How much does rewiring a house actually cost in 2026?

"From KES 1,500" is the number you'll see on most electrician listings, including ours. It's true, and it's also almost never what a full rewire costs — that figure is usually a callout or small-job rate, not a house rewire. Here's what actually drives the price.

What a full rewire typically runs

For a standard three-bedroom bungalow in Naivasha with reasonable access, hallmarked electricians on Ambatana typically quote between KES 45,000 and KES 90,000 for a complete rewire — new cabling throughout, a new distribution board, and testing. Smaller units and single-room rewires run a few thousand shillings up to KES 15,000 depending on scope.

What pushes the price up

• Age and condition of the existing wiring — old aluminium or undersized copper cabling usually means more of the house needs replacing, not just the visible fittings
• Distribution board condition — an outdated or overloaded board almost always needs replacing alongside a rewire, not after
• Access — solid concrete walls and ceilings cost more to chase and make good than plasterboard or exposed conduit runs
• Solar or inverter integration — wiring a house to support a backup power system properly is a different job from a standard rewire, and should be quoted separately

Why the cheapest quote is often the most expensive one

A quote that comes in well under the range above is usually cutting one of three things: wire gauge (thinner cable than the load actually needs), a skipped distribution board upgrade, or no proper earthing. All three are invisible once the walls are closed up, and all three are the kind of thing that turns into a much larger bill — or a fire risk — later.

Whoever you hire, ask for an itemised quote — cabling, distribution board, labour, and testing listed separately — rather than a single lump figure. It's the fastest way to see what you're actually paying for.