Rewiring & older homes
Rewiring older homes, one circuit or the whole house.
Wyatt Electric updates the wiring in older homes across Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Harford County: knob-and-tube, ungrounded circuits, aluminum branch wiring and decades of add-ons. We find out what's actually in the walls, explain your options and do the work with a permit and inspection.
- ★5.0 · 12 Google reviews
- 4 Master Electricians on staff
- Licensed & insured
- Veteran owned
- 5.0 stars12 Google reviews
- Since 198640 years in business
- 4 MastersMaster Electricians
- Veteran ownedLicensed & insured
- ESGR 2010Above & Beyond Award
The short answer
Does knob-and-tube wiring need to be replaced?
Not on a fixed timeline, but it's near the end of its useful life in most houses. Knob-and-tube has no ground wire, its insulation gets brittle with age, and it was never meant to sit buried in insulation or carry modern loads. An electrician should check its condition, especially before you insulate, renovate or buy.
- Two-prong outlets, or three-prong outlets with no ground behind them
- Porcelain knobs and tubes visible in the basement or attic
- Cloth-covered wiring that cracks or crumbles when it's moved
- Silver-colored aluminum branch wiring, often in homes from the 1960s and 1970s
- Lights that dim or flicker when an appliance turns on
- Warm cover plates, or outlets that don't hold a plug
How a rewire works
Find it, plan it, replace it.
Rewiring an occupied house is about planning. Most of the work goes through existing walls and ceilings with small, targeted openings.
- 1
We find out what you have.
We trace the circuits, open a few boxes and check the panel, so the plan is based on what's in the walls, not guesses.
- 2
We plan it in phases.
A whole-house rewire or the worst circuits first: you choose. We explain the order, the price and how long each phase takes.
- 3
Permit and new wiring.
We pull the electrical permit, run new grounded circuits and retire the old wiring, with AFCI and GFCI protection where the code calls for it.
- 4
Inspection and patching plan.
We handle the inspections, label the panel and tell you exactly where wall openings are so they can be patched.
Permits and code
Rewiring is permitted work.
Replacing branch-circuit wiring needs an electrical permit in all three jurisdictions we serve. Baltimore City, home to many of the area's oldest rowhomes, uses a different code edition than the counties.
Harford County
- Who can pull the permit
- A Harford-licensed master electrician applies at the Permit Center, 220 S. Main St, Bel Air. A permit is valid for 12 months.
- Electrical code in force
- 2023 NEC, adopted in Bill 24-06. County criteria apply to applications on or after May 20, 2024.
Baltimore County
- Who can pull the permit
- Only a county-registered, licensed electrical contractor. Unpermitted work carries a $1,000 civil penalty.
- Electrical code in force
- 2023 NEC, for permits issued after August 31, 2023.
Baltimore City
- Who can pull the permit
- A contractor registered in the city's ePermits system, applying online.
- Electrical code in force
- 2020 NEC, with the city's amendments (Building Code Part III).
| Jurisdiction | Who can pull the permit | Electrical code in force |
|---|---|---|
| Harford County | A Harford-licensed master electrician applies at the Permit Center, 220 S. Main St, Bel Air. A permit is valid for 12 months. | 2023 NEC, adopted in Bill 24-06. County criteria apply to applications on or after May 20, 2024. |
| Baltimore County | Only a county-registered, licensed electrical contractor. Unpermitted work carries a $1,000 civil penalty. | 2023 NEC, for permits issued after August 31, 2023. |
| Baltimore City | A contractor registered in the city's ePermits system, applying online. | 2020 NEC, with the city's amendments (Building Code Part III). |
Harford County's own pages aren't consistent about when the 2023 NEC took effect, so confirm the edition when the permit is filed. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
Google reviews
What our customers say.
“They show up early and they work. They are professional, clean, and friendly. All my questions and concerns were addressed while they were on the worksite.”
“They show up on time, explain everything clearly, and do top-quality work every single time. It’s such a relief to have electricians we fully trust and we won’t use anyone else.”
“We have called Wyatt Electric twice, once in 2020 and again just recently. They fixed all of our problems and left our home clean, even after installing a ceiling fan in my daughter's bedroom.”
Rewiring questions
Older wiring, straight answers.
Can I put insulation over knob-and-tube wiring?
Not safely. Knob-and-tube was designed to shed heat into open air. The NEC doesn't allow it in hollow spaces where insulation surrounds the wires. If you're planning to insulate an attic or walls, have the wiring checked and replaced first.
Do I have to rewire the whole house at once?
No. Many owners start with the circuits that matter most, like the kitchen, bathrooms and anything feeding the attic, and do the rest in phases. We'll lay out a sensible order.
What can be done about aluminum branch wiring?
Aluminum wiring connections can loosen and overheat over time. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's guidance recommends replacing it with copper wiring, or attaching short copper pigtails at every connection using the specific connectors it describes. Ordinary twist-on wire nuts are not one of them. We'll explain which suits your house.
Can I just swap two-prong outlets for three-prong ones?
Not without a ground. A three-prong outlet with no ground behind it is a common inspection finding. The NEC allows GFCI protection labeled “No equipment ground” as a stopgap, but running new grounded circuits is the real fix.
Will rewiring tear up my plaster walls?
There will be some openings, but far fewer than most people expect. We route through attics, basements and closets where we can, and keep openings small and in predictable spots.
How do I get a price?
Book a visit online or call 410-557-8557. We look at what's in the house first, then explain the work, the phases and the price before anything starts.
Where we work · Rewiring & older homes
Three jurisdictions, one crew.
Each one has its own permit office and code edition. We work in all three and pull the permits ourselves.
- Harford CountyJarrettsville, Bel Air, Fallston, Forest Hill and the rest of the county.Electrician in Harford County
- Baltimore CountyTowson, Hunt Valley, Phoenix, Monkton, Sparks and the rest of the county.Electrician in Baltimore County
- Baltimore CityRowhomes and older houses across Baltimore City.Electrician in Baltimore City
Related services and guides
Older homes often need these too.
- Panel & service upgradesReplacing old or full panels and upgrading service, permitted and inspected.
- Home inspection repairsFixing the electrical items on a home inspection report before closing.
- Surge protectionWhole-house surge protectors installed at the panel.
- Knob-and-tube wiring in Maryland homesHow to spot it, what the code says, and how a phased replacement works.
- Rowhome service upgrades in BaltimoreWhat's different about upgrading service in an older attached Baltimore City home.
Sources
- U.S. CPSC: Repairing Aluminum Wiring
- Harford County: permits, Permit Center and 2023 NEC adoption (Bill 24-06)
- Baltimore County Permits, Approvals and Inspections: electrical inspections
- Baltimore City Building, Fire and Related Codes, Part III (NEC 2020)
- Baltimore City DHCD: ePermits
- NFPA 70: National Electrical Code (2020 and 2023 editions)
Book a visit
Tell us what's going on.
We'll take it from there.
Book online in about a minute, or call or text 410-557-8557, Monday–Friday, 7am–6pm. We confirm by text, and a licensed electrician shows up in your window.
Burning smell, sparking or no power? Don't book online. Call now: 410-557-8557