The job
Rewiring a house that has seen a lot of owners
Cloth-wrapped cable, knob-and-tube, ungrounded outlets, a fuse box somebody added to in 1962. I find out what is actually in the walls, then replace what has to go.
I open one room at a time, so you keep a kitchen and a bathroom. Every room ends with a labeled circuit and a drawing left at the panel.
Survey of the panel, the attic and one opened wall
New cable, grounded outlets, new boxes
Walls left open for patching, and said so on the estimate
When to book it
Signs the wiring is due
Outlets that spark or run warm
Plugs that loosen, outlets warm to the touch, or switches that crackle. Call me in working hours to book it. If you smell burning, leave and call 911.
Two-prong outlets everywhere
No ground in the walls means nothing for a surge or a fault to go to.
A fuse box, or a panel full of doubled breakers
Added to over the decades to keep up with the loads.
Cloth cable or knob-and-tube in the attic or basement
Easy to see where the house is open. I look at its condition before I advise.
The visit, step by step
What the job includes
- 01
Step 1: Survey
I look at the panel, the attic or basement and one opened wall, and mark where each circuit goes.
- 02
Step 2: Written estimate
One price for the job as written, room by room, with the permit and inspection on their own lines.
- 03
Step 3: Permit
I pull the permit where the work needs one and book the inspection.
- 04
Step 4: Work, a room at a time
Walls open, cable pulled, boxes set. Floors covered, dust sheets up, a tidy house each evening.
- 05
Step 5: Inspection
Your town's inspector sees the work before walls close.
- 06
Step 6: Handover
A drawing of every circuit at the panel, labeled to match.
Services
How pricing works for this job
No price here, because the walls decide it. These are the things that move it.
What decides the price
Rewiring costs more where the walls are plaster, the attic is finished or the cable has to be fished a long way.
Plaster or drywall walls
Open or finished attic and basement
Number of rooms and circuits
Panel capacity
What the estimate includes, and what it doesn't
The estimate lists each room. Drywall repair and paint are not in it.
Labor and materials by room
Permit and inspection
Not included: patching and paint
What happens at the visit
I look and measure, and I don't price on the spot. The visit fee is on the estimate and credited to the job if you hire me.
After hours
There is no after-hours rate, because there is no after-hours work. For an emergency, call 911 or an emergency electrician.
When you get the number
In writing, after the visit, as one price for the job as written.
How and when you pay
Terms are on the estimate: what is due before materials are ordered, and what is due after inspection.
Questions about this job
My house has knob-and-tube or cloth-wrapped wiring. Is that dangerous?
It was built for far lighter loads than a house has now. I look at the condition of what is actually in your walls instead of guessing from the date: some of it can stay, some of it can't. I write up what I find, and your insurer can tell you what it requires.
How long will it take?
It depends on the number of rooms and how the walls are built. I give the schedule in writing with the estimate, room by room.
Do I have to move out?
Usually not. Opening one room at a time keeps a kitchen, a bathroom and a bed in use.
Pick a season for it
Tell me the job and the season you want, and I will offer dates inside it.