Rewiring a house or apartment: planning, rules and cost

When is new wiring needed?

New wiring becomes relevant during full renovations, when an older house has cloth-insulated or unearthed cables, when extending or converting a loft or basement, and when a kitchen or bathroom is completely rebuilt. It can also be about running power to a garage, outbuilding or small annexe.

In older houses it is common for the installation to have been added to in stages. Rewiring makes it possible to get earthed sockets, RCDs and a logical circuit layout throughout the house.

Plan before the walls are closed

The best time for new wiring is when walls and ceilings are open anyway. Go through each room and think about:

• Number and placement of sockets, switches and lighting.
• Large loads such as cooker, oven, heat pump, underfloor heating and sauna.
• Future needs such as an EV charger, solar panels and battery storage.
• Network and TV cabling, ideally run at the same time but in separate conduits.
• Outdoor lighting and outdoor sockets.

Ask the electrician to produce a simple drawing or list of circuits and positions that you go through together before the work begins.

Rules and authorisation

All fixed electrical installation must be carried out by an electrical installation company registered with Elsäkerhetsverket that works according to a self-inspection programme. The installation must follow current standards, and the company must be able to show how the work has been checked.

If the rewiring is part of an extension or conversion, the building project itself may require planning permission or a notification. Contact the building committee (byggnadsnämnd) of your municipality if you are unsure. In apartment buildings and tenant-owned apartments, you often also need the housing association's approval for work on cables and penetrations between apartments.

What affects the cost?

New wiring is almost always priced after a site visit. Ask for a quote and compare the content carefully. The factors that matter most:

• The size of the house and number of rooms.
• Concealed or surface-mounted wiring.
• Whether walls and ceilings are open or must be opened and restored.
• The number of sockets, switches and light fittings.
• Whether the consumer unit needs to be replaced or extended.
• Coordination with other tradespeople.

ROT deduction and new builds

Wiring in an existing home qualifies for a ROT deduction of 30 % of the labour cost, within the ceiling of SEK 75,000 per person per year for ROT and RUT combined, of which no more than SEK 50,000 may be ROT. New builds do not normally qualify for ROT, and this usually also applies to entirely new buildings on the plot. If you are unsure whether your project counts as conversion and extension or as new build, check with Skatteverket before counting on the deduction.

What the quote should include

• Scope per room: sockets, switches, lighting points.
• New circuits, RCDs and possibly a new consumer unit.
• Whether demolition and restoration of walls are included.
• Schedule and coordination with other tradespeople.
• Documentation, circuit schedule and drawing after completion.
• Labour and materials separately, plus the estimated ROT deduction.
• How additional work is priced.

Questions to ask and common mistakes

Ask how the company documents the installation, who the responsible electrical installer is and how they handle changes during the work. Ask for references from similar jobs.

Common mistakes are planning too few sockets, forgetting future needs such as an EV charger and letting walls be closed before electrics and network cabling are in place. Another mistake is vague agreements about what is included, which leads to disputes over additional work.

Getting quotes via Fixtorget

Describe the project and the age and size of the house, and feel free to upload drawings or photos. Once you have chosen a company, you can agree on a cost specification that you approve in the portal. If additional work is needed, the company sends a supplementary specification so that everything is documented.

Frequently asked questions