Typical Timelines
For a typical Alexandria single-family home (1,500–2,500 square feet), a whole-house rewire usually takes 5 to 10 working days of on-site work. Smaller homes or condos can be done in 3–5 days. Large homes, homes with difficult access, or jobs that include a service upgrade can run two to three weeks. Add a few days on either end for permits and the final city inspection.
What Makes It Faster
- Open access. An unfinished basement and an accessible attic let the crew run wires quickly — down through walls from above, up from below.
- One crew, one job. A dedicated rewiring crew that stays on your house finishes faster than a crew splitting time across jobs.
- Decisions made up front. Outlet and switch locations decided before day one — no mid-job redesigns.
- Permits in hand. Applied for before the start date, so there's no waiting.
What Slows It Down
- Finished basements and flat roofs. No open cavities to fish wires through means more careful wall openings.
- Plaster walls. Alexandria's plaster takes more care to open and patch than drywall. Worth it — just slower.
- Panel or service upgrades. Adds power-company coordination, which runs on their schedule.
- Surprises. Old houses hide things: buried junction boxes, abandoned wiring, previous unpermitted work. A good inspection finds most of it, but old houses keep some secrets.
- Change orders. "While you're here, can you add…" — every addition adds days. Decide the scope up front.
Can You Stay in the House?
Usually, yes. The power goes off in sections as circuits are replaced — not the whole house for the whole job. Most families stay put. What you should expect: noise during work hours, some dust despite protection, and workers in and out of rooms on a schedule. If you work from home, plan around the noisiest days. For the panel swap day itself, the power is off for several hours — plan accordingly.
How Scheduling Works
A realistic schedule: inspection and written estimate (week 1), permit application (a few days), the rewire itself (1–2 weeks on site), city final inspection (a day or two after completion), then patching and touch-up. Ask any electrician for this timeline in writing before you sign — and ask what happens if they run long.
Day by Day: What a Typical Week Looks Like
Day 1: Protection goes up — floors, furniture, doorways. Panel area prepped. Attic and basement runs begin. Days 2–3: New circuits fished through walls; small openings cut and vacuumed as they go. Day 4: Devices go in — outlets, switches, fixtures. Old circuits disconnected in sections. Day 5: Panel swap (power off for hours — plan for it). Rough-in inspection scheduled. Days 6–7: Patching begins, final connections, cleanup. Following week: City final inspection, touch-up patching, walkthrough with you. Bigger homes stretch the middle days; smaller ones compress them.
What Can Go Wrong (and How It's Handled)
Honest talk: old houses surprise people. Buried junction boxes with no cover, abandoned live wires from a 1970s remodel, a panel location that violates current clearance code — we've seen it all. Here's our rule: we stop, show you, explain the options and the cost, and get your approval before proceeding. No surprise line items, no "we had to do it" bills. Most surprises add hours, not days, and a thorough inspection catches the big ones before day one.
Want a timeline for your house specifically? Call (301) 679-9193.