Updated October 2026
Quick answer
A whole-house rewire in Oklahoma City replaces the old branch wiring with new copper cable, adds grounded receptacles and GFCI and AFCI protection where code requires, and usually brings the panel up to date at the same time. We fish new cable through attics, crawlspaces and small wall openings rather than gutting walls, and the work is permitted and inspected in stages.
When a house needs more than repairs
What rewiring an Oklahoma City house involves
A house needs a rewire when the problem is the wiring method itself rather than one bad connection: knob-and-tube or cloth-insulated cable that has gone brittle, ungrounded two-wire circuits throughout, aluminum branch wiring, or decades of add-ons spliced into a system that was never planned for them. Replacing outlets one at a time on that wiring is money spent on the wrong end of the problem.
We plan a rewire circuit by circuit. Kitchens, baths and laundry get the dedicated circuits current code expects, bedrooms get AFCI protection, and every receptacle becomes grounded. New cable goes through the attic and crawlspace and is fished down the walls through small openings, which we patch and leave ready for paint. The panel is usually replaced in the same project, since a new system deserves a new distribution point.
Choosing between the options
Full rewire or partial rewire
| Approach | Best when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Full rewire with new panel | Knob-and-tube or cloth wiring throughout | Largest project, one clean result |
| Partial rewire by floor or area | An addition or one floor is already sound | Two or more projects over time |
| Kitchen, baths and laundry first | Budget is limited and loads are highest there | Bedrooms remain on old wiring for now |
| Repairs only | A few bad connections on otherwise sound wiring | Does not fix an outdated wiring method |
What moves the price
What decides the cost of a rewire
- House size and layout Square footage and the number of circuits set the scope.
- Access Open attic and crawlspace make fishing cable faster than slab homes.
- Wall finishes Plaster takes more care to open and patch than drywall.
- Panel replacement A new panel is often part of the same project.
- Code upgrades AFCI, GFCI and interconnected alarms add devices.
- Occupied or empty Working around a family takes more days.
- Phasing Several phases add setup and inspection visits.
2026 cost guides put a whole-house rewire at roughly $4 to $15 per square foot, or about $4,000 to $15,000 for a 1,500 to 2,500 square foot home. National planning ranges, not our price; access and wall type move it most.
Sub-jobs this page covers
Full, partial and occupied-home rewires
Full rewire with new panel
The complete job: every branch circuit in the house replaced, a new panel with room to grow, grounding and bonding brought to current code, and smoke and CO alarms hardwired and interconnected while the walls are open. It is the right answer for houses still on knob-and-tube or cloth wiring throughout, and it is the one that makes insurers and buyers stop asking questions. Planning takes a visit to map every room; the work itself runs in stages with inspections between them.
Partial rewire by floor
Not every house needs everything at once. When a 1950s addition was wired well and the original rooms were not, or the attic is easy to reach but the basement is finished, we rewire the worst part first and leave a clean plan for the rest. A common split is the kitchen, baths and laundry in one phase and the bedrooms in another. Each phase is permitted and inspected on its own, and the new circuits land in a panel that is ready for the next stage.
Occupied-home rewiring
Most of our rewires happen with the family still living in the house. We work room by room, restore power to finished areas at the end of each day, keep the kitchen and one bathroom running throughout, and cover floors and furniture before any wall opening is cut. You get a daily plan so you know which rooms are affected tomorrow. The job takes a little longer than an empty-house rewire, but nobody has to move out, and pets and home offices stay in their usual rooms most days.
Oklahoma City conditions
Early twentieth-century homes near downtown
The median home in Oklahoma City dates to 1982, but around 12 percent of the housing stock was built before 1950. Much of that older stock sits near downtown: Heritage Hills was developed from just after 1900 and was largely complete by 1930, and neighboring Mesta Park was built between 1906 and 1930. Homes of that age are where we still find original knob-and-tube and cloth-insulated circuits behind later plaster and drywall, and where a planned rewire makes the most sense.
How long it takes
How long you live around the work
A typical occupied single-family rewire takes one to two weeks. Each day we tell you which rooms will be without power, keep the kitchen and one bathroom working, and restore finished rooms before we leave. Inspections sit between rough-in and trim-out, and the last days are devices, the panel and patching.
Step by step
How a rewire runs, week by week
- Map the house
Every room, circuit and access route, with you on the walk-through.
- Plan phases and permits
Order of rooms, what stays live each day, inspection points.
- Rough-in the new circuits
Cable fished through attic, crawlspace and small wall openings.
- Inspect, then trim out
Rough inspection, then devices, panel terminations and alarms.
- Patch, label and hand over
Openings patched ready for paint, panel labeled, final inspection.
Questions we get about this job
Rewiring questions from homeowners
Knob-and-tube or cloth wiring, ungrounded circuits throughout, aluminum branch wiring, frequent warm outlets or trips, or an insurer asking about the wiring.
No. We fish new cable through small openings and patch them. Plaster walls take more care but the approach is the same.
Yes. We work room by room and restore power to finished areas each evening.
Yes. It is permitted and inspected at rough-in and at the end.
Usually. A rewire is the natural time to bring the panel and grounding up to date.
Most single-family homes take one to two weeks depending on size, access and whether the house is occupied.
Yes, when part of the house is sound. We rewire the worst areas first and leave a plan for the rest.
Same category
More wiring and safety work
Outlet & Switch Installation
GFCI outlets in kitchens and baths and more.
How we handle OutletAluminum Wiring Repair
COPALUM crimp remediation and more.
Aluminum Wiring RepairUnderground Electrical & Trenching
Conduit and direct-burial cable and more.
About Underground ElectricalSmoke & CO Detector Installation
Hardwired interconnected alarms and more.
Smoke detailsLiving with wiring from another era?
Call to book a walk-through. We map the house, explain what a full or partial rewire would involve and plan the work around your household.