What You're Paying to Remove
Knob-and-tube is the oldest common house wiring in America — used from the 1880s through the 1940s. It has no ground wire. The insulation is cloth or rubber that crumbles with age. The connections were often buried in insulation, which they were never designed for. In Alexandria's oldest homes — Old Town, Rosemont, parts of Del Ray — it is still in the walls.
Typical Cost Range
Published guides generally place full knob-and-tube replacement in the same range as a whole-house rewire — often $8,000 to $20,000+ depending on home size — because removing it is a whole-house rewire. You cannot safely leave some of it and replace the rest; insurers and inspectors want it gone.
What Moves the Price
How much is still active. Some homes have a mix — new wiring in the renovated kitchen, live knob-and-tube in the attic and second floor. More active old wiring means more work.
Access. Knob-and-tube runs through attics, wall cavities, and basements. Finished spaces with no attic access slow the crew down.
The panel. Knob-and-tube almost always comes with an ancient panel or fuse box. Replacing both together is the norm.
Insulation contact. Old code allowed knob-and-tube in open air. Modern code does not allow it buried in insulation. If your attic was insulated over live knob-and-tube, that is both a hazard and a bigger job.
Why Insurers Care So Much
This is the part that surprises homeowners: many insurance companies will not write a new policy on a home with active knob-and-tube. Others charge a steep surcharge or give you a deadline to replace it. If you are buying, your lender requires insurance — so knob-and-tube can delay or kill a closing. Sellers: replacing it before listing removes the objection entirely.
What the Job Involves, Step by Step
1. Inspection and mapping. We identify every live knob-and-tube circuit — attic, basement, walls — and map the panel, so the quote covers the real scope, not a guess.
2. Permits. Filed with the City of Alexandria before work starts. The permit is in our name, and the fee is a line item on your estimate.
3. New circuits first. The crew runs new modern wiring alongside the old — through the attic, basement, and planned wall openings — before disconnecting anything. Your power stays on in sections throughout.
4. Cutover. Old circuits are disconnected and verified dead, one by one. New outlets, switches, and fixtures go in.
5. Panel. The old panel or fuse box is replaced with a modern breaker panel, usually 200 amps.
6. Inspection and patching. The city inspects the finished work. Every wall opening is patched, and you get the sign-off paperwork.
How to Verify It's All Gone
"Trust us, it's all out" isn't good enough — for you or your insurer. Proper documentation includes the permit, the city's final inspection sign-off, and a written statement from the electrician confirming full removal of active knob-and-tube. We provide all three. Keep them with your insurance documents; your agent will ask for them, and a future buyer's inspector will too.