What to know before you rewire an older home
Knob-and-tube, cloth wiring, and full panels: a practical look at what an older-home rewiring job involves in Greater Boston and New Hampshire.
Why older homes get rewired
Most older homes in Greater Boston and New Hampshire were wired decades before the loads we run today. Knob-and-tube and cloth-insulated wiring, full panels, and a lack of grounding are the usual reasons we get called. Rewiring is about safety and capacity — not cosmetics.
If you're adding load (a mini-split, an EV charger, a finished basement) the old wiring often can't carry it. We do load calculations first to see whether a rewire, a panel upgrade, or both is the right move.
What the job actually involves
A rewire means pulling new cable to the fixtures, switches, and outlets, adding proper grounding, and bringing the panel up to the new load. In occupied homes we work room by room so you're not without power everywhere at once.
We open walls where we have to and fish cable where we can. After the rough-in, the walls get patched by your contractor or ours, and we come back to set the devices and test everything.
How long it takes
A full rewire on a typical triple-decker is several days of work spread over a week or two, depending on access and patching. We'll give you a clear schedule before we start so you can plan around it.
What it costs to find out
We don't quote rewires over the phone — every old house is different. We come look at it, check the panel and the existing wiring, and put a number on paper. Call us or send the form to set up a visit.
Have a job like this?
Call us or send the form — we'll tell you what it takes.