All important information about costs, factors and savings in electrical installation
Anyone who builds a new house or plans to renovate an old building will sooner or later be confronted with the Electrical Installation. Because the power supply is just as much a part of the house as the water connection and the roof. But how expensive is an electrical installation? What makes the difference in price? Find out which cost factors you should consider when building or renovating and how you can influence the costs to save money.
Which cost factors have to be considered for the electrical installation?
- Cost of an electrical installation in a new building
- Renovation measures and costs of an electrical installation in old buildings
- How to save on electrical installation costs by doing it yourself
- How else can you influence the cost of the electrical installation?
- How expensive is it to retrofit a smart home?
- Conclusion: save sensibly and plan for the future
Due to the high demand, we have updated this article and added the question "How expensive is it to retrofit a Smart Home?".
Which cost factors have to be considered for the electrical installation?
The most precise answer to a cost question is a price. However, when it comes to electrical installation, the answer is not that simple. Because the costs of the electrical installation vary and depend on the following factors, among others:
- equipment standard
- material prices
- Number of ⦁ sockets, switches, junction boxes and lighting elements
- Number of conduits and required wiring
- Type and quantity of the additional equipment elements
Note: In order to be able to determine these cost factors for the electrical installation in the old building, it is necessary to take into account the year the electrical system dates from and how it is designed.
How are the various cost factors to be interpreted?
Basically, a distinction is made between the equipment variants basic installation, medium equipment and upscale equipment. The scope of the respective equipment standard is not firmly defined - what one electrician considers appropriate is luxury for another.
While switches, sockets and lighting are part of the basic equipment even from a minimalist point of view, the material prices can vary greatly depending on the series and have a major impact on the costs of the basic installation.
Depending on the area and the required connections per room, the number of switches, sockets and lighting elements required can be determined. The number of cables required and their length also depend on the area and the desired connections.
Examples of additional equipment elements are controls and drives for roller shutters and blinds, room thermostats, the network supply for the individual rooms, reception systems and wiring for consumer electronics such as televisions, loudspeakers, a wall box for electric cars or electric toothbrushes. A domestic electrical installation can also be supplemented with alarm and surveillance systems.
ImageIntelligence has its price...
Cost of an electrical installation in a new building
The costs of the electrical installation in new buildings can vary greatly due to the cost factors mentioned above and it is difficult to give a flat-rate price. In the case of a conventional electrical installation of medium standard in a new building, however, approximately 3-5% of the total construction costs can be assumed. For example, if building a house costs 300,000 euros, the rough guide value for the costs of the electrical installation is around 9,000 to 15,000 euros.
Alternatively, the costs can also be estimated based on the square footage of the new building. For an average single-family house with 120 to 150 square meters of living space, the price per square meter is estimated at 80 to 90 euros. For a new building with an area of 120 square meters, the estimated costs are therefore between 9,600 and 10,800 euros.
A practical example for the costs of the electrical installation (new building)
In a newly built single-family house with a living area of 150 m², the electrical installation is to be carried out by a specialist electrician. A medium standard of equipment and the use of socket and switch series in the medium price range are planned.
| Post | price |
| Site power distributor (6 months, including power consumption) | €850 |
| Main meter cabinet, supply line and connection | €1,550 |
| material | €4,500 |
| Wage (about 200 hours) | €8,600 |
Table: Example of the costs of the electrical installation (new building)
Please note that the calculated total costs of 15,500 euros are only a guide value since each electrical installation is planned and implemented individually - there are no upper limits to the costs.
Renovation measures and costs of an electrical installation in old buildings
While electrical systems that are 30 to 40 years old are already considered technically obsolete and there is often a desire for modernization, this is absolutely necessary for old systems built in the 1970s or earlier for safety reasons.
The price depends on the cost factors mentioned above, with the year of construction of the electrical installation and its execution being particularly important. In order to get an idea of the costs to be expected when renovating an outdated electrical installation, it is first necessary to determine which measures are required in one's own house.
Electrical systems built after 1973
successor to the automatic socket: the miniature circuit breaker
In the case of the only slightly outdated systems, more sockets are often required, since the 1-2 sockets per room that used to be sufficient are now too few. In addition, the load of modern appliances such as tumble dryers and dishwashers is particularly heavy, which is why more circuits are required than before.
Many systems also do not have an earth leakage circuit breaker. This is an important safety element in today's electrical installation: if a person comes into contact with electricity, the circuit is interrupted by the FI switch for protection. If a residual current circuit breaker has to be retrofitted, this will cost between 80 and 200 euros.
Other possible measures such as the renewal and centralization of the meter cabinets, the re-laying of main and riser lines and the installation of intercom or monitoring systems can be useful. The costs vary greatly depending on the individual case and can be determined by calculating the individual services.
Electrical systems built before 1973
Most electrical installations built before 1973 lack basic safety features. As a rule, no fuse with PE conductors is installed, which protects living beings from an electric shock in the event of a fault. This represents an unacceptable safety hazard and the electrical installation must be completely renewed. It is assumed that 40-70 euros per square meter of living space.
If the systems date back to the interwar period, there is often not even a grounding available, so that the two-wire cables are permanently live. With these systems, the risk of accidents and fire is particularly high and it is advisable to completely renew the electrical installation. The costs of the electrical installation depend heavily on the building fabric and its state of preservation, as this results in the construction costs required for the renewal.
How to save on electrical installation costs by doing it yourself
The labour costs form a significant cost block in the electrical installation. Roughly 60 per cent labour costs and 40 per cent material costs are assumed. Therefore, the greatest savings potential arises from the electrical installation work through self-service.
Wherever electricity flows or should flow, great caution is required. A lot of electrical work during electrical installation may only be carried out by qualified specialists and cannot be carried out yourself with the help of YouTube. However, you can carry out simple activities that are not directly related to electrical safety yourself.
You can carry out the following preparatory and accompanying work yourself:
- chisel slits
- Put flush-mounted boxes
- Lay empty pipes
- pull-in cable
- Install switch boxes
Many specialist companies offer builders the opportunity to carry out this work themselves. If necessary, they even provide the necessary tools. Close coordination with the executing company is particularly important here, as this ultimately has to accept the work.
Which part of the electrical installation may only be carried out by qualified specialists?
Saving is good, security is better. While you can take on many activities yourself and thus save a lot of money, the following work may only be carried out by an authorized specialist:
- Connection of the electrics
- Installation
- testing and acceptance
Tip: Discuss the procedure and distribution of tasks in advance with the specialist company carrying out the work. Electricians are often happy not to have to bother with tedious and time-consuming work.
How else can you influence the cost of the electrical installation?
While doing your own work is an important factor when it comes to savings in electrical installation, you can also influence the costs in terms of the following points :
- planning
- Choice of electrical contractor
- material procurement
If you want to spend as little money as possible and at the same time not want to do without the desired equipment, you have to know exactly what you want. The more precisely you plan where which devices are to be connected, the more individuals you can design your electrical installation with at the best possible price.
Well-thought-out planning is often worthwhile in order to avoid expensive over-installations and telephone sockets in the bathroom. Go through all the rooms in your mind and think carefully about which devices and connections are required in each case.
The costs can also vary considerably from specialist electrical company to specialist electrical company. Therefore, get different offers from different companies and compare them. Also, find out about the reliability and quality of work of the respective providers.
Note: If complex systems such as a state-of-the-art electronic installation with bus cabling are planned, we recommend choosing an experienced specialist company. Providers without experience in this field often overestimate the costs or have to work more man-hours.
How can material costs be saved?
There is further potential for savings in material costs. The prices at specialist companies are usually significantly higher than in online trade. In order to avoid nasty surprises, it must be clear to you exactly what material is required - a materials list coordinated with the electrical specialist company carrying out the work is ideal.
However, some specialist companies do not agree that builders themselves buy the necessary materials. Therefore, discuss material procurement with your contractor from the outset. Also, be sure to order from a reputable supplier who offers quality products on safe terms.
Tip: Complete equipment does not always have to be installed immediately. However, remain flexible for adjustments and changes in the future, for example by planning empty sockets or empty pipes.
How expensive is it to retrofit a smart home?
An intelligent lighting system, energy-saving heating and a smart alarm system... that also sounds tempting for some residents or owners of an old building. However, the question arises as to whether it is even affordable to retrofit a smart home.
How expensive the retrofitting of a smart home will depend very much on the respective case. In principle, however, it can be said that the costs of retrofitting a smart home mainly depend on these factors :
- Scope of the planned measures (partial areas vs. complete house control system)
- quality of the devices
- Own share of the retrofit work
If you want to “feel” the concept of smart home first, it makes sense to only retrofit one area at first. There are also areas that can be networked with little money and on your own.
Which areas of a smart home can be retrofitted cheaply?
Smart lighting, for example, can be retrofitted particularly easily and inexpensively. Thanks to WLAN and other radio products, no additional cabling is required and no new holes usually have to be drilled. Intelligent elements such as smart light switches and dimmers are usually designed in such a way that laypeople can install them.
The situation is similar to intelligent heating. The conventional thermostats can be replaced by smart models. No additional devices are required, as the operation is via smartphone.
Note: When considering the costs, also take into account the savings potential that a smart home in an old building offers for the individual areas.
Conclusion: save sensibly and plan for the future
Whether new or old, every electrical installation is different and therefore the associated costs cannot be precisely quantified. However, the fact that there is no fixed price has its advantages: the costs can be influenced. Factors such as the standard of equipment, the integrated elements, the proportion of personal work and the electrician carrying out the work determine the total costs.
There is no upper limit to the costs of the electrical installation, but there is a lower limit: If the costs cannot be high enough, you can easily gild your switches. However, specially made switch programs made of cardboard are not an option. Savings should only be made where it is possible and where quality and safety do not have to be sacrificed. Basically, if you build below the standard, you will quickly have an outdated electrical installation and then saved nothing afterwards.
The electrical installation is an important investment and influences the living comfort. It should be planned for the future: if there is not enough money for a state-of-the-art facility, possibilities for future improvements should be planned.
