wiring
Sockets, switches and extra points
An extra socket spurred from an existing circuit costs £80 to £160. The price depends almost entirely on where the nearest existing point is and what is between the two, which is why a quote given over the phone for this job is a guess and a quote given in the room is not.
What this covers
What it costs. A single extra socket spurred from a nearby point is £80 to £160. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- Adding sockets to an existing ring
- Moving a socket or switch during decorating
- Fitting USB and smart sockets
- Two way and dimmer switching
- Replacing scorched or cracked accessories
What is involved
Adding a socket means finding a circuit to take it from and getting cable there. A spur off a nearby socket on a ring is the common answer, and it comes with a limit: one single or one double socket per spur, taken from a point that is not already spurred from. Where more outlets are wanted, or the nearest point is a long way off, a new circuit from the board is the honest answer and it is notifiable work. A surface mounted socket in a garage is twenty minutes; the same socket flush in a plastered wall is a chase, a back box, a patch and a second visit to paint.
Some of this is notifiable and some is not, and the answer is different depending on which side of the border the house is on. In England, adding a socket on a spur is not notifiable unless it is in a special location such as a room containing a bath or shower; a new circuit always is. In Wales the older and wider rules still apply, so the same socket added in a kitchen or outdoors is notifiable there. This is a real difference between two nations and it changes who can lawfully sign the work off.
USB and smart accessories are worth a thought at the point of choosing rather than later. A USB socket dates faster than the wall it is in, because connector types change and the charging speed of a built in module is modest. A smart switch usually wants a neutral at the switch position, and older lighting installations often loop at the ceiling rose and have no neutral at the switch at all, which is the single most common reason a smart lighting project stops on day one.
Choosing someone for the job
Ask whether the new point is a spur or a new circuit, because that decides whether the job is notifiable. Ask whether making good is included and to what standard. Ask for the price of a second and third point on the same visit, which is always far less than the first. If you want smart switches, ask whether there is a neutral at the switch before buying any.
Common questions
How many sockets can I spur off one point?
One single or one double socket per spur, taken from a point on the ring that is not already a spur. Beyond that a new circuit is the correct answer, and it is a different price and a notifiable job.
Is adding a socket notifiable?
In England, not unless it is in a special location such as a bathroom, though a new circuit always is. In Wales the wider original rules still apply and additions in kitchens, bathrooms and outdoors are notifiable. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building standards.