Knob-and-Tube Wiring: Inspected Honestly, Replaced Carefully

Homes built before about 1940 often still have knob-and-tube wiring. We find out what’s still active, what condition it’s in, and replace it circuit by circuit with as few wall openings as possible.

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Signs you have it

How to Tell If You Have Knob-and-Tube

Knob-and-tube is easy to spot where it’s exposed. These are the signs we look for.

Ceramic knobs and tubes in the attic or crawl space
Single cloth-covered wires run separately
A home built before about 1940
Mostly two-prong outlets
A fuse box or very old panel
An insurer asked about your wiring
Buried under blown-in attic insulation
Spliced into newer wiring

How it works

How Knob-and-Tube Replacement Works

Find and Test It

We trace which circuits are still knob-and-tube, test them, and check insulation and connections.

A Plan with Prices

Replace the active circuits first, go room by room, or do the whole house. Each option priced before we start.

Permit and Rewire

We pull the permit and run new grounded wiring, working through attics and crawl spaces to keep openings small.

Inspect and Finish

After the city inspection, we disconnect the old circuits and finish outlets, switches and fixtures.

Why it matters

It Isn’t Always Dangerous. It Is Always 80+ Years Old

Knob-and-tube wiring was standard in LA homes built before about 1940, which covers much of Highland Park, Mt. Washington, Echo Park and Eagle Rock. When it’s intact and lightly loaded, it can keep working.

The problems come with age and changes. The rubber and cloth insulation gets brittle. Past owners spliced new wiring into it. Attic insulation blown over it traps heat it was designed to shed. And it has no ground wire, so it can’t safely serve modern three-prong outlets.

Insurance usually forces the question. Many insurers won’t write a policy on a home with active knob-and-tube, which comes up when you buy, sell or refinance.

You don’t always need a full rewire. Replacing the active circuits in kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms first is often the right start.

What Affects the Price

We quote after the inspection. Financing is available for qualifying customers. The biggest factors:

We Pick Up

Open 24/7, holidays included.

We Show Up

Local dispatch from Highland Park.

You Choose

Options and prices before any work.

Licensed

Bonded & insured · CSLB #1080235

Guides & answers

Helpful Reading Before You Call

Guide

Cost to Rewire a House in Los Angeles (2026)

Guide

Old-House Electrical Guide: Craftsman & 1920s LA Homes

Where we work

Knob-and-Tube Replacement Across Northeast LA and Surrounding Cities

Ready Electric serves 21 neighborhoods and cities across Northeast LA and surrounding cities. Outside these areas? Call anyway.

FAQ

Knob-and-Tube Questions

Is knob-and-tube wiring dangerous?

Not automatically. Intact, lightly loaded knob-and-tube can work. The risk comes from brittle insulation, bad splices, insulation covering it, and overloaded circuits.

Can I get insurance with knob-and-tube?

Many insurers won’t cover homes with active knob-and-tube. Replacing the active circuits often solves it. Check with your insurer.

Do you have to replace all of it?

Not always. We replace the circuits that are active and in poor shape first.

Will you damage my plaster walls?

Some openings are needed, but we work through the attic and crawl space to keep them small.

How do I know if I have it?

Look for ceramic knobs and tubes and separate cloth-covered wires in the attic or basement. We can confirm with an inspection.