“Good work, reasonable, prompt AND pleasure to work with. Highly recommended.”
Job: Outlets, GFCIs, meter box and breakers to bring an old house up to code
ML
Marc L.
Philadelphia, PA
Older Home Rewiring
Rewiring Older Homes in Philadelphia & the Main Line
Your home has character. Its wiring may have a hundred years of shortcuts. We replace knob-and-tube and cloth wiring with grounded circuits while keeping as much plaster in place as possible.
Lic. #37352
City of Philadelphia L&I
ICC Certified
Commercial Electrical Inspector
Built to the NEC
Code-compliant installs
5 Service Areas
Philadelphia & the Main Line
Know the Signs
Is Knob-and-Tube Wiring Still Safe?
Knob-and-tube wiring was the standard before the 1940s. It uses separate hot and neutral wires held on porcelain knobs, with no ground wire at all. When it was new, it worked. Now the rubber and cloth insulation is often brittle, and decades of updates have spliced newer wire into it. The biggest risk comes from insulation. Knob-and-tube needs open air to shed heat, and NEC 394.12 does not allow it in hollow spaces where insulation surrounds it. Many attics in older homes have blown-in insulation sitting right on top of these wires. Cloth-covered cable from the 1950s has its own problems, including crumbling sheathing and no ground. Many insurance companies now ask about both before they write or renew a policy.
Signs of Old Wiring
- Porcelain knobs in the attic or basement
- Two-prong outlets throughout
- Cloth-covered cable
- Fuses or very few circuits
- Lights that flicker when touched
How We Do It
How We Rewire Without Wrecking Your Walls
Rewiring an older home is a careful job. We start with a full survey of every circuit, then map new routes through the attic, the basement and existing chases. We fish new cable through the walls and cut small, planned openings only where we have to. Plaster and trim stay in place wherever possible. Kitchens, baths and laundry rooms get their own grounded, correctly sized circuits, and every new outlet is tamper-resistant. Electrical Hazards, Inc. holds City of Philadelphia license #37352, and the rewire goes through the permit and inspection process in stages. You can rewire the whole house at once, or do it floor by floor to spread out the cost while the family keeps living there.
Our Rewiring Approach
- Full circuit survey first
- Routes through attic and basement
- Small planned wall openings
- Dedicated kitchen and bath circuits
- Staged permits and inspections
Why It Pays Off
Protect Your Home, Insurance and Resale Value
Old wiring affects more than safety. Many insurers ask about knob-and-tube before they write a policy, and some will not cover it. Buyers notice it too, because a home inspector will flag it and their lender may require repairs. Rewiring removes that question for good. It also opens the door to things old circuits can't support, like central air, an updated kitchen or a home office full of electronics. If you are planning a renovation, rewire during demolition, while walls are already open, and the work costs far less. We work with your contractor and schedule our rough-in so the drywall crew is not left waiting. You end up with a home that keeps its charm and loses the risk.
Best Times to Rewire
- Before closing on an older home
- During a kitchen or bath remodel
- When insurance asks about wiring
- Before adding central air
- When adding a home office
Thinking About Rewiring?
Call (267) 977-2106 to schedule a wiring survey. We will map the wiring you have, explain which circuits to replace first, and give you a written plan and price you can complete all at once or in stages. Most families stay home during the work.
Step by Step
Our Rewiring Process
01
Wiring Survey
We map every circuit, find the knob-and-tube and cloth wiring, and note what can stay.
02
Room-by-Room Plan
You get a written plan and price, split by area if you want to stage the work.
03
Careful Rough-In
We fish new cable along planned routes and protect your floors and furniture.
04
Inspection & Patch Prep
We pass each inspection and leave openings clean and ready to patch.
Why Us
What Makes Our Rewiring Different
Older homes need patience, not just speed. Here is how we treat yours.
Philadelphia Lic. #37352
ICC Certified Commercial Electrical Inspector on our team
EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm
NAT-F164781-2 · lead-safe practices in pre-1978 homes
Plaster-Saving Routes
We plan cable routes to keep openings few and small.
Stage-by-Stage Options
Rewire one floor at a time if that suits your budget.
Code Knowledge
Our ICC Certified Commercial Electrical Inspector reviews older-home fixes.
EPA Lead-Safe Certified
Our firm holds EPA Lead-Safe certification NAT-F164781-2 for work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 homes.
Services
Rewiring Services
We replace and update the wiring older homes most often need.
Knob-and-Tube Removal
Replace knob-and-tube circuits with modern grounded cable.
Cloth Wiring Replacement
Swap brittle cloth-covered cable from the mid-1900s.
Whole-House Rewiring
A full rewire with a new panel and correctly sized circuits.
Partial Rewiring
Rewire one floor or one area at a time.
Remodel Rough-In
New wiring during kitchen, bath or basement renovations.
Reviews
Homeowner Reviews
“TOTALLY SATISFIED. Great price, work was completed on time and very professional.”
Job: New 220-volt line
S
Sean
Philadelphia, PA
“It's all I was looking for: great price, professional, and done right…”
Job: 220-volt line
S
Sean
Philadelphia, PA · repeat customer
Service Area
Areas We Rewire
We rewire older homes in Philadelphia and across the Main Line, including Lower Merion, Upper Merion, Wayne and Berwyn. Many of these neighborhoods have homes from the early 1900s, and your area page explains local permit steps.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to move out during a rewire?
Usually not. We work in sections and restore power to finished areas each day, so most families stay home during the work.
How much plaster do you need to open?
As little as possible. We use the attic, basement and existing openings first, then cut small access holes only where a route needs one.
Can I rewire only part of the house?
Yes. Many owners start with the most-used rooms or the attic circuits, then finish the rest later.
Will rewiring help with my insurance?
Many insurers ask about knob-and-tube wiring. A completed rewire with a passed inspection gives you clear proof for your insurer.
Do you patch the walls?
We leave openings clean and ready for patching. Many clients use their own plasterer, and we can coordinate timing with them.
Request a Callback
Leave your name and number, tell us a little about the job, and one of our electricians will call you back.
- (267) 977-2106
- 145 W Swedesford Rd #1123, Wayne, PA 19087
- Philadelphia Electrical Contractor Lic. #37352
- mal@electrical-hazards.com