How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House in Melbourne? 2026 Price Guide

If your lights flicker, your breakers trip every time the kettle and heater run together, or your home still has an old ceramic fuse box, you have probably started wondering about the cost to rewire a house.

It is one of the bigger electrical jobs a homeowner will pay for, so it pays to understand the numbers before you request quotes. This guide breaks down the typical house rewiring cost in 2026, what you can expect to pay for a 2, 3 or 4-bedroom property, what pushes the price up or down, and whether the switchboard is included. If you are already planning a project, our team provides Electrical Rewiring Melbourne homeowners can rely on, with clear scopes of work and upfront pricing before anything starts.

How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House?

In Melbourne, a full house rewire typically costs between $6,000 and $22,000 in 2026, with most 3-bedroom homes landing around $10,000 to $14,000.

That is a wide range, and for good reason. No two homes are wired the same way. A single-storey weatherboard with easy roof access is a very different job to a two-storey brick home built on a concrete slab. The age of the existing wiring, the number of power points and lights, and whether the switchboard needs replacing all shift the final figure.

Here is a general guide to the cost to rewire a house in Melbourne, including GST:

These figures are a starting point only. The only way to get an accurate rewire house cost in Melbourne is to have a licensed electrician inspect the property, check the existing cabling and switchboard, and count the points that need to be replaced.

What Is Included in a Full House Rewire?

Before comparing prices, it helps to know what you are actually paying for. A full rewire generally covers:

• An inspection and assessment of the existing wiring and switchboard
• Safe disconnection and removal (or decommissioning) of old cabling
• New TPS cabling run to every circuit in the home
• New power points, light switches and light fittings connection points
• Dedicated circuits for high-load appliances such as ovens, cooktops, air conditioners and hot water
• New or upgraded switchboard with modern safety switches (in most cases)
• Testing of every circuit once the work is complete
• A Certificate of Electrical Safety, which is required in Victoria for this type of work

When you compare quotes, check each of these items line by line. A cheaper quote often leaves out the switchboard, the certificate, or the patching required after cables are run through walls.

How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a 2-Bedroom House?

Rewiring a 2-bedroom house in Melbourne usually costs between $6,000 and $11,000.

Two-bedroom homes, including older units, villa units and small cottages, have fewer circuits and fewer points, which keeps labour time down. Most can be completed in two to three days. The price moves toward the upper end when the home has limited roof space, solid brick internal walls, or a switchboard mounted on an old asbestos panel that needs to be replaced.

How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a 3-Bedroom House?

The cost to rewire a 3-bedroom house in Melbourne typically sits between $8,500 and $16,000, with a common midpoint of around $12,000 to $13,000.

The 3-bedroom home is the most common rewiring job across Melbourne’s suburbs, from post-war brick veneers in the east to weatherboard homes in the inner north and west. A straightforward single-storey home with good ceiling access and a reasonable number of points will usually come in at the lower half of that range.

The cost climbs toward $16,000, and occasionally past $20,000, when:

• The house is two storeys or built on a slab with no underfloor access
• Walls need to be chased and patched to run new cables
• The kitchen and living areas need several new dedicated circuits
• The home has original VIR (rubber) or cloth-insulated wiring that must be fully removed
• The switchboard must be relocated or upgraded to three-phase

Most 3-bedroom rewires take three to five working days.

How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a 4-Bedroom House?

Rewiring a 4-bedroom house in Melbourne generally costs between $12,000 and $22,000, and larger or more complex homes can exceed this.

Four-bedroom homes tend to have more bathrooms, larger kitchens, ducted heating and cooling, and more outdoor lighting, which all add circuits and points. Many are also two storeys, which makes running cable between floors slower and more involved. Expect four to seven working days for most 4-bedroom homes, depending on access and scope.

What Affects the Total Price of Rewiring a House?

The electrical rewiring cost in Melbourne depends on far more than the number of bedrooms. These are the factors that make the biggest difference.

1. Age and Type of the Existing Wiring

Homes built before the 1970s often contain VIR (vulcanised Indian rubber) or cloth-insulated cabling that has become brittle and unsafe. This wiring usually needs to be completely removed or safely decommissioned, which takes more time than simply adding new circuits alongside modern cable.

2. Access to Walls and Ceilings

Access is often the single biggest cost driver. A single-storey home with a roomy roof cavity and underfloor space allows cables to be fed through quickly. Slab-on-ground homes, two-storey homes and homes with raked or flat ceilings may require wall chasing, which means cutting into plaster to run cables and then patching and painting afterwards.

3. Number of Power Points, Switches and Lights

Every point in the home needs new cabling and a connection. Modern families typically want far more power points than older homes were designed for, especially in kitchens, home offices and living areas. Adding extra points or upgrading to LED downlights during a rewire will increase the total, although it is usually cheaper to do it now than later.

4. Switchboard Condition

If the home still has ceramic fuses or an old switchboard without enough room for modern safety switches, it will almost certainly need upgrading. This is covered in more detail below.

5. Asbestos

Many older Melbourne switchboards are mounted on panels that contain asbestos. These must be handled and removed safely, which adds to the cost. Always ask whether asbestos panel removal is included in your quote or listed separately.

6. Size and Layout of the Home

More rooms mean more circuits, more cable and more labour. Long, spread-out floor plans or homes with extensions, granny flats or detached garages also add cable runs.

7. Full Versus Partial Rewiring

Not every home needs a full rewire. If one section of the house has already been updated, a partial rewire of the remaining circuits may be a sensible middle option. Partial rewiring typically costs $1,000 to $3,200 per room, depending on access and the number of points.

8. Plastering and Patching

Some electricians include basic patching in their quote, while others leave it to the homeowner or a plasterer. Make sure you know which applies, because this can add several hundred to a few thousand dollars to the overall project.

9. Additional Upgrades

Does Rewiring Include the Switchboard?

Not always. Some rewiring quotes include a new switchboard and some do not, so you should check before you accept any quote.

In practice, most full house rewires in Melbourne do involve a switchboard upgrade. Here is why. When a home is rewired, the new circuits need to be protected by modern safety switches (RCDs or RCBOs) in line with current Australian wiring standards. Older switchboards, especially those with ceramic fuses, cannot accommodate these devices or simply do not have enough space for the additional circuits a modern home needs.

As a guide, a switchboard upgrade in Melbourne typically costs:

If your switchboard was replaced in recent years and already has adequate safety switch protection and spare capacity, it may be possible to keep it and connect the new circuits to it. A licensed electrician will confirm this during the initial inspection. You can learn more about our switchboard services if you suspect yours is due for replacement.

Signs Your Home May Need Rewiring

Many homeowners only start thinking about the house rewiring cost once a problem appears. Common warning signs include:

• Lights that flicker or dim when appliances turn on
• Circuit breakers or fuses that trip or blow regularly
• Burning smells, buzzing or crackling from power points or switches
• Power points or switches that are discoloured, warm or scorched
• Old rubber, cloth or aluminium wiring visible in the roof space
• A ceramic fuse box instead of a modern switchboard
• Not enough power points, leading to heavy use of power boards and extension leads

If you notice any of these signs, book an electrical safety check. It will tell you whether you need a full rewire, a partial rewire or a more targeted repair.

How to Get the Most Accurate Quote

To avoid surprises and compare quotes fairly, ask each electrician to confirm:

1. Whether the price is for a full or partial rewire, and which circuits are included
2. The number of power points, switches and light points allowed for
3. Whether a new switchboard is included, and whether it is single or three-phase
4. Whether asbestos panel removal is included
5. Whether wall chasing, patching and making good are included
6. That a Certificate of Electrical Safety will be issued on completion
7. The expected timeframe and how long the power will be off each day

A detailed, itemised quote is a good sign that the electrician has properly assessed your home.

Is Rewiring Worth the Cost?

For older homes, yes. Faulty and deteriorated wiring is a known cause of house fires, and outdated electrical systems often cannot safely handle modern loads such as split systems, induction cooktops, EV chargers and home offices. A rewire improves safety, reduces nuisance tripping, can make insurance and property sales easier, and adds value to the home. It also prepares your property for future upgrades such as solar and battery storage.

Get a Clear, Upfront Rewiring Quote in Melbourne

The cost to rewire a house depends on your home’s age, size, access and switchboard, so the most reliable figure will always come from an on-site inspection. At King & Sons Electrical, our licensed electricians assess your property, explain exactly what is needed, and provide an upfront quote with no hidden fees. Every job finishes with full testing and certification.

Call King & Sons Electrical on 03 9122 8572, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across Melbourne, or request a quote online.