Short answer
Consider rewiring when a home still has knob and tube, ungrounded two-prong circuits, brittle cloth-insulated wire, or a patchwork of old splices. Most rewires in plaster-and-lath homes are done by fishing new wire through walls from the attic and basement, not by tearing out plaster. A vacant or long-unused building often gets a new subpanel fed from the main panel and all new circuits.
One recent job: an old brick-and-plaster building in downtown Huntington that had not had electricity since the 1970s. We rewired it and ran power to a new subpanel fed from the main panel.
What older wiring looks like
Knob and tube
Individual wires run on ceramic knobs and through ceramic tubes in the framing, common in homes built before about the 1940s. It has no ground wire, the insulation gets brittle with age, and it was designed to shed heat into open air, not to be covered by attic insulation. Over the years it has often been extended and spliced in ways that add risk.
Ungrounded two-prong circuits
Many homes wired before the 1960s have no ground. You'll see two-slot outlets, or three-slot outlets someone installed without a ground behind them. That matters for computers, appliances with metal cases, and your own safety if something faults. See shock from an outlet or appliance.
Cloth-insulated wire
Cable from the mid-century era often has a cloth or rubber insulation that crumbles when it's moved. The wire may work fine until someone replaces a fixture or outlet and the insulation breaks away inside the box.
Aluminum branch wiring
Some homes built or added onto in the late 1960s and early 1970s used aluminum wire for regular outlet and light circuits. Aluminum itself isn't the problem so much as the connections, which can loosen and overheat when joined to devices not rated for it. The fix is often at the connections rather than a full rewire, but it needs to be looked at by an electrician.
Signs it's time
- You can see knob and tube in the attic or basement.
- Most outlets are two-prong, or three-prong with no ground.
- Insulation crumbles when outlets or fixtures are changed.
- Lights flicker or dim, or breakers or fuses trip often.
- You're renovating, and the walls will be open anyway.
- An insurer, lender or home inspector has flagged the wiring.
How a rewire goes
- Survey. We look at what's there, where it runs, and what access the attic, basement and walls give us.
- Plan. Which circuits get replaced, in what order, and whether the panel or service needs an upgrade too. A partial rewire, starting with the kitchen, bathrooms and heavily used rooms, is often a sensible first step.
- Permit. Pulled where your city or county requires it.
- New wire. Fished through plaster-and-lath walls and ceilings where possible, with small openings cut where needed. Old wire is disconnected so it can't be accidentally reused.
- Devices and protection. New grounded outlets, GFCI and AFCI protection where required, and switches and fixtures reconnected.
- Inspection and walkthrough. We show you what changed and label the panel.
Bringing a vacant building back online
A building that has sat without power for years often needs everything from the service in. Old wiring is usually not worth reusing. The common approach is to confirm what the service can supply, set a new subpanel fed from the main panel, and run new circuits for lights, outlets and equipment. That's the approach we took on the downtown building mentioned above. If the building is commercial, see commercial electrical.
What it costs
This work is priced per job, because the house, the distances and what's already in the panel are different every time. Ask for a quote that lists the materials and everything included. For what drives electrical prices in general, see what electrical work costs.
Local detail: an old housing stock
Huntington has more old houses than most places. According to the U.S. Census (American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates), 39% of homes in the city of Huntington were built before 1940, and the median home in the city was built in 1954. Across Huntington County it's 32% before 1940, and Wabash County's median home dates to 1959. Add the brick buildings downtown and old farmhouses in the county, and a lot of wiring around here is older than the people living with it.
To have your wiring looked at, call (260) 519-1188.
Common questions
Does knob and tube wiring have to be replaced?
It is not automatically dangerous, but it is old, it has no ground, and it was never meant to be buried in insulation or carry modern loads. Decades of splices and additions often make it worse. Many insurers ask about it. In most homes we recommend replacing it, starting with the circuits that are most heavily used.
Can you rewire a house without tearing out all the plaster?
Usually, yes. Wire can often be fished through walls and ceilings from the attic, basement or crawlspace, with small openings cut where needed. Some patching is almost always part of the job, but it is far less than removing the plaster.
Is it safe to put three-prong outlets on two-prong wiring?
Not by just swapping the outlet. A three-prong outlet with no ground connected gives a false sense of protection. Options include running a new grounded circuit, or GFCI protection labeled as having no equipment ground, which is allowed in some cases. We can explain which fits your situation.
Do I have aluminum wiring?
Some homes built or added onto in the late 1960s and early 1970s used aluminum for the smaller branch circuits. You may see the word aluminum or AL printed on the cable jacket in the basement or attic. It is not a reason to panic, but connections need to be checked and handled with methods rated for aluminum. Have an electrician look rather than opening devices yourself.