Whole-house electrical rewiring in the Bay Area — illustrative service image

Whole-House Rewiring

Replace Old Wiring with Modern Copper.

Knob-and-tube, aluminum branch, deteriorated cloth-wrap — full rewire, room-by-room, with permits and inspection sign-off in writing.

What & Why

Modern copper, grounded everywhere, documented for insurance.

A rewire replaces every conductor in your home — branch circuits, switches, outlets, grounding — with code-compliant copper Romex on a properly sized panel. The result is a safer home that passes inspection, satisfies your insurance carrier, and supports modern loads (EV, induction, heat-pump) without breaker drama.

For pre-1980 Bay Area homes, this is often the single most consequential safety upgrade you can make.

Typical Project Snapshot

Common ranges for a Bay Area residential rewire. Exact numbers are confirmed in your written quote.

Scope

Branch + outlets + switches

Time On-Site

1–3 weeks typical

Power During Work

Room-by-room daytime cuts

Permit + Inspection

Rough + final, coordinated

Documentation

Permit card, load calc, signed inspections, single-line diagram

What's Included

Six steps, every rewire.

Same workflow whether it is a 1920s Craftsman or a 1970s ranch.

Walk-Through & Load Calc — illustrative service image

Walk-Through & Load Calc

Every room mapped, breaker count and circuit usage documented, attic and crawl space surveyed. Full NEC load calculation for the new panel.

Permit & Wire Sourcing — illustrative service image

Permit & Wire Sourcing

Permit pulled under our C-10 license. Copper Romex, boxes, breakers, and grounding kit on site before tear-out starts.

Sequenced Tear-Out — illustrative service image

Sequenced Tear-Out

Old wiring removed room-by-room. Drywall openings kept minimal and aligned with stud bays. Daytime-only power cuts in active rooms.

New Copper Runs — illustrative service image

New Copper Runs

Grounded copper Romex pulled, every receptacle and switch box replaced, GFCI/AFCI per current code in kitchens, baths, bedrooms, and outdoors.

Inspection Sign-Off — illustrative service image

Inspection Sign-Off

Rough inspection (before drywall close-up) and final inspection coordinated with your city or county. Callouts addressed same-day.

Completed rewiring and documentation handover — illustrative service image

Documentation Handoff

Permit card, load calc, signed inspections, and a single-line diagram of the new system delivered in a folder for your insurance carrier and records.

When You Need It

Six signs your home is due for a rewire.

Knob-and-Tube Still Active

Common in pre-1960 Bay Area homes. Ungrounded, no longer code-compliant, and an insurance red flag.

Aluminum Branch Wiring

1965–1973 era homes often have aluminum on outlets and switches — a documented fire risk.

Two-Prong Outlets Everywhere

No ground = no surge protection, no GFCI, and modern appliances run unsafely.

Cloth-Wrapped Wires in the Attic

Often deteriorated insulation. Brittle cloth-wrap is a hidden fire risk above the ceiling.

Insurance Renewal Denied

Carriers are getting strict on old wiring. A signed rewire packet usually clears the flag.

Planning a Major Remodel

Easier and cheaper to rewire while walls are already open for the remodel scope.

Pricing Context

What a whole-house rewire typically costs in the Bay Area.

Every job gets a written fixed-fee quote.

Whole-house rewire, ≤1,500 sqft$8,000 – $14,000
Whole-house rewire, 1,500–2,500 sqft$12,000 – $20,000
Whole-house rewire, 2,500+ sqft$18,000 – $30,000+
Partial rewire (knob-and-tube only)$4,500 – $9,000
Drywall patch coordination (cuts only, no finish)Included

Permit fees and any PG&E coordination are passed through at cost and itemized on the quote. Finish drywall and paint are out of scope.

FAQ

Rewire questions, straight answers.

Typical range is $8,000 – $25,000 for a 1,500–2,500 sqft home, with most projects landing in the $12,000 – $18,000 zone. Drywall access, finishes to protect, and panel age all shift the number. Final fixed-fee quote is delivered after the on-site assessment.

Plan 1–3 weeks on-site for a typical single-family home, plus permit and inspection scheduling. Occupied homes take longer than empty ones because we sequence room-by-room.

Usually no. We work room-by-room with daytime power cuts only in active areas. Bedrooms and kitchen stay live as long as possible. Some clients prefer a short stay-out — that is a choice, not a requirement.

Yes, for the openings we cut — that close-up is part of the rewire scope. Full finish and paint match is typically handled by a separate trade. We minimize the number of openings in the first place and coordinate access points with you up front to keep finished walls intact wherever the wiring path allows.

Acceptance is the insurer's decision. Ask the carrier what evidence it requires and obtain its response in writing. The agreed electrical work and inspection status can be documented; that documentation does not guarantee underwriting acceptance.

Yes. Many pre-1960 Bay Area homes still have active knob-and-tube. We replace it with modern copper Romex on grounded circuits, with the old wiring removed wherever the wall openings allow.

Ready When You Are

Plan your rewire with a fixed quote.

Written quote within 3 business days.

Questions worth a closer look

From a short answer to a practical plan.

Explore the causes, tradeoffs and records behind these common project questions.

What makes an occupied-home rewire plan practical?

The plan should identify daily work zones, usable rooms, expected interruptions, safe access, dust control, and overnight conditions. The inspected circuit map and household needs determine whether staying home is practical.

Read the full guide: Can you stay home during a rewire? Build a room-by-room operating plan ↗
How do I compare aluminum wiring repair with replacement?

Compare the named repair method, connection and circuit inventory, retained wiring, access work, and completion records. Copper replacement and connection repair can produce different finished scopes; insurer acceptance requires the insurer’s own confirmation.

Read the full guide: Aluminum wiring repair or replacement: compare the completeness of the scope ↗
Browse all electrical & energy guides ↗

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Project: Replace Old Wiring with Modern Copper.

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