewire a house?

• Small unit / partial rewire: $3,000–$6,000
• Standard 3-bedroom house: $7,000–$10,000
• Large or double-storey home: $10,000–$15,000+
• Switchboard upgrade (often required): $800–$2,500
• Per power point or light point: $80–$150 installed

These are guide ranges for licensed electrical work. An occupied home with finished plaster walls costs more than a gutted renovation because cabling has to be fished through cavities.

Rewiring cost by house size

The clearest way to estimate a rewire is by dwelling size, since that roughly tracks the number of points and cable runs involved:

Dwelling	Typical points	Rewiring cost
2-bedroom unit	25–35	$4,000–$6,500
3-bedroom house	40–50	$7,000–$10,000
4-bedroom house	50–65	$9,500–$13,000
5-bedroom / two-storey	65–85	$12,000–$16,000+

The average cost to rewire a 3-bedroom house in Australia sits at $7,000–$10,000, which is why it's the figure most often quoted as the "average house rewire" price — it's the most common dwelling size. Two-storey homes cost more even at a similar floor area than a single-storey equivalent, because of roof-space and subfloor access on two levels and longer vertical cable runs.

How much does it cost to rewire a 3-bedroom house?

Rewiring a standard 3-bedroom house in Australia costs about $7,000–$10,000. That covers around 40–50 points (power, lights and data), a new switchboard with safety switches, and making-good afterwards. An occupied home with finished walls sits at the top of that range because the electrician has to fish cable through existing cavities rather than run it across open framing. A gutted 3-bedroom home mid-renovation is cheaper to rewire, often $5,500–$8,000, because access is easy.

The "average cost to rewire a house" figure people quote online is usually this 3-bedroom number. Bigger or double-storey homes climb past it; small units and partial rewires sit below.

Per-point pricing: power points, light points and the switchboard

If you're comparing quotes or only rewiring part of a house, it helps to know the per-item rates electricians build a full quote from:

• Power point (GPO), supply and install: $80–$150 per point, more if it's a double GPO or USB-integrated point.
• Light point (switch plus fitting circuit, excluding the light fitting itself): $80–$140 per point.
• Data/TV point: $90–$160 per point.
• Switchboard upgrade to a modern board with RCDs/safety switches: $800–$2,500, more if the main supply also needs upgrading from the street.
• Smoke alarm interconnection (hardwired, per unit): $150–$300 per alarm, and is now mandatory in most states on renovation or sale.

Multiply the per-point rate by the number of points in the house and you'll land close to the size-based ranges above — a 3-bedroom house with 45 points at $100–$150 per point (accounting for some data and double points at the higher end) works out to roughly $7,000–$10,000 once the switchboard is added.

Cost by wall and roof access

Access is the single biggest swing factor on any rewire — the same house can cost 30–50% more or less depending on whether the electrician can get behind the walls easily:

Access type	Impact on price
Stripped walls / mid-renovation	Bottom of the range for house size — cable runs freely across open framing
Occupied home, finished plaster, good roof/underfloor access	Mid-range — cable is fished, small patch-and-paint needed
Occupied home, finished plaster, poor roof/underfloor access (skillion roof, solid floor)	Top of the range — extra time fishing cable and more patching
Heritage-listed or double-brick construction	Above the standard range — cavities are harder to access and patching is more involved

If your quote comes in above the ranges in this guide, ask specifically whether it's an access issue (fair reason for a higher price) or scope creep (extra points or work not discussed) — a good electrician should be able to explain which one it is.

Worked example: standard 3-bedroom rewire

A typical quote for an occupied 3-bedroom house with finished walls and reasonable roof access might break down like this:

• Switchboard upgrade with safety switches: $1,600
• 45 points (power, lights, data) at an average $130/point: $5,850
• Smoke alarm interconnection (4 alarms): $900
• Making-good (patching and minor touch-up painting): $650
• Total (ex. GST): $9,000
• Total (inc. 10% GST): $9,900

This sits at the upper-middle of the $7,000–$10,000 standard 3-bedroom range, which is typical for an occupied home with finished walls — a gutted home with the same point count would come in a couple of thousand dollars lower because there's no fishing or patching involved.

What affects the price

• Access: open/stripped walls are far cheaper than fishing cable through finished walls and insulation — this alone can swing the total by 30–50%.
• House size and number of points: more rooms, lights, GPOs and data points = more labour and cable.
• Switchboard and safety: older homes usually need a new board with RCDs/safety switches to meet AS/NZS 3000.
• Single vs double storey: upstairs runs and roof-space access add time, as shown in the table above.
• Asbestos: homes built before the mid-1980s can have asbestos sheeting behind switchboards or in ceilings; if it's disturbed, licensed removal adds $500–$2,500+ before electrical work continues.
• Extras: data/TV cabling, downlights, extra smoke alarms and EV charging add to the total.

Can you rewire a house without removing walls?

Yes — most rewires in occupied homes are done without removing walls, by fishing new cable through wall cavities, ceiling space and under the floor, then patching small access holes afterwards. It costs more than a rewire with open walls (expect the top of the range for your house size) because it's slower and more careful work, and there's a small amount of patching and painting to make good. Full wall removal is really only relevant if you're already renovating for other reasons — it's not something you'd do just to make the rewire cheaper.

A typical no-wall-removal rewire takes 3–7 working days for a 3-bedroom house, done room by room with power turned off in sections rather than the whole house at once. Some households stay in the home during the work and plan around which rooms lose power on which day; others choose to move out for the duration, especially if young kids or remote work make intermittent power loss impractical.

How to get an accurate rewiring quote

A real price needs a site inspection. An electrician has to see the switchboard, wall access and the number of points before committing. Ask for an itemised quote that separates materials, labour, the switchboard and any making-good, so you can compare like for like. Get two or three quotes on the same scope — access, point count and switchboard spec — before committing, since a cheaper quote missing the switchboard or safety switches isn't actually cheaper once that gets added back in. Tradies who quote on the spot win more of this work; with Insta Quotes an electrician can describe the job and send a professional, itemised quote in under 30 seconds.

Related guides

• How to Quote an Electrical Job: Australian Electrician's Pricing Guide
• Cost to Rewire a House in New Zealand
• How to Price a Job as a Tradie
• How to Write a Trade Quote in Australia

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