Rewiring House Cost in Melbourne (2026)
In Melbourne a house rewire is priced by the points and circuits plus the switchboard, with period homes the common and trickier job.
Your rewiring house details
Your estimate sits within the typical range.
Your estimate sits within the typical range.
Where the money goes
Estimated breakdown for your configuration
Rewiring is disruptive, cable has to be run through walls and ceilings, so it is far cheaper done during a renovation when walls are already open. Budget for make-good plaster and paint.
Ways to save
- Rewire during a renovation while walls and ceilings are already open, to save on access and make-good.
- A partial rewire of problem circuits is far cheaper if the rest of the wiring is sound.
How we estimate this
Rewiring a house in Australia typically costs $3,500 to $25,000 in 2026 depending on home size and scope. A partial rewire of a small home is cheapest; a full rewire with a switchboard upgrade on a large two-storey home reaches the top.
Pricing reviewed: October 2026.
What a rewiring house costs in Melbourne
A house rewire in Melbourne is costed from the count of power points, light points and circuits, plus a new switchboard, since the work is running fresh cable to every outlet and light, so a bigger home with more points runs dearer than a small one. The scope sets the first figure: a full rewire renews all the wiring and the board, whereas a partial rewire replaces only the aged or overloaded circuits.
Melbourne's many Victorian and Edwardian period homes are the common rewire and the trickier one, because solid double-brick walls, lath-and-plaster and ornate period ceilings make fishing cable harder than a modern timber-framed home, and the patching afterward adds labour, so a period-home rewire is best done with walls open in a renovation. Old homes often still carry original rubber-insulated or early wiring that has perished and is a genuine safety risk, which is the usual trigger. The cold winter is no factor for the work itself, though an all-electric home's heating load may prompt extra circuits. Competitive trade labour just below Sydney's keeps the rate reasonable, and a reactive-clay-cracked wall may need careful routing.
A house rewire is licensed electrical work that must be carried out by a licensed electrician in Victoria under the Victorian Building Authority's electrical licensing, and the finished installation is tested and certified. For a Melbourne home, the clearest way to price a rewire is by the number of points and circuits plus the switchboard, with the period-home wall type and full-versus-partial scope the main levers, and a renovation the cheapest time to do it.
Compare against the national picture: Rewiring House Cost in Australia →
Rewiring House Cost in other cities
Frequently asked questions
Are period homes harder to rewire in Melbourne?
Yes. Solid double-brick walls, lath-and-plaster and ornate period ceilings make fishing cable harder than a modern timber-framed home, and the patching adds labour, so a Victorian or Edwardian period-home rewire in Melbourne is best done with walls open in a renovation.
How is a house rewire priced in Melbourne?
By the count of power points, light points and circuits plus a new switchboard, since the work is running fresh cable to every outlet, so a bigger Melbourne home runs dearer, and a full rewire costs more than a partial one at labour just below Sydney's.
What triggers a rewire in Melbourne?
Usually old, perished wiring, because Melbourne's period homes often still carry original rubber-insulated or early wiring that has degraded and is a genuine safety risk, which is the common reason for a full rewire in Melbourne.
Do I need a licensed electrician to rewire in Melbourne?
Yes. A house rewire is extensive fixed wiring that must be carried out by a licensed electrician under the Victorian Building Authority's electrical licensing, and the finished installation is tested and certified for safety.