How Often Should
a House Be Rewired?
Cable does not have an MOT date. The honest UK answer is roughly every 25 to 30 years for a full rewire plus every 10 years for an EICR inspection on owner-occupied homes, sooner for landlords. This guide explains why the intervals exist plus what triggers a sooner rewire.
A typical UK domestic installation should be fully rewired roughly every 25 to 30 years. Twin and earth cable has a manufacturer-rated lifespan of around that range. Between rewires you should commission an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) every 10 years for owner-occupied homes plus every 5 years for rented properties. A property that has had no rewire since the 1990s plus no recent EICR should be inspected immediately, not at the next routine point.
The figures that matter
Full rewire
Manufacturer-rated lifespan of standard PVC twin plus earth cable in domestic use.
Owner EICR
Routine EICR interval for owner-occupied properties plus change of occupancy.
Landlord EICR
Mandatory EICR interval under the 2020 Electrical Safety Standards regulations.
Fixed expiry date
There is no statutory rewire expiry. EICR result drives the decision, not age alone.
Four things to consider
Age guideline
25 to 30 years is the manufacturer cable life. Older installations should be EICR-checked.
EICR triggers
A failing EICR with C1 or C2 codes pulls a rewire forward regardless of installation age.
Lifestyle changes
Adding an EV charger, electric shower or extension may need partial rewire plus CU upgrade.
House sale or let
Buyers plus letting agents increasingly request a recent EICR before contracts exchange.
Why 25 to 30 years is the rewire benchmark
The number comes from cable manufacturers, not from the regulations themselves. Standard PVC-insulated twin plus earth cable, the workhorse of UK domestic wiring, is rated for around 25 to 30 years of normal service. After that the PVC starts to harden plus the cable becomes more prone to insulation failure under load.
BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 3, the current UK wiring standard, does not actually mandate a rewire interval. What it does require is that every installation is periodically inspected to confirm it remains safe for use. The vehicle for that is the EICR.
The rule of thumb most UK electricians use:
- Owner-occupied house: full EICR every 10 years or on change of occupancy.
- Privately rented house: EICR every 5 years (mandatory since June 2020 under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector regulations).
- Commercial premises: EICR every 5 years for most settings, sometimes more frequently.
If the EICR comes back with C1 or C2 codes, those issues need fixing immediately. Multiple C2 codes plus advancing age often tip the decision from remedial work to full rewire because the cost of fixing item by item starts to exceed the cost of starting fresh.
Lifestyle changes that pull a rewire forward:
- Adding a 7kW or 22kW EV charger that needs a dedicated 32A or 100A circuit.
- Installing an electric shower above 8.5kW which the original ring final cannot support.
- Major kitchen extension with induction hob plus multiple high-load appliances.
- Loft conversion with new circuits that bring the original CU to or beyond capacity.
Real number ranges
Inspection plus rewire intervals (UK 2026)
How a UK rewire decision usually plays out
Rewire installed
New BS 7671 compliant installation. EIC certificate issued, six-year workmanship warranty.
First routine EICR
Full inspection plus testing. Should pass with no C1 or C2 codes if installation has been left alone.
Second EICR
Mid-life inspection. Often picks up minor C3 advisories. Usually still safe to leave until next routine.
Rewire decision
EICR plus visual age check. Many installations need full rewire here. Some last 35 to 40 years if usage has been light.
Four signs to bring forward your rewire schedule
C1 or C2 codes on EICR
Any C1 (immediate danger) or multiple C2 (potentially dangerous) codes should trigger remedial work plus a rewire conversation.
Plastic consumer unit
Pre-2015 plastic CUs no longer meet current Amendment 3 requirements. Replacement is often the start of a wider rewire.
Two or more circuits sharing a fuse
Old installations frequently combined kitchen plus utility on one fuse. This is no longer regs compliant nor safe at modern loads.
Major lifestyle change planned
EV charger, heat pump or major extension all stretch original installations. Rewire timing aligns with the renovation.
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Routine 10-year EICR cycle
- •Predictable cost spread across a 10-year cycle rather than a sudden lump.
- •Catches issues early when remedial cost is still manageable.
- •Insurance-friendly. Most insurers reduce premium with current EICR on file.
- •Buyer plus tenant ready. Recent EICR is now expected on house sale plus let.
- •Cost: roughly £180 to £350 per EICR.
Reactive when something fails
- •No spend until something happens, which feels cheaper short term.
- •Often emergency callout rates when a circuit eventually trips or burns.
- •Insurance complications if a fire investigation finds an installation that should have been inspected.
- •Slows down house sales when buyers ask for an EICR you cannot provide.
- •Cost: unpredictable, ranging from a single repair to a full reactive rewire.
Rewire interval is the planning question. Cost plus disruption are the execution questions. Our home rewires hub covers all three together.
Visit the Home Rewires Hub
This article is one chapter inside our complete Home Rewires knowledge base. The hub covers timing, cost, disruption plus regulation in a single index.
If you would like a fixed quote for an EICR on your property in our coverage area, our Bedford electrician page details the inspection process plus links through to landlord 5-yearly compliance support.
More on home rewires
Three silo articles cover related questions in detail. How to tell if a house needs rewiring walks through the visual plus performance signs. Does a 1970s house need rewiring takes one specific era as a worked example. How much to rewire a 3-bed house sets honest cost expectations.