A marine electrician typically charges €45 to €90 per hour excluding VAT in European Mediterranean ports. On that basis, replacing an AGM battery bank costs €500 to €1,500, a lithium upgrade €2,500 to €8,000, and a full rewire of an 8 to 14 m boat €4,000 to €20,000, depending on size and the state of the existing installation.
Boat electrical work prices in 2026: summary
The table above lists the most common electrical jobs with an indicative price range. Figures are in euros, excluding VAT, combining parts and labour, and are based on published boatyard and marina tariffs, retail prices of mainstream marine brands and real quotes from workshops around the European Mediterranean. In other markets such as the UK, Northern Europe or the United States, workshop rates are usually higher; in the Eastern Mediterranean or North Africa, lower.
Two things help you read it properly. First, almost all electrical work is billed as actual hours plus parts, so the range depends heavily on how accessible your wiring is. Second, equipment prices vary enormously by brand: a 200 Ah lithium battery can cost under €900 or over €1,800, and a generic charger can cost half as much as a premium one.
What the price includes
A serious marine electrical quote should break down these items:
- Labour: technician hours. For reference, Port Nàutic Castelló (Spain) publishes €50/h for a technician and €60/h for diagnostics, and Marina Coruña €61/h for electronics, both excluding VAT. Independent workshops in busy cruising areas charge €45 to €75/h; superyacht specialists or emergency work, €80 to €120/h.
- Diagnosis: the first hour is often charged at a higher rate because it needs test equipment and experience. Many workshops deduct it if you then book the repair with them.
- Parts: batteries, tinned marine cable of the correct gauge, lugs, fuses, switches, busbars, chargers, regulators and monitors. On bigger jobs, parts can be 50 to 70% of the total.
- Call-out: if the electrician comes to your berth, a flat fee of €30 to €80 or billed travel time is common.
- Consumables and waste: heat-shrink, cable ties and disposal of old batteries, which are hazardous waste.
- Documentation: a rewire should include an updated wiring diagram. If the quote does not mention it, ask for it.
Factors that change the price
Boat size and type
A 7 m RIB or open boat with an outboard has few circuits, all easy to reach. A 12 m cruising yacht has a fridge, autopilot, windlass, electronics, inverter and sometimes a watermaker. A catamaran or motor yacht with a generator and air conditioning multiplies the cable runs and the complexity of the panel.
Condition of the installation
This is the biggest factor. On a boat over 20 years old with DIY splices, automotive cable and no diagram, the electrician spends hours just working out what is there. That is why many professionals recommend a diagnosis first before quoting any upgrade.
Access
Running a new cable from bow to stern can take an hour or a full day depending on whether there are conduits, removable headliners and access panels. Recent production boats are usually easier than classics with fixed joinery.
Technology chosen
Moving from lead-acid to lithium is not just a battery swap: alternator charging, chargers, high interrupt-capacity fusing and monitoring all need attention. The same goes for a large inverter, which needs heavy cables and often a bigger battery bank.
Location, season and type of workshop
In high season, in premium marinas or on islands, hourly rates rise and lead times grow. In winter many workshops have space in their diary and better terms. A marina-based workshop is often more expensive than an independent electrician, but it coordinates a haul-out more easily if one is needed.
Worked example: lithium upgrade on an 11 m sailboat
An 11 m cruising sailboat with two worn-out AGM house batteries, a fridge, an autopilot and an old solar controller. The owner wants 400 Ah of lithium and to keep the lead-acid starter battery. Indicative quote excluding VAT:
- Initial diagnosis of the installation (2 h): €120
- Two 12.8 V 200 Ah LiFePO4 batteries: €1,500 – €3,200
- Battery monitor with shunt: €150 – €250
- DC-DC charger between alternator and lithium, or external regulator: €200 – €700
- Lithium-compatible 30 A shore charger: €250 – €500
- Correctly sized cable, class T fuse, isolator switch and busbars: €300 – €600
- Labour (20 to 30 h at about €55/h): €1,100 – €1,650
Indicative total: €3,600 to €7,000 excluding VAT. The spread depends mainly on the battery brand and whether the existing cabling can be reused. If you also want a 3 kVA inverter/charger, add €1,100 to €1,400 for the unit and a few more hours of installation.
DIY or hire a professional
12 V electrics look simple and many owners do small jobs well: swapping a light for LED, adding a USB socket, cleaning terminals or replacing a battery with an identical one. These are reasonable tasks if you can use a multimeter and respect cable sizes and fusing.
Other jobs are best left to a professional:
- Anything 230 V: shore power, inverter, generator or chargers. A mistake here can electrocute someone in the water or start a fire.
- Lithium installations: short-circuit currents are huge and charge design is critical.
- Rewiring and new panels: they require planning, voltage-drop calculations and documentation.
- Galvanic corrosion or stray current problems: they need specific measurements and experience.
Think about insurance and resale too: an installation done by a professional, with an invoice and a diagram, carries real weight with an insurer or a buyer. Some countries and flag states require certain 230 V installations to meet specific standards, so check before doing it yourself.
How to save without cutting corners
- Bundle jobs: if you are replacing batteries, have the chargers, main cabling and galvanic protection checked at the same time. You pay the call-out and diagnosis once.
- Get a diagnosis before buying parts: it avoids paying for equipment that does not solve the real problem.
- Only supply your own parts if the electrician agrees: some workshops will not warranty parts they did not supply.
- Do not oversize: work out your real daily consumption before choosing lithium capacity or solar wattage.
- Book off-season: from October to March there is more availability and prices are steadier.
- Maintain what you have: clean terminals, tight connections and well-charged batteries last longer. There are practical tips in our guide to boat batteries and electrical systems.
How to choose a marine electrician
Look for someone with specific boat experience, not a domestic electrician. Marine installations have their own rules: tinned cable, moisture protection, insulated negative return and galvanic protection.
Before accepting a quote, ask:
- Does the price include diagnosis, call-out and disposal of old batteries?
- Which brands and models do you propose, and why?
- Will you provide a wiring diagram when the job is done?
- What warranty do you give on labour and parts?
- Do you have experience with lithium or with the specific equipment I want to fit?
Compare at least two or three detailed quotes. Be wary of a fixed price for a rewire given without seeing the boat, of anyone who does not mention fuses or cable sizes when discussing lithium, and of quotes with no parts breakdown. On Nautify you can find marine electricians in Palma de Mallorca and marine electronics specialists in Barcelona, among other areas, and compare profiles before requesting quotes. If you are planning panels, read our guide to solar panels for boats as well.
Conclusion
Electrics are where the difference between a cheap job and a good one shows most. Budget with a margin, start with a diagnosis and put safety first on anything 230 V or lithium. With the figures in the table as a benchmark and two or three comparable quotes, you will have a realistic idea of what it will cost. And if you need professionals near your berth, Nautify is a good place to start looking.
