Villas, cottages and later homes
House rewiring in St Marys Bay
A rewire replaces the cables in a home's walls, ceilings and floors with new circuits sized for the way the house is used now. In St Marys Bay that is often a Victorian or Edwardian cottage or villa whose wiring was put in long after the house was built, and has been added to since.
Houses that are older than the power supply
St Marys Bay is one of Auckland's first suburbs. The Auckland Unitary Plan's character statement for the inner suburbs counts parts of St Marys Bay among the old "walking suburbs" subdivided from around the 1860s, close enough to the city to reach on foot, with small lots, narrow streets and houses built close together. Many of the Victorian cottages and villas from that time are still standing.
Electricity arrived later. Auckland's Electric Lighting Act was passed in 1900, and the city council did not start generating its own power until 1908, from the Patteson Street rubbish destructor in neighbouring Freemans Bay. So in the oldest houses here every cable was retrofitted, and over a century it has usually been extended, altered and patched by different owners and tradespeople, with different materials from different decades. A rewire is the chance to replace that patchwork with one installation, planned as a whole, that is tested and certified when it is finished.
What a rewire usually covers
New cable runs
Old circuits are disconnected and new cable is run to every light, switch and power point, with circuits arranged so the kitchen, bathroom and living areas are not all sharing one.
Power points where you live now
A villa wired for a few lamps rarely has outlets where a modern household needs them. A rewire is the easiest time to add them, because the walls and ceilings are already being opened.
The switchboard
Most full rewires end at a new board. Fitting a higher capacity board is high-risk work that must be inspected, and we can arrange a licensed electrical inspector as part of the job. Our switchboard upgrade page explains the rest.
Testing and the certificate
When the new installation is complete it is tested, and you receive the Certificate of Compliance that fixed wiring work requires, to keep with your house papers.
Is it time to rewire?
Not every older house needs a full rewire, and part of our job is telling you honestly when one does not. The question is the condition and capacity of what is there. WorkSafe notes that installations age and can become overloaded, particularly in old homes where the wiring was never designed for the number of appliances people now run, and Fire and Emergency New Zealand's advice on wiring and lighting is to call a licensed electrician if you are worried about old or damaged wiring, adding that rodents and birds can damage cables and start a fire. In a house with a century of ceiling spaces and subfloors, that is worth knowing.
The usual prompts are a circuit that trips for no obvious reason, fittings that run warm, a renovation that will open walls anyway, or a house purchase. If you are not sure, start with our fault finding and repairs service: a proper look at the circuits tells you whether you are facing a repair, a staged upgrade or a full rewire.
How a rewire in an older house runs
Look and test first
We look over the board and the accessible cable runs, test the existing circuits and agree with you what will be replaced, before any work beyond that first visit.
Plan the routes
Timber-framed villas usually let new cable travel through the ceiling space and under the floor, so the original joinery, sash windows and decorative detail can be left alone as far as possible.
Rewire in stages that suit you
Whole houses can be done at once, or circuit by circuit if you are living in the house or renovating one room at a time.
Connect, test and certify
The new circuits go onto the board, everything is tested, and you get the paperwork. Planning a heat pump or new lighting at the same time means their circuits can go in on the same visit.
Rewiring questions
Can we stay in the house while it is rewired?
Often, yes, if the work is staged so that part of the house always has power. A full rewire done in one go is quicker but is easier on everyone if the house is empty. We will talk through both before you decide.
Does a rewire need an electrical inspection?
A rewire on its own is ordinary prescribed electrical work and is certified by the electrician with a Certificate of Compliance. Work on the mains, such as fitting a higher capacity switchboard, is high-risk and must be inspected by a licensed electrical inspector, which we can arrange.
Will rewiring affect the character of my villa?
Cables run inside the house and through the ceiling and subfloor, so nothing changes on the street-facing side. If a new meter box or outside fitting is part of the plan, its position is worth agreeing early.
Should I have the wiring checked before buying an older house?
Yes. WorkSafe recommends having a licensed electrician or electrical inspector check a home's installation before you buy, and asking the vendor for the Certificates of Compliance for electrical work already done. In a house of St Marys Bay's age, that check can change your renovation budget.
How do I know what it will cost?
It depends on the size of the house, how much of the old wiring is reachable and what you want added, so we look before we price it. Call 021 156 4005 or send the details using the form below.
Power off, a breaker tripping, or a job to plan?
Call 021 156 4005 at any hour, or send us the details and we will get back to you.
Other electrical services in St Marys Bay
Switchboard upgrades
Old fuse boards replaced with circuit breakers, with the independent inspection that high-risk work needs.Fault finding and repairs
Tripping circuits, flickering lights and dead power points traced to their cause and repaired.24/7 emergency call-outs
Electricians available for call-outs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for faults that cannot wait.Heat pump installation
Heat pumps installed with a suitable supply circuit, an isolating switch on the house and the outdoor unit placed with the harbour air in mind.LED and outdoor lighting
LED downlights, pendants, bathroom lighting and garden and deck lights, installed to suit the room and the fitting.Security cameras and alarms
Alarm systems and CCTV cameras installed and aimed with your neighbours' privacy in mind.Enquiries
Contact us
Call 021 156 4005 - our electricians are available for call-outs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - or leave a message below.
021 156 4005- Auckland
- Call-outs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week