Most insurance companies won’t cover homes with knob and tube wiring. Some will—but only for 30 days after closing, and usually with higher premiums. Either way, you’re on a clock.
The bigger issue isn’t the paperwork. It’s the fire risk. Knob and tube wiring wasn’t designed for the electrical load your home carries today. No grounding. Cloth insulation that deteriorates over time. Wires that overheat when they contact modern insulation. That’s why it’s linked to 28,000 house fires every year.
When you replace knob and tube wiring in Middletown, RI, you’re not just checking a box for your insurer. You’re eliminating a real threat to your family and your property. You’re also making your home easier to sell, easier to insure, and capable of handling the power demands of everyday life without tripping breakers or worse.
We work throughout Middletown, RI, where most homes were built in the 1950s or 1970s. That means a lot of properties still have original wiring from an era when electrical codes were different and power needs were a fraction of what they are now.
We’re members of the Rhode Island Electrical Inspectors IAEI Roger Williams Chapter. We’re licensed, insured, and we follow the National Electrical Code to the letter. But more than that, we understand what it’s like to open a wall in a 70-year-old house and find wiring that’s been patched, spliced, and buried under decades of renovations.
You’re not getting a sales pitch. You’re getting a licensed electrician who knows how to remove old wiring safely, bring your system up to code, and keep the disruption to your life as minimal as possible.
First, we inspect your home to map out where the knob and tube wiring runs. That includes attics, basements, walls, and anywhere else it might be hiding. We’ll also assess your current electrical panel to see if it needs an upgrade to handle modern circuits.
Next, we plan the removal and replacement. We identify access points that minimize wall damage, plan new wire routes, and coordinate the work so you’re not without power for long stretches. Most jobs take one to two weeks depending on the size of your home and how much wiring needs to go.
Then we do the work. We pull out the old knob and tube wiring, install new grounded circuits that meet current Rhode Island electrical codes, and upgrade your panel if needed. We patch access points, clean up daily, and make sure everything is tested and inspected before we’re done. You’ll have a system that’s safe, legal, and ready for whatever your home throws at it.
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You get complete removal of all knob and tube wiring in your home. Not just the visible stuff—everything. We replace it with modern, grounded wiring that meets the National Electrical Code and Rhode Island state requirements.
If your electrical panel is outdated or underpowered, we upgrade that too. Older homes in Middletown, RI weren’t built for the electrical load that comes with modern appliances, HVAC systems, and electronics. A panel upgrade ensures your home can handle it without constantly tripping breakers or creating safety hazards.
You also get documentation. When the job’s done, you’ll have proof that the work was completed by a licensed electrician and inspected to code. That’s what your insurance company needs to restore or issue coverage. It’s also what buyers and appraisers look for if you ever sell.
We minimize disruption. We don’t tear apart your house unnecessarily. We work clean, we work fast, and we communicate with you throughout the process so there are no surprises.
Most knob and tube wiring removal projects in Middletown, RI cost between $12,000 and $35,000. That’s a wide range because every home is different.
The final price depends on how much wiring needs to be removed, how accessible it is, whether your electrical panel needs an upgrade, and the size of your home. A 1,200-square-foot bungalow with an unfinished basement is going to cost a lot less than a 2,500-square-foot colonial with finished rooms on every floor.
We price every job individually after we’ve seen your home and mapped out what needs to happen. That way, you’re not paying for work you don’t need, and you’re not surprised by costs we didn’t mention upfront.
Yes. Most insurance companies either refuse to cover homes with knob and tube wiring or require you to remove it within 30 days of closing.
Some insurers will offer temporary coverage with higher premiums, but that’s not a long-term solution. And if you’re trying to buy a home, most lenders won’t approve a mortgage without proof of insurance—which means you’re stuck until the wiring is replaced.
Even if your current insurer hasn’t said anything yet, that can change. If you file a claim and an adjuster finds knob and tube wiring during the inspection, your claim could be denied and your policy could be canceled. It’s not worth the risk.
Most projects take one to two weeks. Smaller homes with easy attic and basement access can sometimes be done faster. Larger homes with multiple stories, finished ceilings, or complex layouts take longer.
The timeline also depends on whether we need to upgrade your electrical panel, schedule inspections, or coordinate with other trades if you’re doing a larger renovation. We’ll give you a realistic schedule before we start so you know what to expect.
We work efficiently, but we don’t rush. This isn’t the kind of job where you want someone cutting corners to save a day or two. You want it done right the first time so it passes inspection and keeps your family safe.
Technically, knob and tube wiring isn’t illegal if it’s in good condition and hasn’t been modified. But “good condition” is rare in wiring that’s 70 to 100 years old.
The insulation deteriorates. The wires get brittle. And the system was never designed to handle the electrical load of a modern home. Even if it seems fine now, it’s a fire hazard waiting to happen—especially if it’s been covered with insulation or spliced into newer circuits.
Beyond the safety issue, you’ll struggle to get insurance, sell your home, or even get a mortgage if you’re buying. Most buyers won’t touch a house with knob and tube wiring unless the price reflects the cost of replacement. So even if it’s “working,” it’s costing you in other ways.
Not all of them. We plan access points strategically to minimize damage. In most cases, we can run new wiring through attics, basements, and crawl spaces without tearing apart finished rooms.
There will be some wall or ceiling access required, especially where old wiring is buried or where we need to install new outlets and switches. But we’re not gutting your house. We open what we need to, do the work, and patch it back up.
If you’re already planning a renovation, that’s the ideal time to replace knob and tube wiring. We can coordinate with your contractor to do the electrical work while walls are already open, which saves time and money.
We’ll tell you. If we find unsafe conditions—like overloaded circuits, improper grounding, or outdated panels—we’ll explain what needs to be fixed and why.
You’re not obligated to do anything beyond the knob and tube wiring removal, but we’re not going to ignore a safety issue just because it wasn’t part of the original scope. Our job is to make sure your home’s electrical system is safe and up to code when we’re done.
Most of the time, the issues we find are related to the age of the system and get addressed as part of the upgrade anyway. But if there’s something unexpected, we’ll walk you through it and give you options before we do any additional work.
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