2018 Snapshot: What UK Sparkies Really Charged for a Day of Domestic Work 

How much should you quote for replacing a consumer unit, rewiring a two-bed terrace or chasing in a few new sockets? We put that question—What’s your average day rate for domestic electrical work?—to several hundred electricians across England, Scotland and Wales. The answers proved that price tags alone never tell the whole story. Day rate, it turns out, is as much about business overheads and local competition as it is about time on the tools. 

Below we break down the patterns that emerged in 2018 and flag the pitfalls improvers often overlook when they make the leap from wages to quotations. 

One-Third Don’t Always Use a “Day Rate” 

Roughly 33 % of respondents said they rarely sell their labour as an eight-hour block. Instead they: 

• Quote per job—a fixed price for a defined scope 

• Price per hour—useful when the unknowns (old wiring, floorboards, furniture) could balloon the time required 

• Work for another contractor at a sub-contract rate, leaving business costs on someone else’s ledger 

That mix explains the wide spread you see when you Google electrician day rate—from £130 to £300, sometimes higher in London postcodes. 

Two Biggest Influencers on Domestic Pricing 

1. Business Costs – accreditation fees, calibration, van insurance, parking permits, waste licences and more. 

1. Local Competition – how many Part P sparkies can reach the same customer within half an hour? 

Sparkies in rural Cumbria report limited price pressure but longer travel; those inside the M25 fight fierce competition yet can do three small jobs in one borough without touching the North Circular. 

Comparing Ways of Working 

1. Sub-Contracting for Larger Firms

Great for building speed and confidence while someone else handles materials, VAT and customer drama. 

2018 Going Rate: £130–£150 per day (toolbox but no paperwork) 

2. Quoting Job-by-Job

Home-owners like certainty. A fixed quote for a board change or cooker circuit lets them budget and often translates to more profit per hour for you—especially if you finish early and squeeze in another micro-job. 

Typical Yield: £200 + per effective day once you string two or three small tasks together. 

3. Hourly Billing for “Unknowns”

Useful in Victorian houses full of buried JB’s and cracked capping where surprises lurk under every floorboard. 

Reference Point: London respondents averaged £34 per hour in 2018. 

4. Straight Day-Rate for Domestic Work

Most common when the scope is loose—“sort out the upstairs wiring”—or when multiple trades need one cost line to feed the QS spreadsheet. 

2018 Average: £200–£250 per day 
London/South-East premium: nudged £300 in certain boroughs 

Why Your Own Day Rate Must Beat Subbie Math 

A sub-contract day on a site gives you £140 in the hand. If you serve domestic clients directly and still charge £140 you will lose money, because now you pay for: 

• Part P or NICEIC/NAPIT scheme fee 

• Public liability insurance (£5 m minimum for many letting agents) 

• Fuel, parking, congestion charge 

• Quotation visits and paperwork 

• Stock cable, screws, sundries 

Factor those expenses before you undercut yourself. 

Quick Calculator for 2018 

*Assuming 250 chargeable days. If you want £180 take-home, quote at least £208. Aim for £220–£250 and the maths becomes comfortable. 

What About Mates and Apprentices? 

One extra pair of hands changes the equation. Two half-days can swallow more travel time than one full-day, and supervisory overhead rises. Many respondents simply add £50–£80 for a trainee and bill the client a neat £300 day rate to keep the maths simple. 

Three Image Factors That Trump a Cheap Price 

Electricians told us domestic customers choose on trust as much as cost. The big clinchers: 

1. Turn up when you say you will. 

1. Explain the job in plain English, not tech jargon. 

1. Leave the house tidier than you found it. 

Get that trio right and an extra £20 on your quote seldom breaks the deal. 

2018 Take-Home Messages 

• Day rate is only one tool—use hourly or fixed quotes where they fit better. 

• Know your overhead; anything under £200 in most regions leaves thin profit. 

• Customers value clarity and punctuality as much as a low figure. 

• Building a repeat client base beats winning a one-off job on price. 

Would those numbers still stand in 2024 money? Probably not—fuel and materials have climbed—but the logic behind them is timeless. Do the maths, sell the value, and your diary will stay busy whatever the calendar says. Learn how to fast track your Level 3 Electrical NVQ.