You’re not looking for just any electrician. You need someone who understands what’s actually at stake when you own a historic home in North Providence with knob and tube wiring.
Your insurance company gave you 30 days to remove it or they’re dropping your coverage. You know the wiring is dangerous. But you also know what happens when a typical electrician shows up and starts cutting into your walls.
That horsehair plaster in your home? It’s nearly impossible to match. Once it’s damaged, you’re looking at repairs that never quite look right. Patches that stand out. Texture that doesn’t blend. And costs that keep climbing because the work is so specialized.
Here’s what changes when you work with us and our specialized camera system. Your walls stay closed. The camera goes in through existing outlets to locate the old wiring. The removal happens without opening things up. You get modern, safe electrical service without destroying the character of your home.
No mismatched plaster repairs. No waiting weeks for a plasterer. No wondering if your walls will ever look the same. Just the upgrade you need with the preservation you want.
We’ve been working in Rhode Island for over 30 years. We’re Master Electricians and Electrical Inspector Certified, which means we know what inspectors look for and what insurance companies require.
North Providence has plenty of homes built before 1950. Many still have the original knob and tube wiring. We’ve worked in these homes long enough to know that horsehair plaster isn’t something you want to mess with unless you absolutely have to.
That’s why we invested in camera-based inspection and removal technology. Nobody else in the area uses this system. It’s not because other electricians can’t do the work—it’s because they’re still doing it the old way, which means cutting into your walls.
We’re members of the Rhode Island Electrical Inspectors IAEI and authorized Generac Generator Dealers. The credentials matter because this work has to pass inspection and satisfy insurance requirements. We document everything so you can get your coverage reinstated without any back-and-forth.
The process starts with a camera inspection. We insert a specialized camera system through your existing outlets to see what’s actually happening inside your walls. This shows us where the knob and tube wiring runs, whether there’s any mouse damage, and if there are covered junction boxes or open joints that need attention.
Once we map out the wiring, we remove it using the same access points. No cutting. No notching. The camera lets us work from inside the wall cavity without exposing large sections of plaster.
If there’s any damage at all, it’s minimal—think small access points at most, not entire sections of wall opened up. In most cases, your walls stay completely intact. That’s the difference between camera-based removal and traditional methods.
After the old wiring is out, we install new wiring that meets current electrical code. Most homes also need a panel upgrade to go from 60-amp service to 200-amp capacity, which gives you the power you need for modern appliances and electronics.
We provide complete documentation of the work for your insurance company. Licensed electrician verification, passed inspections, code compliance—everything they ask for to reinstate your coverage.
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This isn’t just about pulling out old wiring. You’re getting a complete electrical upgrade that makes your North Providence home safer and more functional.
The camera inspection identifies problems you didn’t even know existed. Deteriorated insulation. Connections that have come loose over decades. Areas where rodents have chewed through the cloth wrapping. These are fire hazards that won’t show up until something goes wrong.
The removal process preserves your home’s original character. If you have horsehair plaster walls, crown molding, or other historic details, they stay intact. You don’t have to choose between safety and preservation.
The new wiring supports today’s electrical demands. Homes built before 1950 weren’t designed for the number of devices and appliances we use now. You’ll have the capacity you need without overloading circuits or tripping breakers constantly.
Your insurance coverage gets reinstated. Most insurance companies in Rhode Island won’t cover active knob and tube wiring. Some will give you 30 days to remove it. Others will drop you immediately. This work satisfies their requirements with proper documentation and licensed electrician certification.
You get peace of mind. No more worrying every time you turn on a light or plug something in. No more wondering if tonight’s the night something sparks inside your walls. The fire risk is gone.
No. We use a specialized camera system that lets us inspect and remove knob and tube wiring through existing outlets and access points.
The camera goes into your wall cavity and shows us exactly where the wiring runs. We can see the condition of the insulation, identify any damage, and locate junction boxes without opening anything up. Then we remove the old wiring using the same access points.
Other electricians in the area still use traditional methods, which means cutting into walls, removing sections of plaster, and then bringing in a plasterer to repair the damage afterward. That approach works, but it’s destructive and expensive—especially if you have horsehair plaster that’s difficult to match.
Our camera-based process keeps your walls intact. If there’s any damage at all, it’s minimal. Most jobs have zero wall damage. That’s why homeowners with historic properties in North Providence choose this method—it preserves the original plaster and architectural details that make these homes special.
Most complete knob and tube removal projects in the North Providence area range from $12,000 to $36,000. The wide range comes down to your home’s specific situation.
Factors that affect cost include square footage, how many stories your home has, where the wiring runs, and how accessible it is. A 1,200 square foot ranch with an accessible basement costs less than a 2,500 square foot two-story with limited attic access.
You’re also typically looking at a panel upgrade as part of this work. Most homes with knob and tube wiring have 60-amp service, which isn’t enough for modern electrical demands. Upgrading to 200-amp service adds to the project cost but gives you the capacity you actually need.
The cost might seem high compared to other electrical work, but consider what you’re getting. Your insurance coverage gets reinstated—force-placed insurance can cost triple your normal rate. Your fire risk drops to nearly zero. And if you’re using our camera-based method, you’re avoiding thousands in plaster repair costs that come with traditional removal methods.
We provide detailed estimates after the camera inspection so you know exactly what you’re paying for and why.
Insurance companies see knob and tube wiring as a fire liability. The wiring is often 70 to 100+ years old, and the cloth insulation deteriorates over time.
When that insulation breaks down, you get exposed wires. Add in the fact that knob and tube systems weren’t designed for today’s electrical loads, and you have circuits that can overheat. That’s why insurers either refuse coverage entirely or give you 30 days to remove it.
Some insurance companies in Rhode Island will cover knob and tube wiring temporarily if it’s been inspected and deemed safe. But most won’t renew your policy unless you remove it. And if they discover it during a claim, they can deny coverage even if you didn’t know it was there.
Force-placed insurance is the other issue. If your insurer drops you and you can’t find coverage elsewhere, your mortgage company will force-place a policy that typically costs three times what you were paying—with worse coverage.
The documentation we provide after removal satisfies insurance requirements. You get verification from a licensed Master Electrician, proof that the work passed inspection, and confirmation that your home now meets current electrical code. That’s what you need to get your coverage reinstated without any hassle.
The camera inspection shows us the exact condition and location of your knob and tube wiring before we start any removal work.
We can see how the wiring runs through your walls, where it connects, and whether there are any junction boxes that have been covered over during previous renovations. That’s important because covered junction boxes are a code violation and a fire hazard.
The camera also identifies damage that’s happened over the years. Mouse damage is common—rodents chew through the cloth insulation, which exposes bare wires. We can see loose connections, deteriorated insulation, and areas where the wiring has shifted or pulled away from its mounting points.
This inspection happens before we give you a final quote. We’re not guessing about what’s in your walls or discovering problems halfway through the job that change the price. You know upfront what we’re dealing with and what it’s going to take to remove it safely.
The camera inspection also helps us plan the removal process to minimize any wall access. We know exactly where to work and what path the wiring takes, which is how we avoid the cutting and notching that traditional methods require.
Most knob and tube removal projects in North Providence take between three to seven days, depending on your home’s size and complexity.
The camera inspection happens first and usually takes a few hours. Once we know what we’re working with, we schedule the removal and new wiring installation. Smaller homes with straightforward layouts and good access move faster. Larger homes with multiple stories or limited access take longer.
The panel upgrade adds time to the project. If you’re going from 60-amp to 200-amp service, that’s additional work that has to be coordinated with your utility company for the service connection.
You’ll have power throughout most of the project. We work in sections and coordinate with you on timing so you’re not left without electricity for days. There might be brief outages while we’re doing specific connections, but we schedule those in advance.
The final inspection happens after everything is installed. Once that passes, we provide you with all the documentation your insurance company needs. Most homeowners have their coverage reinstated within a few days of project completion.
The timeline might feel long compared to other electrical work, but this is a complete rewiring project. You’re not just swapping out a few outlets—you’re removing a 100-year-old system and installing modern wiring that meets current code.
Yes. Even if your lights turn on and your outlets work, knob and tube wiring presents serious fire risks that get worse over time.
The cloth insulation around the wires deteriorates with age. After 70 to 100 years, that insulation becomes brittle and falls apart, leaving bare copper exposed inside your walls. When bare wires touch wood framing or other materials, you get arcing and heat buildup that can start a fire.
Knob and tube systems also weren’t designed for modern electrical loads. Your home probably has 60-amp service, which was fine in 1940 when you had a few lights and maybe a radio. Today you’re running computers, kitchen appliances, HVAC systems, and dozens of other devices. That overloads circuits and creates heat in wiring that’s already compromised.
Another issue is how knob and tube wiring was installed. It runs through open air in wall cavities, which was the design at the time. But if insulation was added later—which happens in a lot of North Providence homes—that traps heat around the wiring and increases fire risk.
The fact that it’s still working doesn’t mean it’s safe. It means you haven’t had a failure yet. Insurance companies understand this, which is why they won’t cover it. Fire departments understand this, which is why knob and tube wiring is often cited in electrical fire investigations.
Removing it eliminates the risk entirely. You’re not wondering if tonight’s the night something goes wrong. You have modern wiring that’s designed for how you actually use electricity today.
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