House wiring prices in Malaysia (2026): what electricians quote per point, for a DB change and for labour

Malaysian electricians price most home jobs per point: one light, fan, socket, aircond or water-heater outlet, including the cable run, conduit or casing, the switch or socket, and labour. In 2025–2026, advertised rates mostly fall around RM80–130 for a light or fan point, RM100–200 for a 13A socket, RM150–380 for an aircond point and RM180–450 for a water-heater point. Quotes that homeowners and wiremen share for a second opinion usually land in the same ranges, and working electricians are blunt about offers far below them.

These figures come from price lists electricians post in Malaysian Facebook groups and from quotes people share there asking “is this fair?”. They are dated, reported prices, not a survey or a market rate. Distance from the DB, wall type and cable choice move them a lot.

Advertised per-point rates

Supply-and-install price lists posted in 2025–2026 look like this:

The first three lists share the same template and wording, so treat them as one common price sheet adapted by different contractors rather than three independent surveys. Some promotions advertise lower numbers, such as “from RM80 per point” or light fitting “from RM35”. Those are often starting prices for the easiest case or labour only, so compare like with like.

Installation-only rates in the same lists, with the owner supplying the item: about RM25–35 to fit a light, RM70–80 for a ceiling fan, RM50–60 for a wall fan, RM30–35 for a socket and RM25–30 for a switch. Fitting a water heater is about RM80–150, and an aircond installation RM250–500 depending on size. Water-heater point prices often exclude the RCBO, which some lists state explicitly.

What changes the price

• New point vs loop. A brand-new point runs from the DB or a suitable circuit. A “loop” takes a second outlet from an existing point and is much cheaper: quotes show RM40–95.
• Surface vs concealed. Surface wiring in conduit or casing is cheaper. Concealed wiring chased into walls costs more, and hacking and plastering are often extra, from RM50–70 per point or RM20 per foot in the lists above.
• Distance and walls. Electricians say the same point costs more the further it is from the DB. One pointed out that drilling a concrete wall isn’t the same job as brick.
• Cable. Brand drives price. In 2026 posts, a coil of budget SIRIM-marked 1.5mm² cable was quoted from about RM55, and well-known “JKR” brands such as Mega at RM85–107; 2.5mm² ran from about RM88 to RM128 and up. Very low quotes are often blamed on unmarked, non-SIRIM cable. Our SIRIM cable guide explains the difference.
• Water heaters done to spec. One 2026 quote listed a heater point “spec” (4mm² cable and an RCBO) at RM580 and “biasa” (2.5mm², no RCBO) at RM250. ST’s water-heater guideline calls for 4mm² cable and a correctly rated 10mA RCBO, or a 2-pole 10mA RCCB plus MCB; see the water heater guide.

Real quotes and how electricians judged them

An add-on job for RM1,070 (March 2026). Two light points with a loop each (RM130 + RM95), a fan point (RM130), a twin-socket point on its own circuit (RM230), fitting a fan (RM60) and four lights (RM30 each), and an extra MCB (RM80). The wireman estimated three days with a helper on RM80 a day, though several replies thought it was a one- or two-day job. The customer offered RM500. Dozens of wiremen replied, overwhelmingly against RM500. One joked that RM500 at an electrical shop now feels like RM180, and the most-liked reply told the wireman to let the customer buy all the materials and pay only RM500 for labour.

Room-by-room additions (January 2026). Socket points at RM150 with loops at RM40, aircond points at RM250, two sets of outdoor wall lights for RM300, a metal DB upgrade for RM450, and heater points at RM580 to spec, for RM3,580 in total. Most replies called it cheap or normal for 2026. The poster noted that some sockets were 15–20 metres from the board.

A small house job (January 2026, Banting). A new single-phase DB, six socket points, seven light points and a new earth with 10mm² cable, all on SIRIM cable with materials included. One wireman suggested about RM3,250 including light fittings, which another called fair “village” pricing. Others put it at RM3,000–4,000. A long, neat-looking estimate of about RM1,400 got plenty of likes, and working wiremen rejected it as unrealistic. One said the cable alone would cost about RM700.

A village house (March 2026). One wireman’s rates — RM85 a light point, RM95 a fan, RM140 a single socket, RM180 a twin and RM220 an aircond point — were called “too cheap” by others. Counter-offers in the same thread put lights at about RM120 and sockets at RM150–160.

Replacing an old DB (May 2026). Answers for a small single-phase board ranged from RM100 to RM1,200. The most common were RM350–500 with all-new components. One wireman quoted RM1,000 including an extra main switch and a full set of tests: voltage, insulation, socket, RCD and earthing. Some low answers (RM150–220) only replace the box, and one reply warned that this leaves the old MCBs and ELCB in place.

Upsizing a full board to a two-row DB (July 2026). More than a hundred replies, many from wiremen offering the job, mixing labour-only and supply-and-install prices. Most answers fell between about RM500 and RM900. By place: RM280 and RM750 in Kota Bharu, RM450 in Segamat, RM700 in Johor Bahru, about RM700–950 in KL/Selangor (RM500 labour only), and RM900 in Ipoh. Reusing the old main switch and RCCB brings it down to about RM500. Metalclad boards and extending short cables add to it.

Why some quotes are so low. An October 2026 post asking why many wiremen still charge “prices from 20 years ago” drew more than 200 reactions. The replies blamed competition for steady work, part-timers with salaried day jobs, and customers who pick the lowest number. A second post the same week complained about RM60–70 light and fan points and RM100 sockets. One wireman said they charge RM70 a light point, RM95 a socket and RM150 an aircond point, and get undercut at RM40, RM70 and RM100 respectively. In a Kelantan tradesmen’s group, one contractor argued that RM65–70 a light point and RM90–95 a socket is still profitable on a large house. So cheap isn’t automatically wrong; check what’s included and which cable is being used.

Reading a quotation

• Ask for itemised points: new point or loop, surface or concealed, and cable size and brand (“SIRIM 2.5mm²” rather than “wire”).
• Check what’s excluded: hacking, plastering, MCBs or RCBOs, the DB itself, testing.
• Agree the quote before work starts. Wiremen in these groups repeatedly advise a written quote and a deposit first. Deposits of 30% to 70% are reported.
• For DB jobs, ask whether components are being replaced or only the box, and whether insulation and RCD tests are included.
• For aircond and heater points, confirm the cable size and breaker rating, and for heaters the 10mA RCBO or RCCB. One terrace-house owner paid RM1,400 for three aircond points, expecting 4mm² cable, and found all three had been wired in 2.5mm² — with the aircond switches left for them to buy. Our RCCB, MCB and breaker brands guides help with the parts list.