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Home Rewiring · Pennsylvania
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.
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh rowhomes and older suburbs carry original wiring and small services.
Across the Mid-Atlantic, homes deal with humid summers, coastal storms and occasional ice. Permit offices, utilities and housing stock differ by city, which affects how home rewiring is planned and scheduled. These local guides cover the Pennsylvania cities where we have written specific notes.
Philadelphia rowhomes built before 1940 often still have knob-and-tube wiring, and kitchen or bathroom renovations usually expose it. Rewiring a rowhome is complicated by shared party walls and plaster, so electricians fish new cable through walls and floors where they can and open plaster only where they must.
Utility: PECO
Pittsburgh's pre-1940 rowhouses and hillside homes commonly have knob-and-tube wiring, sometimes still in use behind newer circuits. Rewiring is typically done during renovations, before insulating, or when an insurer asks.
Utility: Duquesne Light
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: Philadelphia: Electrical permits in Philadelphia are issued by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) to licensed electrical contractors. Pittsburgh: Electrical permits in Pittsburgh come from the city's Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections (PLI); surrounding boroughs and townships handle their own.
Philadelphia: PECO. Pittsburgh: Duquesne Light.
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.
