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Electrical

Electrical installation

New circuits, sockets, switches and lighting points, and the certificate that has to go with them.
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Whether this needs a licence in Ireland

Ireland

Licence required

Registered Electrical Contractor (Safe Electric)

Registered Electrical Contractor (Safe Electric), issued or supervised by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. Ask for the registration number before the work starts and check it on the public register. Check the register: www.safeelectric.ie

Checked against the statute and reviewed by a lawyer

Commission for Regulation of Utilitieswww.safeelectric.ieChecked

Electrical installation: what the job involves

Adding to the wiring in a home: new sockets, switches, lighting points, a spur for an appliance or a new circuit for a kitchen, attic or garden room, finished with testing and a Completion Certificate. In Ireland almost all of it is Restricted Electrical Works for a registered electrician.

Also asked for as: electrician · sparks · extra sockets · new socket fitted · downlights fitted

How the job is usually done

  1. Walk the house with you to agree where each point goes, and check the fuse board for spare ways and RCD protection.
  2. Test the circuit being extended so that new work is not added to a faulty one.
  3. Isolate the circuit, then chase walls or lift floorboards and run cable in safe zones (first fix).
  4. Fit back boxes, connect sockets, switches and fittings, and add any new breaker or RCBO at the board (second fix).
  5. Test insulation resistance, earth continuity, polarity and RCD trip times, and record the results.
  6. Hand over the Completion Certificate and show you which breaker feeds the new points.

Electrical installation: what is included

Usually included

  • Cable, back boxes and standard white sockets and switches unless agreed otherwise
  • Testing and the Completion Certificate
  • Labelling new circuits at the fuse board
  • Filling chases roughly so they are ready for a plasterer

Usually not included — agree it separately

  • Skim plastering and painting over chased walls
  • Decorative light fittings, which the customer usually chooses and buys
  • Upgrading a fuse board that has no room or no RCD protection, which is quoted separately
  • Lifting and refitting finished floors such as laminate or tiles

Materials and who supplies them

  • Twin and earth cable, back boxes, sockets and switches, normally supplied by the electrician
  • Light fittings, pendants and designer switch plates, normally supplied by the customer
  • An RCBO or breaker for a new circuit, supplied by the electrician

How long it takes

One or two new points usually take a couple of hours; a new circuit for a room takes most of a day, and longer when walls are solid block or the fuse board needs work first.

When to book

During a renovation the cable should go in before plastering and flooring, so book the electrician for first fix early.

Electrical installation: the rules in Ireland

What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.

  • New circuits, changes to a distribution board (fuse board), work in special locations such as bathrooms and outdoors, and inspection and testing are Restricted Electrical Works: only a Registered Electrical Contractor may carry them out. Like-for-like replacement of a switch or socket is excluded as minor work.

    Applies to: the electrician, and the homeowner who engages one

    Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and S.I. No. 264 of 2013, run by Safe Electric Ireland for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities · safeelectric.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • A Registered Electrical Contractor must issue a Completion Certificate for all electrical work except minor works, and give the customer the original copy when the job is finished, with the post-connection tests confirmed on it.

    Applies to: the electrician

    Electricity Regulation Act 1999; Safe Electric Ireland · safeelectric.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • Every Registered Electrical Contractor can be looked up on the Safe Electric register by name or registration number before work starts.

    Applies to: the homeowner

    Safe Electric Ireland · safeelectric.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

What electrical installation costs, and why

What jobs on Talqero came to

Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.

What affects the price

  • Number of points and whether a new circuit is needed or an existing one can be extended
  • Wall construction: stud partitions are quick, solid block or brick needs chasing
  • The fuse board: spare ways and RCD protection, or an upgrade first
  • Access through attics and under floors, and whether carpets or floors must be lifted
  • Making good after chasing
  • VAT: work on a home is charged at the reduced 13.5% rate by a VAT-registered contractor, unless materials exceed two-thirds of the price; ask whether the quote includes it
  • VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.

Paperwork to ask for at the end

  • Safe Electric Completion Certificate (original white copy) for the work
  • Test results for the new or altered circuits
  • Updated circuit labels at the fuse board

Safety

  • Do not let anybody add to wiring without testing the existing circuit first; old circuits with no RCD are the usual source of trouble.
  • Sockets near a sink, bath or shower have minimum distances under the National Rules; a registered electrician will know them.
  • Know where your main switch is and keep the fuse board area clear for the electrician.

Electrical installation: before you hire

Questions to ask a tradesperson

  • What is your Safe Electric registration number?
  • Will you test the existing circuit before adding to it?
  • Does the price include the Completion Certificate and filling the chases?
  • Will my fuse board take the new circuit, or does it need upgrading?
  • Is VAT included?

What you can do yourself

Changing a like-for-like light fitting or switch plate on a dead circuit is minor work a careful householder can do, but adding any new point or circuit is Restricted Electrical Works for a registered electrician.

What to put in your task

  • What do you need added?
  • Roughly how many points in total?
  • What are the walls where the work goes?
  • What does your fuse board look like?
  • Is the room finished and decorated?

Photos that help

  • The fuse board with its cover open, close enough to read the labels
  • Each wall where a new point is wanted, with the nearest existing socket or switch in shot
  • The attic hatch or floor void the cable could run through

Electrical installation by county

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Questions about electrical installation

Does electrical installation need a licence in Ireland?

Yes. Registered Electrical Contractor (Safe Electric), supervised by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. Source: www.safeelectric.ie. Ask for the registration number and check it on the public register.

Do I need a certificate for one extra socket?

Extending a circuit is Restricted Electrical Works, and a Registered Electrical Contractor must issue a Completion Certificate for it. Only like-for-like replacements count as minor works. Ask for the certificate the day the job is finished.

Can an extension lead be a permanent fix instead?

It can be a short-term answer, but strings of adaptors on one socket are a common cause of overheating. If a room regularly needs more sockets, a new point is the safe fix and usually less disruptive than people expect.

Will the electrician make good the walls?

Most fill chases roughly so they are ready for skimming, but plastering and painting are usually separate. Agree in the quote who finishes the wall.

Why does the electrician want to see my fuse board?

Whether there is a spare way and RCD protection decides whether the new work can simply be connected or the board needs work first. A photo of the board is often enough to price the job.

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