Pre-1950 home with old wiring — knob-and-tube, cloth-insulated, fuse-era? We bring the whole house up to current code. We do this work all the time on Westside Victorians and their neighbors.
A whole-house rewire removes all the accessible old wiring — knob-and-tube, cloth-insulated, fuse-era circuits — and installs new wiring throughout, bringing the entire home up to the current California Electrical Code.
This is the signature project of Santa Cruz's older housing stock: Westside Victorians, Seabright cottages, mid-century Live Oak bungalows. The wiring in these homes wasn't wrong for its era — it's just carrying a century it was never designed for, often with insulation crumbling off the conductors and no grounding at all. Our knob-and-tube field guide covers how to tell what you have and what it means for insurance.
The essentials scope is comprehensive: every accessible outlet, switch, fixture, and box comes out; new branch-circuit wiring goes in throughout; the kitchen and laundry get the full modern set of dedicated circuits — countertop GFCI runs, refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal, microwave, washer, dryer — plus dedicated circuits for bathrooms, bedrooms, and the garage; outlets land at current NEC spacing instead of one-per-room; hardwired smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors go in per code; and a subpanel is part of the scope where distribution needs it. Permits and inspections are included through your AHJ.
This is exactly the work we mean when we say we specialize in existing homes. Rewiring an occupied, finished, plaster-walled house is a different craft from wiring a job site — fishing walls without opening them wholesale, phasing rooms so you're never fully without power, and leaving each day tidy. Nearly all of our work is in existing, lived-in homes, and rewires are a big share of it — and it shows in how the crew treats the house.
What's not included, stated plainly: the main electrical panel is its own project — a full service rebuild, very often paired with a rewire but always quoted as its own separate line. Solar, battery, and generator wiring are separate scopes. And wall or drywall repair from the rewiring process is finish work we coordinate but don't perform.
A tech maps what wiring generations the house actually has (many have three), checks the panel and service, and scopes the phasing. Written quote with the rewire and any panel work as separate line items.
Rewires in occupied homes run room-by-room. We sequence so you keep power and a livable house throughout — bedrooms one phase, kitchen another, never everything at once.
Old wiring comes out as new circuits go in, room by room per the plan. Progress inspections happen at the milestones your AHJ requires; we schedule them so they never stall the crew.
AHJ final, every circuit labeled, detector network verified, and the documentation package delivered — the thing your insurance carrier has been asking for.
Rewires are the most house-specific work we do — a quote is real only after a tech has seen the framing, the attic and crawlspace access, and how many generations of wiring are hiding in the walls. Quotes are free and phased so the numbers stay legible. The factors below are what actually move them.
“Thank you to the Sunrise Electrical Contracting team for updating the new main electrical system on my mom's home after the storm damaged the power lines and home equipment this winter… They replaced Main Service Upgrade Overhead, and added a Sub-Panel Install/Replacement Outdoors… the team of Branden, Jimmy, Ian, and Tylor worked long hours during the storm for a few days to get us up and running again before the next storm arrived.”
“Sunrise Electrical rewired our house, replacing the old knob-and-tube wiring with seamless, safe, and up-to-code wiring at a very reasonable price. They were incredibly efficient, worked cleanly, and addressed all our questions and concerns with care. We can't recommend them highly enough!”
“Branden & his experienced crew installed a Level 2 electric charger together with an extra 240v outlet in our Live Oak garage. They were informed, congenial, & professional and their work was timely and permitted as required by the County. (The cost of the County permit was 53% of the entire project cost — no 5 stars for the County.) I highly recommend Sunrise Electrical!”
Pulled from what we actually hear on quotes and on-site. If yours isn't here, ask us — we'll answer in plain English.
We'd rather you get the right outcome than the Sunrise outcome. Some of this points away from us on purpose.
Find a CSLB-licensed C-10 contractor with occupied-home rewire references — ask how they phase rooms and handle plaster. Verify at cslb.ca.gov.
Browse our field guidesKnob-and-tube has tells you can spot from the basement without touching anything. The field guide shows you what to look for and what it means for insurance.
The knob-and-tube guideA free whole-home inspection maps exactly which wiring generations your house carries and what actually needs attention — you keep the written report either way.
Schedule a free inspectionFrom Davenport to Pajaro Dunes, San Lorenzo Valley to Pleasure Point. Same crew, same warranty, same pricing.
Free inspection, a phased plan that keeps the house livable, and the documentation your insurer actually wants. 20-year guarantee on the work.