London — Tier-1 Pillar

London Rewiring — Part P, BS 7671, EICR, Consumer Unit

London house rewire reality. Part P competent-person certification (NICEIC/NAPIT/Stroma/ELECSA), BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 3 compliance, EICR, 18th Edition consumer unit, testing + certification, EIC issued on completion. £4K-£12K typical.

~2 min read·Updated 2026-04-23

A full house rewire is the most common electrical project in London's 65%+ pre-1980 housing stock. Lead-covered cables, rubber-insulated circuits that degrade to cracking after 40 years, and over-fused consumer units without RCD protection all fail an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) and trigger remedial work — or, for a comprehensive fix, a full rewire.

Part P of the Building Regulations requires notifiable electrical work — new circuits, consumer-unit changes, work in bathrooms or gardens — to be certified by a competent-person scheme installer (NICEIC, NAPIT, Stroma, or ELECSA) or notified to Building Control in advance. A full house rewire is unambiguously notifiable and is certified via the competent-person's scheme rather than through individual Building Notices.

BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 3 (2022) is the current wiring-regulation standard. Consumer units must be metal-cased (post-2016 requirement) and must provide RCD protection on every socket circuit. AFDD (Arc Fault Detection Device) protection is a strong recommendation and a requirement on HMOs and new builds in some boroughs.

AskBaily routes London rewires to Part P competent-person-scheme electricians with BS 7671 18th Edition certification, EICR capability, and the necessary certificates issued at completion.

Rewire compliance checklist

Part P. Competent-person scheme certification. NICEIC, NAPIT, Stroma, or ELECSA.
BS 7671 18th Edition Amendment 3. Current wiring regulation.
Consumer unit. Metal case, RCD on every socket circuit, AFDD on HMOs and new builds.
EICR. Electrical Installation Condition Report — pre-rewire audit and post-rewire confirmation.
EIC. Electrical Installation Certificate issued on completion.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to notify Building Control for a London rewire? If your electrician is Part P competent-person scheme registered (NICEIC, NAPIT, Stroma, ELECSA), they notify via the scheme — no separate Building Control notice needed. Non-scheme work needs a Building Notice before commencement.

When should I rewire a London house? When the EICR fails (C1 or C2 classification), when the consumer unit is pre-2016 and lacks RCD protection, or when the wiring is rubber-insulated (pre-1970). A full rewire is typically cost-effective where over 40% of circuits are failing.

How much does a London house rewire cost? £4,000-£8,000 for a typical 3-bed Victorian terrace. £8,000-£12,000 for a 4-5 bed period house. £12,000-£25,000 for prime-central with home-automation wiring and dedicated circuits.

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