Electrician Pricing Guide UK — Rates, Day Rates and How to Quote Jobs (2026)

UK Electrician Hourly Rates in 2026

The going rate for a qualified electrician in the UK in 2026 varies significantly by region and business size. For a sole trader working alone, typical hourly rates fall between £45 and £80 per hour. Larger firms — those with multiple employees, greater overheads and more formal quoting processes — typically charge between £60 and £100 per hour.

London and the South East sit at the top of that range. Demand is higher, overheads are greater and customers in those areas are accustomed to paying a premium. Rates in London tend to run 20–30% higher than the national average. Scotland, Wales and Northern England are typically 10–15% lower than the South East, though cities like Edinburgh, Cardiff and Manchester have their own premium tiers.

As a rough regional guide for a sole trader in 2026:

• London: £65–£90/hr
• South East and Home Counties: £55–£80/hr
• Midlands: £48–£68/hr
• North of England: £45–£62/hr
• Scotland and Wales: £44–£60/hr

These are labour-only rates. Materials are quoted and invoiced separately, or included in a fixed-price quote with an appropriate markup applied.

Electrician Day Rates in 2026

Day rates for a single electrician in 2026 typically run between £280 and £450 per day, covering labour only unless stated otherwise. Day rates are most commonly used for fault-finding work, maintenance contracts and large commercial projects where scope is genuinely uncertain at the outset.

Day rate billing has its place, but it creates friction on domestic jobs. Customers watch the clock, question pace and can feel surprised by the final bill even when the rate was agreed up front. For most well-defined domestic work — consumer unit replacements, EICRs, socket additions — fixed-price quoting produces better outcomes for both sides.

How to Calculate Your Minimum Viable Day Rate

The most important number in your business is not the going rate in your area — it's your own minimum viable day rate. This is the figure below which you cannot afford to work, regardless of what competitors charge.

Start with your target annual income — what you want to take home. Then add your annual overheads: van costs (finance, insurance, fuel), tools and equipment, NICEIC or NAPIT scheme fees, public liability insurance, phone and software. A sole trader electrician with a van typically carries £12,000–£18,000 in annual overhead.

Divide the total by your realistic billable days. This is not 365. After weekends, bank holidays, annual leave, training days, sick days, non-billable admin and travel, most sole traders have around 200 billable days per year — some manage 220 if they are disciplined about batching admin.

Example: target income of £50,000 + £14,000 overheads = £64,000. Divided by 200 billable days = £320 per day floor rate. Add a 25% profit margin to fund reinvestment, business risk and the bad weeks, and your target day rate becomes £400/day. That's your number — not what the internet says the average electrician charges.

On top of your day rate, add a materials uplift of 20–40% on the trade cost of any materials you supply. This covers procurement time, handling, transport and the warranty risk you carry on materials you fit.

Common Job Price Examples (Labour Only, 2026)

The following prices reflect typical labour-only rates in 2026 for a competent sole trader. Add materials at trade cost plus your markup to get the customer-facing price.

EV charger installation prices can vary widely depending on the complexity of the cable run and whether the consumer unit needs upgrading. OZEV grants (via the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant for renters and flat owners) can reduce the customer's cost — make sure you are registered as an OZEV Approved Installer to offer this.

Materials Markup: Why It Matters

Most electricians add a 20–40% markup to the trade cost of materials they supply. This is not profiteering — it reflects real costs: the time spent sourcing and ordering, the cost of carrying stock, the fuel and handling involved in getting materials to site, and the warranty risk you carry when you fit something.

Supplying materials at cost or passing your trade discount on to the customer is a common mistake, particularly early in a business. If a customer asks why your materials cost more than Screwfix's retail price, the honest answer is: they're not driving to Screwfix, they're not handling the return if something is wrong, and they're not carrying the professional liability if it fails.

Fixed Price vs Day Rate: When to Use Each

Fixed price works best when the scope is clearly defined before you start. Consumer unit replacements, EICRs, socket additions, EV charger installs and rewires are all jobs where an experienced electrician can assess scope accurately during a survey and price with confidence.

Day rate is the right tool when scope is genuinely uncertain — fault-finding on an unknown installation, rewiring on a property with no existing records, or any job where opening up walls is likely to reveal surprises. Quote a day rate with a rough estimate of how many days you expect to need, and communicate clearly that you will update the customer before exceeding that estimate.

Quoting Tips: Protect Your Margin

Always survey before quoting large jobs. Quoting off a phone call or a floor plan is a reliable way to underprice complex work. The survey is where you identify the unknowns that will cost you time.

Break your quotes into labour and materials. This makes it easier for the customer to understand the value of what they are paying for, and it protects you if material costs change between quoting and doing the job.

Always state what is not included. Rewires and consumer unit replacements often mean making good — chasing, plastering, redecorating. If that is not in your scope, say so explicitly. "This quote covers electrical works only and does not include plastering, making good, redecoration or any works outside the electrical installation." A single line like this prevents the most common post-job disputes.

Consider charging for your survey on larger jobs. A £75–£150 survey fee, credited against the job if they proceed, filters out tyre-kickers who are collecting quotes with no intention of committing. It also signals that your time has value — which it does.

First-Fix vs Second-Fix: Structuring Phased Quotes

For new builds and large renovations, split your quote into first fix and second fix. First fix covers all cable installation, back boxes and conduit before plastering. Second fix covers fitting accessories, commissioning and certification after the walls are finished.

Invoicing in two stages protects your cash flow and gives the client a natural payment checkpoint. It also makes the quote easier to compare against other electricians who may be quoting the same phases. A standard 3-bed new build runs roughly £700–£1,000 for first fix and £500–£750 for second fix — but always survey and quote per property rather than using published figures as your only guide.