How Much Does an Electrician Cost in Singapore? A 2026 Price Guide

The short answer

Most small electrical jobs in a Singapore home land somewhere between S$60 and S$250. Bigger jobs like replacing your DB box run from around S$350 to S$800. A full rewiring of a flat is a different scale altogether, usually S$3,000 to S$7,500 depending on the size of the unit.

Those ranges are wide for a reason, and understanding why they are wide is the difference between getting a fair price and getting a nasty surprise on completion day.

What you are actually paying for

When people compare electrical quotes, they usually compare the headline number and nothing else. That is where the trouble starts, because two quotes for "add one power point" can describe two completely different jobs.

A power point in a flat where the wiring is surface mounted in a visible trunking is a straightforward job. The electrician runs the cable along the existing route, mounts the socket, connects it back at the DB box, and tests it. Maybe an hour of work.

The same power point in a unit where you want the cable hidden inside the wall means chasing a channel into the concrete, laying the conduit, patching the wall, and waiting for the patch to cure before anyone can paint. That is three trades and two visits, not one hour.

Same words in the quote. Very different job. Always ask which one you are getting.

Typical price ranges in 2026

These are the ranges you will see across the Singapore market. Treat them as a sanity check on any quote you receive, not as a fixed rate card.

Socket and switch work. Replacing an existing 13A socket or light switch usually costs S$60 to S$130. Adding a brand new power point without hacking is commonly S$80 to S$220. Concealed wiring in a condo pushes this higher, often from S$100 per point upward, because the work is hidden and takes longer.

Lighting. A light point install or replacement typically runs S$80 to S$180 per point. Downlights, cove lighting and chandeliers are usually quoted after a site visit because the false ceiling access and the fitting weight change the job. Simply swapping a bulb or a basic fitting is much less, often under S$50.

Ceiling fans. Installing a standard four to six blade fan on existing wiring is around S$80 to S$220. Smart or remote controlled fans usually add a bit because of the receiver module and the extra commissioning time.

Water heater and appliance points. A dedicated water heater point is commonly around S$120. Aircon points and isolators run higher, often S$120 to S$180 per point, because the cable size and the run length are both greater.

DB box work. A minor repair such as retermination of a loose connection or replacing one burnt breaker is often S$100 to S$250. A single circuit breaker replacement sits in a similar band. A full DB box replacement with modern RCCB and MCB protection generally starts around S$350 and commonly lands between S$450 and S$800. Older flats with poor earthing or badly labelled circuits push toward the top of that range and sometimes past it.

Fault tracing. This is the one that resists a fixed price honestly. Finding out why your power keeps tripping might take twenty minutes or it might take three hours, and nobody knows which until they start. Expect a diagnostic fee, and expect a good contractor to quote the actual repair separately once the cause is known.

Full rewiring. Rewiring a whole flat is a renovation scale job, usually S$3,000 to S$7,500 depending on flat size and how much concealment you want. This nearly always includes a new DB box.

The fees that are not in the headline price

This is where most of the frustration in this industry comes from. Not the price itself, but the parts of the price that only appear at the end.

Site visit or callout fee. Many contractors charge S$30 to S$80 to come and look. Many also waive or credit it if you proceed with the work. Ask which policy applies before they get in the lift.

Transport or fuel surcharge. Some companies add a flat surcharge per visit. It is usually small, but it should be disclosed.

Materials. Ask explicitly whether the quoted price includes the socket, the back box, the cable and the conduit, or only the labour.

After hours premium. Evening, weekend and public holiday callouts often carry a premium. If your problem can safely wait until Monday morning, waiting will usually save you money.

Making good. If the job involves hacking, ask who patches the wall and whether painting is included. Very often it is not, and the answer "you can get your painter to do it" arrives after the hole already exists.

Why the cheapest quote is often the most expensive

There are three things a very low quote can mean, and only one of them is good news.

It can mean the contractor is genuinely efficient and has low overheads. That happens.

It can mean they have quoted for a smaller job than the one you actually have, either because they did not ask enough questions or because they intend to revise the price once they are on site and you are committed. By then, saying no is awkward and expensive.

Or it can mean corners are being cut somewhere you cannot see. Undersized cable, no proper earthing, no testing before handover, no documentation. All of that is invisible on the day and expensive later, and in the worst case it is a safety issue rather than a money issue.

The fix is not to always pay more. The fix is to make all three quotes describe the same job so the comparison is real.

How to get a quote you can actually rely on

Send photos and a short video up front. Photograph the DB box with the cover open, the wall where you want the new point, and the existing socket if you are replacing one. Ninety percent of the vagueness in electrical quoting comes from the contractor not being able to see the situation. A photo removes it.

Ask for the quote in writing and itemised. Not a WhatsApp message saying "around 400". A list of what is being done, per item, with a total.

Ask whether the price is fixed or indicative. These are very different commitments and contractors use both.

Confirm what triggers a variation. In other words, what would have to be true on site for the price to change. A contractor who can answer that clearly has thought about your job. One who says "no, no, confirm price" and then changes it later has not.

Bundle where it makes sense. If your DB box is already going to be opened up and the panel is off, adding a couple of circuits at the same time is far cheaper than calling someone back next month to do it separately. The expensive part of most electrical work is the setup and the access, not the component.