How much do electricians charge in Ireland? Rates guide 2026

By Paddy Darcy, founder of Grafta · 5 min read · Last reviewed July 2026 · Always confirm current rates on revenue.ie

Whether you're an electrician wondering if your rates are right, or you're pricing against the lad down the road, the honest answer is that Irish electrical rates move in wide bands — by county, by job type and by who's certifying the work. Here's what the market looks like in 2026 and how to position yourself in it.

Typical rates in 2026

Hourly rate: most established, Safe Electric–registered electricians charge in the €45–€75/hour band, with Dublin and surrounds at the top of it.
Minimum/call-out charge: commonly €80–€120 to cover travel and the first hour — very few will attend for less.
Day rate: typically €350–€550 for a full day — day rates usually price at a modest discount to the straight hourly equivalent.
Apprentice/second pair of hands: often billed at €25–€40/hour alongside the lead electrician.

These are indicative market ranges, not a price list

There is no official rate card for electricians in Ireland. These bands reflect commonly advertised and quoted figures in 2026 — your area, overheads and experience can put you legitimately outside them. Price from your own costs first.

Common job prices

Replace a socket or switch: €80–€150 including the call-out
Add a new double socket (surface run): €120–€200
Consumer unit (fuse board) upgrade: €400–€700 depending on circuits and certs
Electric shower installation (unit supplied by customer): €200–€350
EV charger installation: €900–€1,400 before the SEAI home-charger grant
Full rewire, 3-bed semi: €7,000–€14,000 depending on access, finishes, alarm requirements and county — occupied houses and Dublin postcodes sit at the top of the band

What moves the price

Certification and paperwork — work that needs a Safe Electric cert carries the registration, test-equipment and time cost of doing it right.
Access and condition — attic runs, solid walls, occupied houses and 1970s wiring all add hours.
Location — Dublin commercial rates can run 20–30% above rural equivalents; travel time is real money.
Urgency — same-day and out-of-hours callouts justifiably carry a premium; put it in writing up front.
Materials volatility — copper prices move; quote materials at today's cost, not last year's.

Pricing your own work: cost-first, not competitor-first

Start from your real cost base: van, insurance, Safe Electric registration, tools, calibration, fuel, and the unbillable hours every week spent quoting and chasing. Divide by the hours you can actually charge and you have your floor. THEN look at market bands to position yourself. Pricing off the competitor down the road means adopting their overheads, which you don't have — in either direction.

VAT check for every job

Most electrical services on property are 13.5% VAT — but on materials-heavy jobs (a board upgrade where the unit dominates the price, an EV charger install), watch the two-thirds rule: if materials exceed two-thirds of the ex-VAT price, the whole job goes to 23%. Our VAT guide covers it with worked examples.

Quote it the way customers say yes to

Itemise labour and materials separately — it reads as honest and survives comparison shopping.
Send the quote the same day you see the job. Same-day quotes win a disproportionate share of work.
State what's excluded (making good plaster, painting) so scope creep doesn't eat the margin.
Follow up once after 3–4 days. Most 'lost' quotes were never rejected — just buried in a customer's inbox.

Sources

This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Check your own situation with Revenue or an accountant.

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