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Home Rewiring · California
Rewiring replaces old branch-circuit wiring, such as knob-and-tube, ungrounded cloth-insulated cable or 1960s–70s aluminum branch wiring, with modern grounded copper cable. It can be done room by room, and an electrician will tell you which circuits matter most.
Electrification, rooftop solar and EV adoption make panel upgrades common, and wildfire-season power shutoffs drive generator and battery hookups.
Across the Pacific, homes deal with mild coast, wildfire seasons inland, and wet winters in the Northwest. Permit offices, utilities and housing stock differ by city, which affects how home rewiring is planned and scheduled. These local guides cover the California cities where we have written specific notes.
San Diego's early-1900s craftsman homes in North Park, South Park and Kensington can still have knob-and-tube wiring or cloth-insulated cable, often mixed with later additions. Rewiring usually happens during a remodel, before insulation is added or before solar and electrification projects.
Utility: SDG&E
Many San Francisco Victorians and Edwardians still have some knob-and-tube wiring, often alongside later cloth and modern cable. Rewiring is usually done during a remodel or before adding insulation, since insulating over active knob-and-tube is a concern.
Utility: PG&E (lines and meters); CleanPowerSF for most customers' supply
San Jose has thousands of Eichler homes, and rewiring or adding circuits in them is a specialty job. Post-and-beam construction, exposed ceiling beams, glass walls and radiant heating in the slab leave few hidden cavities for wiring, so electricians often route new circuits through the roof, use surface-mounted raceway or open walls selectively.
Utility: PG&E (lines and meters); San José Clean Energy for most customers' supply
Long Beach's older neighborhoods, including Bluff Park, Belmont Heights and California Heights, have many homes from the 1910s to the 1930s that still contain knob-and-tube, cloth-insulated wiring or ungrounded circuits. Rewiring is usually done during remodels or before a big electrification project.
Utility: Southern California Edison
Oakland's Victorians in West Oakland and craftsman bungalows in Rockridge, Temescal and Glenview often still have knob-and-tube wiring, sometimes still live behind later circuits. Rewiring usually happens during remodels, before insulating or before an electrification project.
Utility: PG&E (lines and meters); Ava Community Energy for most customers' supply
Bungalow Heaven and Madison Heights are full of craftsman homes from the 1900s to the 1920s, and many still have knob-and-tube, cloth-insulated wiring or a patchwork of later additions. Rewiring is usually done during remodels, before insulating or before electrification projects.
Utility: Pasadena Water and Power (city-owned)
1. Assessment
Wiring type, condition and circuit layout are documented.
2. Plan and permit
Circuits are prioritized and the work is permitted.
3. Rewire
New cable is fished through walls and ceilings with minimal openings.
4. Inspection and patching
Rough-in and final inspections, then wall openings are closed.
Electricians set their own prices; local permit fees and utility requirements add to these factors.
Permits come from the city or county where the home is. For example: San Diego: Inside city limits, electrical permits come from the City of San Diego Development Services Department; other cities in the county and unincorporated areas have their own building departments. San Francisco: Electrical permits in San Francisco are issued by the Department of Building Inspection (DBI), and work must be done by a California-licensed electrical contractor. San Jose: Electrical permits in San José come from the city's Planning, Building and Code Enforcement department; other cities in Santa Clara County run their own building departments. Long Beach: Long Beach is its own city with its own building department, and electrical permits come from Long Beach Development Services rather than the City or County of Los Angeles. Oakland: Electrical permits in Oakland come from the city's Planning and Building Department; California electrical contractors are licensed by the Contractors State License Board. Pasadena: Pasadena has its own building department, and electrical permits come from the city's Planning and Community Development Department; Altadena is unincorporated and permitted by Los Angeles County.
San Diego: SDG&E. San Francisco: PG&E (lines and meters); CleanPowerSF for most customers' supply. San Jose: PG&E (lines and meters); San José Clean Energy for most customers' supply. Long Beach: Southern California Edison. Oakland: PG&E (lines and meters); Ava Community Energy for most customers' supply. Pasadena: Pasadena Water and Power (city-owned).
No. Many homeowners rewire in phases, starting with kitchens, baths and bedrooms.
Aluminum branch wiring can overheat at connections. Approved repairs (such as rated connectors) or replacement reduce the risk; an electrician can advise which fits.
Call now, or send a request and a licensed electrician who serves your ZIP code will contact you.
