Whole-home rewiring

Whole-home and partial rewiring in Edmonton: replacing knob-and-tube, ungrounded and damaged wiring, assessing aluminium wiring, with minimal wall damage and full permits.

When an older home needs rewiring

Many of Edmonton's older neighbourhoods have homes with wiring that is 60 to over 100 years old. Some of it is still working, but it was never meant for today's kitchens, electronics and space heaters, and decades of add-ons can hide real hazards.

Common reasons people rewire are:

• Knob-and-tube wiring, which many insurers will not cover without assessment or replacement.
• Two-prong ungrounded receptacles throughout the house.
• Brittle or damaged insulation found during a renovation.
• Too few circuits, with breakers or fuses tripping often.
• A home sale or purchase where an inspection flagged the wiring.

Knob-and-tube and aluminium wiring

Knob-and-tube wiring runs separate conductors on porcelain knobs and through porcelain tubes. It has no ground, and it was designed to shed heat into open air. Problems arise when it is buried in insulation, spliced into by later owners, or asked to carry modern loads.

Aluminium branch wiring was used in some homes built in the mid-1960s to 1970s. The main concern is at connections, where aluminium can loosen and overheat if joined to devices not rated for it. Depending on its condition, options include repairing connections with approved connectors and devices or replacing the circuits. We assess it and give you an honest recommendation.

How we keep the mess down

Rewiring a lived-in home does not mean gutting the walls. We fish new cable through existing walls and ceilings, working from the attic and basement wherever we can, and open small access holes only where needed.

We plan the work room by room so you can keep living in the house, and we restore power to finished areas at the end of each day where possible. Patching and painting can be done by your own contractor or arranged through us.

Panel, permits and cost

A rewire is often the right time to replace an old panel or upgrade a 60 or 100 amp service, especially if you plan to add an EV charger, heat pump or air conditioning. See panel replacement and service upgrades.

Rewiring needs an electrical permit, and the inspector will look at the work before walls are closed. We give you the permit and inspection records, which insurers and future buyers often ask for.

Cost depends on the size of the house, number of floors, wall and ceiling materials, attic and basement access, how much of the house is rewired, and whether the panel or service changes.

Many owners of older Edmonton homes rewire in stages over a few years. We can map your circuits and set a priority order, starting with knob-and-tube in insulated areas, kitchens and bathrooms, and any circuit showing signs of damage. That way each stage moves the house closer to a fully modern system without one big disruption.

Questions we hear