How much does it cost to add a plug socket?

Most socket work is priced per socket, with the first one costing the most because it carries the call-out.

Swapping a damaged or old faceplate for a new one in the same box is a quick job, typically £40–£70. Changing a single socket to a double is similar, sometimes with a deeper back box, at about £50–£90.

Adding a new double socket is the most common request. The electrician takes a spur or extends the ring from an existing socket, chases a channel in the wall or runs cable under the floor, fits a new back box and tests the circuit. That usually runs £80–£200 for the first socket, and £50–£100 for each extra one done on the same visit.

These prices normally include filling the chase. Repainting or redecorating over it is usually your job, so check what the quote covers.

The walls. Plasterboard stud walls are easy to fish cable through. Solid brick or block needs chasing, which is slower and dustier.

The route. A socket on a suspended timber floor can often be fed from underneath with little mess. Solid concrete floors mean chasing up and across walls instead.

The existing circuit. If the circuit is overloaded, has no RCD protection or fails testing, the electrician should not simply add to it. Putting that right comes first and costs extra.

Finish. Standard white plastic sockets are cheap. Metal, flat-plate and USB sockets cost more to buy, and some need deeper back boxes.

Location. Outside, in a bathroom or near a sink, sockets have to meet stricter rules on distances, IP ratings and protection.

List the sockets you want and sort them into simple changes and new positions.

1. Allow £40–£90 for each faceplate swap or single-to-double change. 2. Allow £80–£200 for the first new socket, then £50–£100 for each extra one. 3. Add £150–£300 for an outdoor socket. 4. Allow £250–£600 if a new circuit is needed, for example for a home office or workshop.

Example: two new double sockets in a bedroom on solid walls and one single changed to a double in the kitchen. First new socket £80–£200, second £50–£100, kitchen change £50–£90. That is roughly £180–£390.

On BidMyJob you can post the job with photos of the walls and your fuse box, and local electricians bid, so you see prices for your actual home.

An outdoor socket is handy for mowers, pressure washers and garden tools. It needs a weatherproof enclosure and RCD protection, and is usually fed through the wall from an indoor socket close by. Expect £150–£300.

If you want a socket for an electric vehicle charger, that is a separate, dedicated installation with its own circuit and rules. An ordinary outdoor socket is not designed for regular car charging.

USB sockets fit into a standard back box in place of an ordinary double socket. The labour is the same as a faceplate swap, about £50–£90, with the socket itself costing £15–£40. Some models need a deeper back box, which adds a little time on solid walls.

In England, adding a socket to an existing circuit in an ordinary room is not usually notifiable under Part P, but it must still meet the wiring regulations and be tested. A new circuit, a consumer unit replacement, or work close to a bath or shower is notifiable, so use an electrician registered with a competent person scheme who will certify it. Wales and Scotland have their own rules.

New sockets should be RCD protected. If your fuse box has no RCDs, the electrician may need to add protection or recommend a new consumer unit before extending the circuit.

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) checks the whole installation and typically costs £150–£300 depending on the size of the house. Landlords in England need one at least every five years. For homeowners it is a good idea when buying an older house or before major electrical work.

The consumer unit, often still called the fuse box, is where every circuit in the house starts. Older units with rewireable fuses or no RCD protection are often replaced when an electrician finds problems during other work.

A replacement typically costs £500–£1,000, including a modern metal unit with RCD or RCBO protection, testing every circuit, the certificate and notification to building control. Units with individual RCBOs on each circuit cost more but mean a fault only trips one circuit.

The price can rise if testing finds faults that must be fixed before the new unit can be energised, such as missing earths or damaged cable. A good electrician will explain these before going ahead.

Plan all your sockets at once. Extra sockets on the same visit are much cheaper than a second call-out.

Put new sockets where cable can easily reach, such as near an existing socket on the same wall or above a timber floor.

Add sockets before decorating, or when plastering is already planned, so chases are made good as part of that work.

Use a double rather than a single wherever you can. The labour is the same.

And avoid relying on extension leads long term. They are a sign that a couple of extra sockets would be a sensible investment.