Old Wiring Hiding Behind Your Walls? Your Home Needs a Rewire.
Knob and tube wiring, cloth-covered wiring, and aluminum branch circuits were installed in tens of thousands of Wisconsin homes decades ago. These outdated wiring systems were never designed for the electrical loads of modern living. They deteriorate with age, they cannot handle today's appliances, and they are a leading cause of house fires. Incan Electric provides complete whole-home rewiring across Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Ozaukee, Washington, and Kenosha counties. Licensed, insured, and permit-ready.
Why Old Wiring Is the Most Dangerous Thing in Your Home That You Cannot See
Old wiring does not look dangerous because it is hidden behind plaster and drywall. But behind those walls, insulation is crumbling off wires that were installed 60, 70, or even 100 years ago. Connections are loose. Wires are overheating. And there is no ground fault protection, no arc fault protection, and no ground wire to protect you.
Knob and Tube Wiring
Knob and tube wiring was standard from the 1880s through the 1940s. It uses ceramic knobs and tubes to run individual hot and neutral conductors through open air spaces in your walls and attic. There is no ground wire. The insulation is rubber or cloth that becomes brittle and crumbles with age, leaving bare copper exposed against wood framing. When blown-in insulation covers knob and tube — which happens constantly in Wisconsin attics — the wires overheat because they were designed to dissipate heat through open air.
Cloth-Covered Wiring
Homes built from the 1920s through the 1960s often have cloth-covered wiring, sometimes called "rag wire." The cloth insulation deteriorates over decades, becoming brittle and falling off the conductors. Once the insulation is gone, bare wires sit against wood framing, insulation, and other flammable materials. Cloth-covered wiring also lacks a ground wire in most installations, meaning your outlets have no ground fault protection.
Aluminum Branch Circuit Wiring
Between 1965 and 1973, many homes were wired with aluminum branch circuit wiring as a cheaper alternative to copper. Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper, causing connections to loosen over time. Loose connections generate heat. Homes with aluminum branch wiring are statistically far more likely to experience electrical fires at connection points — outlets, switches, and junction boxes.
No Grounding System
Older wiring systems have no ground wire. This means your outlets have two prongs instead of three, and there is no path for fault current to safely return to the panel. Without grounding, a short circuit in an appliance can energize the metal casing, creating an electrocution hazard. Modern code requires grounding on all circuits, plus AFCI and GFCI protection in specific locations.
Insurance Refusal or Premium Increases
Insurance companies across Wisconsin are increasingly refusing to insure homes with knob and tube wiring, or charging significantly higher premiums. Some insurers require a licensed electrician to certify that all knob and tube has been removed before they will issue or renew a policy. If you have received a notice from your insurer about your wiring, a rewire is the permanent solution.
Buying or Selling an Older Home
Home inspectors flag old wiring as a major deficiency. Buyers often require a rewire as a condition of purchase, or they walk away. If you are selling an older home in Milwaukee, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Wauwatosa, or any of the older communities in southeastern Wisconsin, getting the rewire done before listing removes a major obstacle and adds real value.
Is Your Attic Insulation Covering Knob and Tube?
If your home has blown-in insulation in the attic and the original wiring was knob and tube, those wires are likely buried under insulation right now. Knob and tube was designed to run through open air — when insulation surrounds it, the wires cannot dissipate heat and they overheat. This is one of the most common and dangerous scenarios we encounter in older Wisconsin homes. If you are unsure, call us for an assessment.
| Level 1 (Wall Outlet) | Level 2 (Dedicated Circuit) |
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The Whole-Home Rewiring Process
A whole-home rewire is a major project, but it does not have to be chaotic. Here is how Incan Electric approaches it — organized, thorough, and with minimal disruption to your daily life.
Comprehensive Home Assessment
A licensed electrician inspects your entire home — attic, basement, crawl spaces, walls, and existing panel. We identify every type of wiring present, assess the condition of every circuit, and determine the full scope of work. We also evaluate your panel to determine if it needs upgrading as part of the rewire. You get a complete picture of what your home needs.
Detailed Proposal and Planning
We prepare a detailed scope of work covering every circuit to be replaced, the new panel if applicable, new outlet and switch locations, dedicated circuits for major appliances, and all code-required AFCI and GFCI protection. We pull all required permits and plan the work sequence to minimize disruption — we work room by room, area by area.
Professional Rewiring
Our team runs all new wiring — modern NM-B Romex copper cable with ground wires — through your walls, attic, and basement. We install new outlets, switches, and junction boxes. We add dedicated circuits for appliances that need them. We install AFCI and GFCI protection where code requires it. All old wiring — knob and tube, cloth, aluminum — is removed or permanently disconnected and abandoned in place where removal is impractical.
Inspection, Testing, and Completion
Every circuit is tested. The work is inspected by the local building department. We walk you through your entire new electrical system — panel layout, circuit map, GFCI locations, AFCI protection. You get a home with a modern, safe, code-compliant electrical system that will serve you for decades and that satisfies insurance requirements.
Rewiring Specialists Who Know Older Wisconsin Homes
We Specialize in Older Homes
Milwaukee, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Wauwatosa, Racine — we rewire older homes throughout southeastern Wisconsin every week. We understand plaster walls, balloon framing, knob and tube routing, and the specific challenges of running new wire through homes built in the early 1900s.
Minimal Wall Damage
We use techniques to route new wiring through existing pathways — attic access, basement access, and strategic openings — to minimize damage to your plaster and drywall. We cannot promise zero wall penetrations, but we work hard to keep them as small and few as possible.
Panel Upgrade Included When Needed
Most homes that need a rewire also need a panel upgrade. We handle both in the same project — it is more cost-effective and ensures your entire electrical system, from the service entrance to the last outlet, is modern and code-compliant.
Insurance and Real Estate Documentation
We provide complete documentation of the rewire — permits, inspection approvals, scope of work — that you can send directly to your insurance company or present to buyers during a home sale. This removes the wiring issue permanently from your insurance file and your home inspection report.
Licensed, Insured, Every Permit Pulled
A whole-home rewire absolutely requires permits and inspections. We pull every permit, coordinate every inspection, and ensure all work meets current NEC and local code. Your rewire is fully documented and legally compliant.
Whole-Home Rewiring Across Southeastern Wisconsin
From the historic homes of Shorewood and Whitefish Bay to the older bungalows and duplexes throughout Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Racine counties — we rewire homes across our entire six-county service area.
Whole-Home Rewiring FAQ
How long does a whole-home rewire take?
Can I stay in my home during the rewire?
Will there be damage to my walls?
Do you offer free estimates for rewiring?
My insurance company says I need to remove knob and tube. Can you help?
Should I upgrade my panel at the same time?
Schedule Your Rewiring Assessment
Tell us about your home and we will contact you to schedule your on-site assessment. Prefer to call? Reach us at (262) 235-5444.