How Much Does an Electrician Cost in Medway? | Local Pricing Guide

Knowing what electrical work should cost before you pick up the phone gives you the confidence to recognise a fair quote when you see one and the awareness to question one that doesn’t feel right. Electrical pricing isn’t as transparent as many trades — the work happens behind walls, the materials aren’t always visible, and the difference between a straightforward job and a complicated one often isn’t obvious until the electrician starts investigating.

This guide sets out realistic costs for the most common domestic electrical jobs across the Medway Towns, explains what influences the price, and helps you understand what you’re paying for so you can budget accurately and compare quotes on a fair basis.

Common Job Costs Across Medway

The following prices reflect what you should expect to pay for standard domestic electrical work across Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester, Strood, Rainham, and the wider Medway area. Every job varies depending on specific circumstances, but these figures give you a reliable starting point for budgeting.

Single socket replacement — replacing one existing socket with a new matching faceplate in the same position — typically costs between £60 and £100. The work takes under an hour and is one of the simplest jobs an electrician carries out. If the wiring behind the faceplate is in good condition, the swap is quick. If the existing connections are deteriorated and need remaking, it takes slightly longer.

Adding a new double socket to a room that doesn’t currently have one where you need it costs between £100 and £180. The price depends on how far the new cable needs to run from the nearest spur point or ring main and whether the route passes through accessible voids or solid walls that need chasing. A socket on the other side of a stud wall from an existing one costs less than running a new cable across a room through solid masonry.

A full set of new sockets throughout a room — typically three or four doubles in a bedroom or living room — costs between £250 and £450 depending on the number of outlets, the cable runs involved, and whether the existing circuit has capacity for the additional load.

Installing a new lighting circuit for a room — including cabling, switch, and connection to the consumer unit — typically costs between £180 and £350. The cost varies with the number of fittings, the type of switching, and whether dimmer circuits are specified. Recessed downlights cost more to install than pendant fittings because each one requires a ceiling cut-out, individual wiring, and fire-rated housing.

A set of four to six recessed downlights in a kitchen or living room typically costs between £300 and £550 including the fittings, cabling, switch, and connection. This is one of the most popular upgrades across the Medway Towns and the difference it makes to a room is immediately visible.

An outside security light with PIR sensor typically costs between £80 and £150 for a single fitting including cabling and connection. Multiple fittings on the same circuit reduce the per-unit cost because the main cable run and circuit connection only happen once.

Larger Project Costs

Beyond individual jobs, the bigger ticket electrical projects have wider cost ranges because the scope varies significantly between properties.

A consumer unit upgrade — replacing an old fuse board with a modern unit fitted with MCBs and RCDs or individual RCBOs — typically costs between £350 and £850 across Medway. A split-load board with dual RCD protection sits at the lower end. A full RCBO board where every circuit has independent protection sits at the upper end. Both include full testing of your existing circuits and an electrical installation certificate. If testing reveals defects on existing circuits that need remedial work, that’s quoted separately.

A full house rewire on a standard three bedroom semi — the most common property type across the Medway Towns — typically costs between £4,500 and £7,000. This covers a new consumer unit, all new cabling, sockets, switches, light fittings, testing, and certification. It doesn’t include plastering to make good the chased walls, which typically adds £1,000 to £2,500 depending on the extent of chasing. A two bedroom flat typically costs £3,000 to £5,000. A four bedroom detached house typically costs £6,500 to £9,500. These figures cover the electrical work only.

A partial rewire targeting specific circuits costs between £1,500 and £4,500 depending on how much of the installation needs replacing. A partial rewire combined with a consumer unit upgrade is the most common approach for Medway properties that have had some previous updating but still have original wiring on certain circuits.

An EV charger installation including the charger unit, dedicated circuit, earth rod, and all associated work typically costs between £650 and £1,300. The charger brand is the biggest variable — an Ohme at the accessible end through to a Zappi with solar integration at the premium end. Installation labour is relatively consistent because the electrical work follows the same process regardless of brand.

An EICR — an Electrical Installation Condition Report testing every circuit in the property — typically costs between £150 and £300 depending on the property size and number of circuits. A one bedroom flat sits at the lower end. A four or five bedroom house sits at the upper end. If the EICR identifies defects requiring remedial work, that’s quoted and carried out separately.

What Affects Electrical Costs?

Several factors influence why one quote comes in higher or lower than another for what seems like the same job.

Cable routing and access have the biggest impact on labour time. Running cable through accessible ceiling voids, under floorboards, or through hollow stud walls is quick because the electrician can route the cable without cutting into finished surfaces. Running cable through solid brick or block walls requires chasing — cutting a channel into the masonry, routing the cable, and making good afterwards. Chasing takes significantly longer and creates more mess, which is why the same job in a Victorian terrace through Gillingham often costs more than in a modern plasterboard-lined house in Walderslade. The finished result is identical but the labour to achieve it is substantially different.

The age of the existing installation affects cost because older wiring creates complications that modern installations don’t. Non-standard cable colours, absent earth conductors, circuits wired in unusual configurations, and previous modifications done without any logical plan all take longer to work with safely. An electrician adding a circuit to a modern installation with colour-coded wiring and clear labelling at the consumer unit works faster than one tracing cables through a 1960s installation where nothing is labelled and the wiring has been modified multiple times over decades.

The consumer unit’s condition and capacity influences the cost of any work that requires a new circuit. If the board has spare ways and adequate protection, connecting a new circuit is straightforward. If the board is full, an additional way needs adding or the entire unit needs upgrading to create capacity. If the board lacks RCD protection, modern regulations require the new circuit to be RCD-protected, which may trigger a board upgrade that wouldn’t otherwise be needed. This is why an EV charger installation quote sometimes includes a consumer unit upgrade — it’s not unnecessary upselling, it’s a regulatory requirement driven by the condition of the existing board.

The specification you choose directly affects material costs. Standard white plastic sockets and switches cost a fraction of brushed chrome or antique brass alternatives. Standard pendant fittings cost a fraction of recessed downlights. A split-load consumer unit costs less than a full RCBO board. These are choices that affect the final bill, and being clear about your preferences before requesting quotes ensures every electrician prices the same specification.

Hourly Rates vs Fixed Pricing

Most domestic electrical work across Medway is quoted as a fixed price for the complete job rather than an hourly rate. This is generally better for the customer because you know exactly what the work costs before it starts, regardless of how long it takes. The risk of the job taking longer than expected sits with the electrician rather than you.

Hourly rates, where they’re quoted, typically range from £40 to £65 per hour across the Medway Towns during standard working hours. Emergency and out-of-hours rates run higher — typically £60 to £100 per hour plus a call-out fee. However, hourly rates can be misleading because they don’t account for material costs, testing time, certification, or the overheads involved in running a registered electrical business.

When comparing quotes, fixed pricing for a defined scope of work is always preferable to open-ended hourly rates. You know the cost upfront, you can compare like for like between different electricians, and there are no surprises on the invoice.

How to Compare Quotes Fairly

Getting two or three quotes is sensible for any significant electrical work, but the comparison only works if each electrician is pricing the same job.

Check the scope matches. One quote might include making good to plaster after chasing while another excludes it. One might include a full RCBO board while another prices a split-load. One might include testing and certification while another treats it as an extra. These differences make prices incomparable unless you identify and account for them.

Check the certification is included. Any notifiable electrical work requires an electrical installation certificate and building control notification. A registered electrician handles this through their competent person scheme. An unregistered electrician can’t self-certify, meaning you’d need to arrange a separate building control inspection at additional cost. The registered electrician’s quote may look higher but includes certification that the cheaper quote doesn’t.

Check the registration. NICEIC, NAPIT, and ELECSA registration means the electrician’s work is regularly assessed against industry standards. Registration provides accountability, the ability to self-certify notifiable work, and a complaints process if something goes wrong. Unregistered electricians may be perfectly competent, but you have no independent verification of their work quality and no recourse beyond the courts if problems arise.

Ask what happens if something unexpected is found. A good electrician explains their approach — whether additional work discovered during the job is quoted separately before proceeding or included within a reasonable allowance in the original price. Understanding this before work starts prevents disputes afterwards.

Getting the Best Value

The cheapest quote isn’t automatically the best value, and the most expensive isn’t automatically the best quality. Value comes from fair pricing for properly specified work, carried out competently by a registered electrician who communicates clearly and stands behind what they deliver.

If you need electrical work at your Medway property, get in touch for a free quote. We’ll assess the job, explain what’s needed, and provide a clear, detailed price so you know exactly what’s involved before you commit.