The phrase "new fuse board" sounds scary and expensive, and most people assume it's a four-figure job before they even pick up the phone. The honest answer is: it depends on the house, but less than you probably think. Here's what we're quoting across Watford, Bushey, Harrow and north-west London in 2026.
The short version
- One/two-bed flat: from £495 — the simplest like-for-like swap.
- Three-bed house: from £595 — the most common call-out.
- Four/five-bed house: from £795 — more circuits, slightly longer day.
- Anything with an EV or heat pump: from £995 — needs a main earth upgrade.
What pushes the price up
- An undersized main earth. Common in pre-1990 houses. A 10 mm² upgrade adds around £95.
- Meter tails that are too short. If your meter was installed long before your board, we may need to ask UKPN to move the service head. Usually free but schedules the job a week out.
- Extra circuits. If someone has wired the garage, shed or a garden office into the existing board, that's more to terminate.
- EV or solar readiness. Leaving headroom for a future charger or battery adds a bit of copper and a surge protector.
Questions to ask anyone quoting you
- "Is this Part P notified?" — it should be, every time, and you should get a cert within 48 hours.
- "RCBOs or RCDs?" — modern boards should have individual RCBOs, not a single RCD for half the house.
- "Do you include a surge protection device?" — the 18th Edition says you should.
- "How long will the power be off?" — a good answer is "3–4 hours, not the whole day".
If you get a quote dramatically below £495 for a flat, something's wrong with it — either it's a back-street job without notification, or the cable work isn't in the number. Either way, cheapest isn't cheapest after the inspection comes back unsatisfactory.
