Electricians in the house???

[ZOA NOM]

What's a ballpark figure to wire a home up to current code that has 1926 existing wiring? House is 2300 sq ft, single story, with crawl space underneath the floor. Walls are probably slat & plaster. There are existing outlets (2 wire) in every room, but no 220 to the house. I believe there is only an 80 amp service. It appears to be a clean slate by abandoning existing wiring and running new romex to the existing outlet holes with new boxes. Any ideas?

[ZOA NOM]

bump... nobody?

[Joeaksa]

Is this with or without the walls covered? If the walls are uncovered it would not be that bad, otherwise it would be a bear and expensive to boot.

Joe A

[gr8fl4porsche]

You will most likely need to upgrade to 200 amp service, install all new wiring from the crawlspace or attic, install all new boxes - way more than are in each room now, patch in all the old ones, install all new switches, etc, etc. Major renovation = major $$$.

Much easier and more cost effective to just move and let someone else deal with the updating.

Or, upgrade the service to 200 amp and install new power outlets as needed and leave existing stuff alone.

[Rot 911]

Randy is right on the money with what a code inspector is going to require. I had this done on a house built in 1920, all lathe and plaster walls. You need to make sure you find an electrician that works on older houses, most hate that kind of work and one that also knows the local code inspectors to make sure exactly what they require. Mine cost $6000. Your costs obviously will vary.

[craigster59]

My house was built in 1929, the people I bought it from had occupied it since 1948 so no upgrades had been done. I installed a 200 amp panel at the garage and ran wire underground to a 100 amp subpanel at the house. As has been mentioned, trying to run Romex thru the walls with lathe and plaster in place is a major PITA. I upgraded the outlets in the kitchen, living room and bathroom and left the bedrooms and dining room with the "Knob and Tube" wiring intact. If I were going to rewire the whole house, I would definitely demo the lathe and plaster and drywall afterwards.

[ZOA NOM]

Thanks for the feedback. I don't live in the house now, it just came on the market in a great location downtown Livermore. I'm getting the feeling that the sellers aren't interested in upgrading the electrical before they sell, so I'm trying to get a feel for what kind of leverage it gives me for offers. I'm really not interested in keeping any of the old wiring around. That knob and tube stuff scares the crap out of me. It's a beautiful home, though, and the elcetrical is about the only major issue I see. I think I'll talk to the city and see what the code says must be done, and talk to some old-school electricians.

Thanks again.

[steve911]

I'm going to guess that there is no provision in the building code to upgrade the electrical service just because of a change in ownership. However, if in the course of the PPI there are deficiencies noted by the inspector, could give you some leverage. Particularly if past electrical work was done without permits.

[ZOA NOM]

That was a question I had. The home was sold 3 or 4 years ago, so I'm assuming that there was no requirement to upgrade the wiring. All the rooms are lighted, but I don't have any appliances/tools/whatever that has two prong plugs. The electrical load that my family brings with it would severely tax an 80 amp service. . I mean, I've got two teenagers! I would imagine that the current wiring is functional, and therefore no requirement exists to replace it, but I'm not in the mood to live with it.

[azasadny]

The electrical work is just one part, what about the plaster repair required after the wiring is done? My next-door neighbor just renovated my house (I helped) and he rewired and replastered the walls when he was done. Be sure you get someone who does good work! I painted and cleaned up, but my neighbor is an artist!!

[Moneyguy1]

If a house has a basement and is one story with an attic space, running wire is a lot easier and will not require total demolition of existing walls.

Your description indicates you have access under the floor and above the ceilings. This should reduce the cost. Wiring is something that can be done by a talented amatuer. Get an electrician's handbook, do a lot of reading but have a professional install the new main box. Even if you elect not to do the work yourself, you will at least have an understanding of the process and be able to ask the proper questions.

[dad911]

Even if the house is multi-story, older homes are typically balloon-framed (which means the outside walls are framed 2-story high) without blocks/firestops. Great for pulling wires, bad for insulation, and fires spread very quickly.

You could also put a sub-panel in the attic, and pull circuits from there.

Before you go punching holes in old plaster and lathe, consider asbestos & lead.

A good electrician could pull wires with minimal damage. I would probably try to do as much near the ceilings and floor as possible, and cover the damage with crown & base moldings.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

I asked my dad just a sec ago (licensed architect and builder) he said roughly $5-10K depending on codes, work, etc...

[ZOA NOM]

Thanks, Jared and others. I'm leaning towards passing on this particular house. I'm having a hard time swallowing the asking price for something I'd have to start working on right away. I have no problem doing my own work, in my current home, I put on a new roof, all new plumbing, master shower, and plenty of minor honey-dos, but for the money, I wanna move in and focus on the Porsche.