100 Amp vs 200 Amp Panel Upgrade: What Sacramento Homeowners Should Expect
Quick Answer: Most Sacramento-area homes built before the 1990s still
- Under the Sun Solar & Electric
Whole House Rewiring in Sacramento
Knob-and-tube, cloth-covered and ungrounded wiring replaced by a licensed C-10 electrician, with the permit and final inspection handled for you.
Request a Rewiring Inspection in Sacramento
Tell us the age of the house and what you are seeing. We will call back to set up a walkthrough.
Licensed. Local. Wiring Done Right.
Most rewiring calls we get in Sacramento start the same way. A buyer’s inspector flagged knob-and-tube in a 1920s bungalow in East Sacramento, an insurer asked for proof of updated wiring, or a two-prong outlet in a Land Park bedroom went warm. In Curtis Park, Tahoe Park and the older parts of Arden-Arcade, the wiring behind the plaster is often 60 to 100 years old.
We open a few boxes, check the attic and crawlspace, and tell you plainly whether the house needs a full rewire, a partial one, or just a few repairs.
Rewiring Older Sacramento Homes, Room by Room
Signs your wiring is due
Some warning signs are easy to spot. Others only show up when someone opens a wall.
- Porcelain knobs and tubes in the attic or crawlspace, or cloth-wrapped wire at outlets
- Two-prong outlets through most of the house, with adapters everywhere
- Breakers that trip or fuses that blow when the microwave and a space heater run together
- Lights that dim or flicker when the fridge or AC starts
- Outlets or switch plates that feel warm, buzz, or smell like hot plastic
- Silver-colored aluminum branch wiring from the late 1960s or early 1970s
- An insurance or home inspection report that calls out old or ungrounded wiring
If one outlet or one circuit is acting up, it may be a repair, not a rewire. Our electrical troubleshooting in Sacramento visit finds the cause first, so you are not paying to replace wire that is fine.
Knob-and-tube wiring
Knob-and-tube was standard in Sacramento homes built before about 1940. It has no ground wire, the insulation turns brittle with age, and it was never meant to sit under blown-in attic insulation. Many insurers will not write or renew a policy until it is gone, and lenders often ask about it during a sale. We trace every live run, cut it out of service, and replace it with grounded copper circuits sized for how you use the house today.
Full or partial rewire
A full rewire replaces every branch circuit in the house: outlets, switches, lights and the wire that feeds them. A partial rewire targets the worst areas first, often the kitchen, bathrooms and any circuits still on knob-and-tube, and leaves sound newer wiring in place. After the walkthrough you get a written scope that lists which rooms and circuits we will replace, so you can see the difference between the two options before deciding.
How the job runs
We pull the permit with the City of Sacramento or Sacramento County, depending on where you live. Most rewires are done room by room. We fish new cable through attics, crawlspaces and existing cavities where we can, and cut small, square openings where we cannot. Floors get covered, furniture gets moved back, and openings are closed before we leave. Most families stay in the home during the work, with power back on in the finished rooms at the end of each day.
The rough wiring is inspected before any wall is closed, then a final inspection signs off the job. You keep the permit record, which helps with insurers and with a future sale.
Pairing a rewire with a panel upgrade
Older houses with original wiring usually have an old fuse box or a 60 or 100 amp panel too. Doing both at once means one permit path and one round of inspections. If you are planning an EV, a heat pump water heater or solar later, we size the new circuits and the panel upgrade for that load now. We also leave a clear path for a future EV charger installation, and we coordinate any service work with SMUD.
What drives the cost of a rewire
Every house is different, so we quote after we see it. The main factors are square footage, the number of stories, attic and crawlspace access, plaster versus drywall, how much knob-and-tube is still live, and whether the panel is being replaced at the same time. Our guide to whole house rewiring cost explains each factor in more detail.
Rewiring is one part of our residential electrical work in Sacramento. You can see everything else we handle on our Sacramento electrical services page.
Book a walkthrough
Under the Sun Electric is a licensed C-10 electrical contractor, CSLB #1141678, based in Citrus Heights and working across Sacramento. Call (916) 899-3062 Monday through Friday, 8 to 6, or send us a message to set up a rewiring inspection.
No city rule forces you to remove working knob-and-tube from an existing home. In practice, many insurers will not cover a house with live knob-and-tube, and buyers' lenders often flag it. It also has no ground and should not be buried under attic insulation. Most owners replace it before a sale, a remodel or an insulation upgrade.
Usually, yes. We work room by room and restore power to finished areas at the end of each day. You may lose power in part of the house during working hours, and we plan around kitchens and bedrooms so the home stays livable.
It depends on size, access and wall type. A smaller single-story home with good attic access moves faster than a two-story house with plaster walls. After the walkthrough we give you a schedule along with the written scope.
Some openings are normal. We run new cable through the attic, crawlspace and existing cavities wherever possible, and cut small, neat openings only where a run cannot be fished. Those openings are closed before we leave.
Yes. We pull the electrical permit with the City of Sacramento or Sacramento County, schedule the rough and final inspections, and give you the signed-off permit record when the job is done.
- Blog Posts
OUR BLOG
Stay Informed. Stay Powered.
Explore our latest insights on solar, electrical, and energy-saving solutions for Sacramento homes and businesses.
From practical maintenance tips to deep dives into California’s clean energy trends, we write what homeowners actually want to know.
SMUD vs PG&E vs Roseville Electric: What It Costs You
In the SMUD vs PG&E comparison, the utility on your
SGIP Battery Rebate 2026: What Sacramento-Area Homeowners Actually Qualify For
If you’re considering a home battery in Sacramento in 2026,
Under the Sun Solar & Electric is a licensed Sacramento-based contractor specializing in solar installation, battery storage, and electrical services.
We deliver reliable energy solutions with honest work and clean results.
Services
Business Hours
Monday - Friday
08:00 AM - 06:00 PM
Saturday - sunday
Saturday - Appointment only
Sunday - Closed
Call Us
916-899-3062
Areas We Serve
Copyright © 2026 Under The Sun Solar & Electric