How Often Should a House Be Rewired?

There's a commonly repeated rule of thumb that a house should be rewired roughly every 25 to 30 years, and while it's a reasonable general guide, it's not a strict deadline — condition matters more than a number of years on a calendar.

Here's how to actually judge whether your home's wiring needs attention.

Where the 25-to-30-year guideline comes from

Cable insulation and general wiring components do degrade over time, and older materials used decades ago don't always match the standards and safety features expected today. The 25-to-30-year figure is a sensible average based on typical component lifespan and how wiring regulations have evolved over that period — but it's a guide, not a hard rule that applies identically to every property.

Why condition matters more than age alone

A well-installed system that's been left alone and properly maintained can genuinely still be sound at 30-plus years, while a poorly maintained or badly altered system can develop real issues well before that. What actually matters is the physical condition of the cabling, the presence (or absence) of RCD protection, and whether the installation has kept pace with the loads modern homes actually put on it.

The practical warning signs worth acting on

Regardless of the property's age, certain signs are worth taking seriously: frequent tripping, warm sockets or switches, flickering lights unrelated to a specific appliance, a persistent burning smell, or still having a fuse box with rewireable fuses rather than modern circuit breakers. Any of these are reasons to get an inspection regardless of what year the property was last rewired.

Why an EICR is the honest way to actually know

Rather than guessing from age, an EICR gives you an actual, evidenced answer on the condition of your wiring — tested and classified rather than assumed. It's the difference between a rule of thumb and a genuine diagnosis.