Available 24x7Available 24x7Published: October 26, 2026
A quick overview before you dive in:
Old wiring doesn't always show obvious signs. If your home still has its original wiring, or no one has checked it in years, an inspection is the place to start. That tells you whether to plan a full rewire, rewire one area such as the kitchen, or leave the wiring as it is for now.
This guide covers what to know before you rewire an older Sydney home: what the job involves, the signs to look for, the rules the work must meet and the questions that come up in older houses and terraces. It's written from the house rewiring work we do at Impulse Electrical Enterprise, across the Inner West and greater Sydney.
Your home's wiring carries power from the switchboard to every light and power point. On each circuit, the active conductor brings power from the switchboard and the neutral carries it back, which completes the circuit. Modern wiring also has an earth, which gives fault current a safe path so the circuit breaker or safety switch can cut the power, but some older homes have missing earthing. Old rubber-insulated (VIR) cable can also deteriorate with age, to the point where live conductors are exposed, so wiring like this needs checking and planning for replacement.
A rewire can be partial or full. A partial rewire replaces the wiring in one area, such as the kitchen or an extension, where the rest of the wiring is sound. In a full rewire, every circuit in the home gets new cabling. An older home often needs a new switchboard at the same time, so the new circuits are protected by modern safety switches, and a switchboard upgrade is quoted separately.
Older homes can also have cable types, such as rubber-insulated (VIR) cable, that have reached the end of their service life, which is one reason an electrician inspects the wiring before quoting.
Scorch marks, a burning smell or a hot power point need attention straight away. If there's smoke or fire, get everyone out and call triple zero (000) first. Otherwise, stop using the power point or appliance, switch off the main switch if you can safely reach the switchboard, don't touch anything scorched, melted or wet, and call our emergency electrician line, which is answered 24/7. We confirm the call-out price on the phone before we send anyone, make the fault safe, and quote any repair for you to approve.
A rewire happens in the roof space, walls and floor, but some older homes need extra care. If your home is a heritage item or in a heritage conservation area, changes to the outside, and some internal changes to a heritage item, can need council consent. Inner West Council's heritage guidance asks owners to check with the council before starting work, and other councils have their own rules. We plan cable routes around original features and tell you if a job is likely to change how the house looks, so you can check first.
An older home can have asbestos in the backing panel behind an old switchboard, or in wall and ceiling sheeting. If we come across it during the inspection or the rewire, you can engage your own appropriately licensed asbestos removalist, or we can help coordinate a suitable specialist. Removal costs extra, and we talk you through your options before the work goes ahead. Don't drill, cut or otherwise disturb anything that may contain asbestos.
Rewiring doesn't mean opening every wall. Wherever we can, new cable runs through the roof space and under the floor, with small openings only where they're needed. Any patching, plastering and painting afterwards is a separate job, and we can recommend a tradesperson for it. Our guide to rewiring with fewer wall openings explains how cables are run.
As a guide, a rewire costs $4,000 to $6,000 + GST for a 1 to 2 bedroom unit, $6,000 to $9,000 + GST for a 3 bedroom house, $8,000 to $12,000 + GST for a 4 bedroom house, and from $12,000 + GST for a larger or double storey home. These prices assume reasonable access to the ceiling and under the floor. A switchboard upgrade, if needed, is quoted separately, patching, plastering and painting aren't included, and your final price is confirmed in a free, fixed quote after we inspect. Our rewiring cost guide explains what moves the price, how long a rewire takes and whether you can stay at home.
We hold NSW Contractor Licence 389893C and $20 million public liability cover, and our director, Matthew Neil, supervises every job.
Not under the wiring rules. When some circuits are rewired, safety switch protection is required on the circuits that are altered, not on every circuit in the home. If the switchboard is replaced, though, the wiring rules require safety switches on the applicable circuits it supplies. Either way, it's worth asking about safety switches for the rest of the home, because a safety switch protects against serious electric shock.
Yes. A rewire is a good time to add new LED downlights or other lighting, because we're already working in your ceiling. Tell us what you'd like when we quote, as it changes the price.
If you're planning a rewire or aren't sure what your wiring needs, call 0481 228 836 or request a free quote. We'll inspect the wiring, explain what it needs and give you a fixed price before any work starts. Our workmanship is covered by our warranty, and products and parts come with a 2 to 7 year manufacturer's warranty, depending on the product.
Founder and Director