Rewiring a flat or house in 2026: cost, when it is needed and the process

New electrical wiring costs CZK 700 – 1,800 per m² of floor area excluding VAT on the Czech market in 2026, from CZK 1,700/m² with us. Rewiring a 3+1 flat (three rooms plus kitchen) of 75 m² therefore costs CZK 52,500 – 135,000, and complete power wiring in a 120 m² flat or house CZK 85,000 – 200,000. Depending on what the quote covers, you add chasing, making good and painting, rubble removal and fittings. Rewiring is needed above all with aluminium wiring, when residual-current devices are missing, and whenever you are replacing finishes anyway — wires are replaced while the walls are open.

This article is about the wiring only: the cost, what a quote should cover, the process, and the specifics of a flat in a panel block and of a family house. The overall order of works in a flat is described in flat renovation step by step, and the cost of other repairs in a house is in house renovation cost and where to start.

What rewiring costs by flat size

Calculated at CZK 700 – 1,800 per m² of floor area from our 2026 construction price list, excluding VAT, for Prague and the surrounding area. The floor areas are examples — use the actual area of your flat.

Flat / house	Floor area	Market	Our price (from CZK 1,700/m²)
1+1 flat	40 m²	CZK 28,000 – 72,000	from CZK 68,000
2+1 flat	55 m²	CZK 38,500 – 99,000	from CZK 93,500
3+1 flat	75 m²	CZK 52,500 – 135,000	from CZK 127,500
4+1 flat	90 m²	CZK 63,000 – 162,000	from CZK 153,000
Flat or house	120 m²	CZK 85,000 – 200,000 (complete power wiring)	from CZK 150,000

The range is wide because the price depends mainly on the number of circuits, sockets and lighting points, not just on floor area. A flat with dedicated circuits for an induction hob, oven, dishwasher and washing machine comes close to the upper limit; a simple like-for-like replacement of the existing layout comes close to the lower one.

What the price includes and what it does not

For the rate per m², the price list does not say whether chasing, making good and fittings are included. So always check in the quote which of the following items are in the price:

Item	Price-list rate	Note
Chasing walls for cables	CZK 120 – 250 per running metre	sometimes included in the wiring price
Wall skim (labour only)	CZK 120 – 200/m²	making good after chasing
Painting	CZK 90 – 200 per m² of painted surface	after making good, the whole room is painted
1 m³ builder's bag incl. removal	CZK 1,500 – 2,500	rubble from chasing and stripping out
Electrician (small jobs)	CZK 450 – 700/hour	alterations outside a full rewire
Fittings and light fixtures	—	price depends on your choice; not in the price list
Initial inspection	—	mandatory; check whether it is included

On a higher floor without a lift, the price list adds a 15 – 25% surcharge for carrying rubble down by hand.

Example: a 3+1 flat, 75 m²

An illustrative calculation for completely rewiring a 75 m² 3+1 flat with a lift. Assumptions: 120 m of chases, 250 m² of walls and ceilings to paint, two builder's bags of rubble. Rates come from the price list, excluding VAT.

Item	Calculation	Price
New electrical wiring	75 m² × CZK 700 – 1,800	CZK 52,500 – 135,000
Chasing (if not included)	120 m × CZK 120 – 250	CZK 14,400 – 30,000
Painting after making good	250 m² × CZK 90 – 200	CZK 22,500 – 50,000
Rubble removal	2 × CZK 1,500 – 2,500	CZK 3,000 – 5,000
Total		CZK 92,400 – 220,000

If the electrician's price includes chasing, the total comes to CZK 78,000 – 190,000. Fittings and light fixtures are extra, depending on your choice. If you are renovating the whole flat, making good and painting are done once at the end, so do not count them twice in the wiring budget.

Can you live in the flat during rewiring?

With a complete rewire, practically not. Chasing creates a lot of dust, the power is off for most of the work and the furniture has to come away from the walls. Plan for temporary accommodation for the whole duration and have the completion date, including the inspection, written into the contract. Rewiring is fastest and cheapest in an empty flat, where nothing has to be covered or moved. Rewiring room by room is possible but costs more, because preparation, cleaning and painting are repeated.

When rewiring is necessary

• Aluminium wiring — typical of flats and houses from the 1960s to the 1980s. Aluminium becomes brittle over time and connections in terminals loosen and heat up.
• No residual-current device — new installations are designed with RCDs for socket circuits and bathrooms; old wiring often has none.
• Breakers tripping when ordinary appliances run together — the circuits are not sized for a modern kitchen.
• Too few sockets and extension leads all over the flat.
• An inspection found defects that would cost more to fix than new wiring.
• You are replacing finishes — new floors, tiles and plaster over old wires is a missed opportunity.

A flat in a panel block: what is yours and what belongs to the building

The risers and main building distribution are common parts of the building, for which the owners' association (SVJ) or housing cooperative is responsible. You replace the wiring in your own flat, usually from the flat's consumer unit onwards. Exactly where the boundary lies is set by the declaration of ownership and the association's statutes — check it with the building manager before asking for quotes, together with the dates for disconnection and reconnection.

Load-bearing panels cannot be chased at will. Agree horizontal chases and deeper cuts into load-bearing walls with a structural engineer and the building manager; this is why in panel flats some cables run in the floor, in a suspended ceiling or in trunking. If the supply cable from the meter to the flat is still aluminium, arrange its replacement with the building manager — new wiring on an old supply only does half its job.

A family house: what else to consider

• A new consumer unit with circuit breakers, residual-current devices and surge protection.
• Dedicated circuits for a heat pump, induction hob, oven and outdoor sockets.
• Provisions for the future — conduits for an EV charger (wallbox), solar panels, outdoor lighting and data cabling. Added later, they mean breaking things open.
• Combining with other work — rewire at the same time as replacing the plumbing, and before plastering and floors.

It pays to renovate the bathroom together with the wiring; the process and prices are described in bathroom renovation.

Rewiring step by step

1. Layout plan — sockets, switches and lights to suit your furniture and appliances; the cheapest moment for changes.
2. Itemised quote — with a list of circuits and what is and is not included.
3. Agreement with the building manager — for a flat, the disconnection date, the boundary of common parts and rubble removal.
4. Strip-out and chasing — disconnection, removal of old wiring, chasing and back boxes.
5. Cabling and consumer unit — copper conductors, a new consumer unit with breakers and RCDs.
6. Making good — plastering the chases, skimming and painting.
7. Fit-out — sockets, switches, light fixtures, connecting appliances.
8. Initial inspection — under ČSN 33 2000-6; keep the inspection report, without it the installation is not complete.

Common mistakes

• Too few sockets and circuits — adding them later means new chases and repainting.
• A quote without a scope — a price per m² with no information on chasing, making good and inspection cannot be compared.
• Rewiring after new finishes — wiring comes before plaster, tiles and floors.
• Forgotten provisions — conduits for data, outdoor circuits or a wallbox later mean breaking things open.
• No documentation — without a consumer-unit diagram and inspection report, future alterations are done blind.

Checklist before signing

• Do you have a drawn layout of sockets, switches and lights?
• Does the quote list the circuits, including dedicated supplies for large appliances?
• Do you know whether chasing, making good, rubble removal and the inspection are included?
• Does the consumer unit have RCDs and surge protection?
• For a flat, has the procedure been agreed with the building manager?
• Will you receive a wiring diagram and the inspection report?

Frequently asked questions

How much does rewiring a 3+1 flat cost? For a 75 m² flat, the wiring itself costs CZK 52,500 – 135,000 excluding VAT on the market. With chasing, painting and rubble removal our example comes to CZK 92,400 – 220,000, excluding fittings and light fixtures.

How much does new wiring cost per m²? CZK 700 – 1,800 per m² of floor area excluding VAT on the market, from CZK 1,700/m² with us. Chasing costs CZK 120 – 250 per running metre according to the price list if it is not included.

How much does wiring a family house cost? Complete power wiring in a 120 m² house costs CZK 85,000 – 200,000 excluding VAT on the market, from CZK 150,000 with us. Dedicated circuits for a heat pump or provision for a wallbox raise the price.

Do I need a building permit to rewire? Replacing wiring inside a flat or house without touching load-bearing structures or fire safety usually needs no permit. For a flat, however, agree the work with the building manager, and if in doubt ask the building authority.

Is an inspection required after rewiring? Yes. New wiring is checked by an initial inspection under ČSN 33 2000-6 before it is put into service. Keep the inspection report — it may also be useful when selling the flat or after an insurance claim.

We rewire flats and houses in Prague and Central Bohemia, on its own or as part of a renovation. Wiring is a separate item in our online calculator; we prepare an itemised quote with the scope and inspection free of charge.