The short answer
Some electricians price a rewire per point — a point being a single socket, light, switch or other accessory — and the figure typically falls in the region of £100–£180 per point, varying with the property and the work involved. A point is not just the faceplate: it covers the cable run, back box, accessory and the labour to chase, fit and connect it. The per-point method is mainly used to estimate or compare; most rewires are ultimately quoted as a whole-job price based on the number of points, circuits, the consumer unit and making good. Per-point pricing is useful for sanity-checking a quote but does not capture fixed costs like the consumer unit and testing.
"Cost per point" comes up when people try to compare estimates on a like-for-like basis. The sections below explain what a point actually covers and why a whole-job price is usually the clearer figure.
Per-point essentials
- Typical per point~£100–£180
- What a point isSocket, light, switch, etc.
- IncludesCable, box, accessory, labour
- ExcludesConsumer unit, testing
- Better basisWhole-job price
What counts as a point
A point is a single electrical position in the installation. That includes:
- A single or double socket outlet
- A light fitting or ceiling rose
- A light switch
- Other accessories such as a fused spur, cooker outlet, shaver socket or outdoor point
Crucially, the per-point price is not just the faceplate you see on the wall. It bundles in the cable run back to the circuit, the back box set into the wall, the accessory itself, and the labour to chase the channel, fit the box, pull the cable, terminate and test it. That is why a point costs far more than the price of a socket from a DIY shop.
It is worth understanding that the visible accessory is a small fraction of what you are paying for. The bulk of the per-point cost is the hidden work: cutting a channel into the wall, setting a back box into it, running cable from the position back to the circuit, terminating it correctly, and then testing it as part of the circuit. The accessory on the wall — the socket, switch or rose — is the last and least costly step. This is also why two superficially similar points can cost different amounts: a socket added to an easily reached stud wall is a quick job, while the same socket on a thick masonry wall on the far side of the house from the consumer unit involves much more chasing, cable and labour for an identical-looking result.
| Element | Typical per point | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Socket / light / switch point | ~£100–£180 | cable, box, accessory, labour |
| Whole 3-bed house | ~£4,450–£8,000 | all points, circuits, board, making good |
| New consumer unit | Part of whole-job price | not a per-point item |
Indicative UK figures for guidance only, not quotations. Sources: Checkatrade and MyJobQuote cost guides.
Why the per-point figure varies
The same point can cost more or less depending on the property and the position. Factors that move the figure include:
- Access: a point on a solid wall that needs heavy chasing costs more in labour than one on an easily-accessed stud wall or under a liftable floor.
- Cable length: a point far from the consumer unit needs more cable and a longer run.
- Property age and construction: older, solid-walled homes are slower to work in.
- Finish: recessed downlights, branded accessories or special fittings cost more than standard white sockets and switches.
- Occupied or empty: working around furniture and people slows each point down.
Because of this spread, a single quoted "per point" rate is an average across the job rather than a fixed price for every position.
This averaging is worth keeping in mind when an electrician walks the property before quoting. They are not pricing each socket individually; they are forming a view of how hard the job is overall — the construction of the walls, the distance from the consumer unit, how many points sit on awkward solid walls versus easy stud partitions — and settling on a rate that covers the mix. A house full of straightforward positions pulls the average down; a house where most points need heavy chasing pulls it up. That is why the same nominal "per point" figure can describe two very different jobs, and why the rate alone tells you less than the rate combined with the point count and the property type.
Why a whole-job price is usually clearer
Per-point pricing is a helpful way to compare estimates, but it leaves out costs that are not tied to individual points. The biggest is the new consumer unit, which is a fixed item regardless of how many sockets you have. So is testing and certification, and the making good — the plastering and decorating that follow the cabling.
For that reason most rewires are priced as a whole-job figure: the electrician counts the points and circuits, factors in the board, testing and making good, and gives one figure. If you do want to use the per-point method, check whether the rate includes the consumer unit, testing and making good, or whether those are added separately — otherwise two estimates can look very different for the same actual scope.
A practical way to use the per-point figure without being misled by it is to treat it as a sense-check rather than a price. Take the whole-job quote, subtract a reasonable allowance for the consumer unit, testing and making good, divide what remains by the number of points, and see whether the result lands in the broad per-point range. If it does, the quote is internally consistent; if the implied per-point figure is far above or below the norm, that is a prompt to ask the electrician how they arrived at it. The aim is not to second-guess a professional on price but to understand what the figure is built from, so that two quotes for the same property can be set side by side on the same terms.
How point count relates to the whole-house figure
It helps to see how the per-point method and the whole-house figure connect. A typical three-bedroom house might have somewhere in the region of 50 to 70 points once you count every socket, light, switch and accessory across all the rooms. Multiply that by a per-point rate and you arrive at a labour-and-materials figure for the points — but you still have to add the fixed elements on top.
- The consumer unit is a single fixed cost, the same whether the house has 50 points or 70.
- Testing and certification is largely fixed per installation, not per point.
- Making good scales with how much chasing was done, which relates to points but is really a plastering and decorating cost.
This is why a quoted per-point rate and the final whole-house total do not divide neatly into one another. The per-point figure captures the variable, points-driven part of the job; the fixed costs sit alongside it. For a three-bedroom house, the combined result usually lands within the broad £4,450–£8,000 range, but the split between per-point work and fixed costs varies with the property.
If you want more sockets than you currently have — and a rewire is the ideal time to add them, since the walls and floors are already open — each extra point adds its per-point cost to the total. Adding a handful of well-placed sockets during the work is far more economical than having them installed as a separate job later, when chasing and making good would have to be repeated.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'per point' include in a rewire?
A point covers the full position: the cable run back to the circuit, the back box, the accessory (socket, switch or light fitting) and the labour to chase, fit, connect and test it. It does not include the consumer unit, which is a separate fixed cost.
Is per-point or whole-job pricing clearer?
Whole-job pricing is usually clearer, because it captures fixed costs like the consumer unit, testing and making good that per-point figures leave out. Per-point pricing is useful for comparing estimates, provided you check what each rate does and does not include.
Does adding extra sockets during a rewire cost more?
Yes. Each additional point adds cable, a back box, an accessory and labour, so more sockets and lights raise the total. A rewire is a good moment to add the sockets you want, since the walls and floors are already open.
Sources & further reading
- Checkatrade — rewiring cost per point guide
- MyJobQuote — cost to rewire a house and per-point pricing
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific property. They are guidance, not a quotation. Legal duties are summarised for guidance — confirm the current position on GOV.UK.