You’ll qualify for homeowners insurance again—often within days of completion. Most carriers in South Kingstown, RI won’t touch a property with knob and tube wiring, and the few that do charge premiums that make you wince. Once it’s gone, you’re back in the normal market with normal rates.
Your electrical system will actually support how you live now. Knob and tube wiring was installed when homes had a few lights and maybe a radio. It wasn’t designed for microwaves, air conditioning, computers, or phone chargers in every room. After the upgrade, your breakers stop tripping and your lights stop dimming when the fridge kicks on.
You’ll also sleep better. Knob and tube wiring is old—sometimes over 100 years old in South Kingstown’s historic neighborhoods like Peace Dale. The insulation breaks down, wires get exposed, and the fire risk becomes real. Replacing it removes that risk entirely and brings your home up to current Rhode Island electrical code with grounded circuits and modern safety protection.
We work throughout South Kingstown, RI, and we’ve handled plenty of old wiring removal in homes built before the 1940s. That’s a big chunk of the housing stock here—especially in the older parts of town where knob and tube wiring is still common.
We’re members of the Rhode Island Electrical Inspectors IAEI Roger Williams Chapter and follow NFPA code standards. That means the work gets done right, passes inspection the first time, and satisfies your insurance company’s requirements without delays or surprises.
We also understand the urgency. Most insurance carriers give you 30 days to replace knob and tube wiring or they’ll cancel your policy. We move fast, communicate clearly, and don’t leave you wondering what’s happening or when it’ll be done.
We start with an inspection to map out where the knob and tube wiring runs in your home. Every house is different, so we need to see what’s behind the walls, in the attic, and in the basement before we give you a real number.
Once you approve the estimate, we’ll schedule the work and walk you through what to expect. Most jobs take a few days depending on the size of your home and how much wiring needs to go. We’ll run new grounded circuits to replace the old system, upgrade your electrical panel if needed, and make sure everything meets current code.
We keep the disruption as minimal as possible. Yes, we’ll need to open some walls to access the wiring, but we’re strategic about it. After the electrical work is done and inspected, we’ll patch and prep the areas we opened so your contractor or painter can finish it up.
You’ll get documentation showing the work was completed to code. That’s what your insurance company needs to reinstate or issue your policy. We can also provide a Certificate of Insurance if your lender or insurer requests it.
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A complete knob and tube wiring removal in South Kingstown, RI means we’re pulling out the old system and installing new wiring that’s grounded, safe, and built for how you actually use electricity today. That includes running modern Romex cable, installing new outlets and switches, and upgrading your panel to at least 150 amps if it’s not there already.
You’ll also get GFCI protection in kitchens and bathrooms and AFCI protection in bedrooms—both required by code and both designed to prevent shocks and fires. Older homes in South Kingstown didn’t have these, and they make a significant difference in safety.
We’ll also make sure your system can handle central air, electric heat, modern appliances, and whatever else you’re running. A lot of homes here still have 60- or 100-amp service, which isn’t enough anymore. If that’s the case, we’ll coordinate the service upgrade with your utility provider so everything’s sized correctly and permitted properly.
The goal is simple: your home should work the way you need it to, pass inspection without issues, and qualify for insurance without hassle. That’s what this service delivers.
Most knob and tube wiring removal projects in South Kingstown, RI fall between $8,000 and $15,000 for an average-sized home. Larger homes or properties with more complex layouts can run higher—sometimes into the $20,000 to $30,000 range if there’s a full panel upgrade involved or extensive rewiring across multiple floors.
The price depends on how much wiring needs to be replaced, how accessible it is, and whether your electrical panel also needs an upgrade. Homes in older neighborhoods like Peace Dale often need more work because the wiring runs through finished spaces that require careful access and repair.
We’ll give you a detailed estimate after the inspection so there’s no guessing. The cost might feel steep, but it’s a one-time fix that solves your insurance problem, eliminates a major safety hazard, and increases your home’s value when it’s time to sell.
Yes. Most insurance companies in Rhode Island either won’t insure homes with knob and tube wiring or they’ll give you a short window—usually 30 days—to replace it before they drop your coverage. Some won’t even issue a policy in the first place if the wiring shows up during the inspection.
The reason is simple: knob and tube wiring is a fire risk. The insulation deteriorates over time, and the system wasn’t designed to handle the electrical load of a modern home. Insurers see it as a liability they don’t want to carry, especially in older homes where the wiring could be 70 to 100 years old.
If you’re buying a home in South Kingstown, RI and the inspection reveals knob and tube wiring, expect your lender to require it be replaced before closing. If you already own the home and your insurer just found out, don’t wait—get it scheduled now so you don’t lose coverage.
Insurance companies and inspectors don’t care if it’s “not being used.” If knob and tube wiring is present in your home—even if it’s disconnected—it still counts as a risk. Most insurers require complete removal, not just abandonment or covering it up with new wiring.
Even if you’re not actively using certain circuits, the old wiring is still there, still aging, and still a potential fire hazard. Insulation around the wires breaks down, connections loosen, and any accidental contact or reactivation creates danger.
The only way to fully resolve the issue is to remove the knob and tube wiring entirely and replace it with modern, grounded wiring that meets current Rhode Island electrical code. That’s what satisfies your insurance company, protects your home, and gives you a system you can actually rely on.
Most knob and tube wiring removal projects in South Kingstown, RI take between three and seven days depending on the size of your home and how much wiring needs to be replaced. Smaller homes or partial replacements can sometimes be done faster. Larger homes with multiple floors or difficult access points take longer.
We’ll give you a timeline upfront so you know what to expect. The work involves opening walls to access old wiring, running new circuits, upgrading your electrical panel if needed, and then getting everything inspected and approved.
You’ll still have power during most of the job, though there will be times when we need to shut off electricity to specific areas or the whole house for safety. We coordinate those shutdowns with you so they’re not disruptive, and we work efficiently to get your home back to normal as quickly as possible.
In most cases, yes. If your home still has knob and tube wiring, there’s a good chance your electrical panel is also outdated—often a 60- or 100-amp fuse box that can’t handle modern electrical demands. Current code in Rhode Island requires at least 150-amp service for most homes, and that’s the minimum you’ll want if you’re running central air, electric heat, or multiple large appliances.
Upgrading the panel at the same time you replace the wiring makes sense because the two systems need to work together. A new panel gives you room for additional circuits, proper breaker protection, and the capacity to support how you actually live in your home today.
We’ll assess your current panel during the inspection and let you know if an upgrade is necessary or just recommended. Either way, it’s part of creating a complete, safe, code-compliant electrical system that satisfies your insurance company and works reliably for years to come.
We’ll need to open some walls, ceilings, or floors to access the knob and tube wiring and run the new circuits. How much depends on where the wiring is located and how your home is built. We’re strategic about access points and try to minimize the disruption as much as possible.
After the electrical work is complete and inspected, we’ll patch the areas we opened with drywall or plaster and get them ready for paint. We don’t do the final painting or finish work ourselves, but we leave everything prepped so your contractor or painter can finish it without extra prep time.
Most homeowners in South Kingstown, RI are surprised at how manageable the process is. Yes, there’s some mess and some repair work afterward, but it’s temporary—and it’s a small price to pay for a safe, fully insured, code-compliant electrical system that works the way your home needs it to.
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