Knob and Tube in a buy and hold

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Knob and Tube in a buy and hold

Dan Sundberg
Real Estate Agent · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2019 · 77 posts · 61 votes

Just got into contract on my first buy and hold out in Sacramento, CA and inspections showed some of the house was still on Knob and Tube wiring. It looks like the house would be fine without touching it, but since I'm planning to own this long term, I'd prefer to just get it all replaced while other work is being done. 

Anyone have experience with getting knob and tube replaced in California in terms of pricing or regulatory pitfalls? 

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Dan Maciejewski
Realtor · PInellas County Largo, FL · Member since 2016 · 902 posts · 810 votes
5y

I came to say that I would get it replaced, but then I see your question.  No experience in CA.  Hereit's not as expecnsive as I would have 1st thought.

Check with local electricians or GCs.  They will be the most helpful and experienced.  These thing also vary city by city, so they should know the local inspectors and permit / building departments.

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  • Dan Maciejewski
    Realtor · PInellas County Largo, FL · Member since 2016 · 902 posts · 810 votes
    5y

    I came to say that I would get it replaced, but then I see your question.  No experience in CA.  Hereit's not as expecnsive as I would have 1st thought.

    Check with local electricians or GCs.  They will be the most helpful and experienced.  These thing also vary city by city, so they should know the local inspectors and permit / building departments.

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  • Louis D.
    Rental Property Investor · 95660 · Member since 2018 · 46 posts · 17 votes
    5y

    You have two parts, the electrical work and the sheet rock repairs. I have good sheetrock guys depending on the size of the job. Message me on the sheet rock and I will get a reccomendation  on electrical too.

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  • Sean SmithBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Seattle, WA · Member since 2020 · 169 posts · 111 votes
    5y

    Pricing is going to be tough because it depends on the size of the home. I've personally seen $10k+ but you won't know until you get an estimate. Knob and Tube in most cases is still an effective way of routing electrical in a home, the problem is that most insurance companies won't insure you. Happy to provide a Sacramento local electrician referral if you need one.

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  • Dennis Wayne
    Member since 2020 · 339 posts · 356 votes
    5y

    I own dozens of homes with knob and tube , not a huge deal , people blow things out of proportion on here . I certainly wouldn’t be paying 10 grand to upgrade it ! I know that much ..Of coarse in the people’s republic of California you would likely face imprisonment or execution if caught with that stuff in a rental house .

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  • Sean SmithBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Seattle, WA · Member since 2020 · 169 posts · 111 votes
    5y

    @Dennis Wayne you’re absolutely right. In most cases K&T is not a problem, but the City/County/Insurance Companies, etc can create some big challenges here in CA. Case by case of course. And the 10k I saw was for a very large home with a challenging layout.

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  • Logan Krutsch
    Member since 2019 · 16 posts · 16 votes
    5y

    @Dan Sundberg

    I purchased a 10 unit building 8000sf 1.5 years ago. It was an old home converted into multi family and was entirely knob and tube. It cost me $45k to have the home rewired to conduit and it took about 1.5 months. We put the conduit on the outside of the walls instead of inside to save on the cost of demo/repair of the lathe/plaster. Knob and tube is a great wiring system until someone puts a nail in the wall and shorts the circuit. Good luck!

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  • Eric L May
    Contractor · San Antonio Tx · Member since 2018 · 10 posts · 10 votes
    5y

    @Dan Sundberg. Hello i have been an electrician in texas for the last 17yrs. You should definately get the knob and tube replaced as it has no grounding system. In fact some led fixtures will not operate properly if you have no grounding system. With that being said, if you have mixed systems i would look into a full rewire as the property obviously has not been brought up to code standards for many decades. I cant speak to costs involved for california but in texas a 2000 sqft rewire with a new service can run anywhere from 7-15k depending on the company. Good luck and if you want further details send me a pm.

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  • Dan Sundberg
    OP
    Real Estate Agent · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2019 · 77 posts · 61 votes
    5y

    Thanks @Louis D. and @Sean Smith just sent you a message for those recommendations

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  • Dan Sundberg
    OP
    Real Estate Agent · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2019 · 77 posts · 61 votes
    5y

    @Logan Krutsch - that's interesting you put it on the inside of the walls, how did that work? The house I'm looking at is Lath/Plaster, which is certainly a concern for getting into the walls.

    @Eric L May - what your saying is making sense - a patchwork of wiring feels like a big question mark, and especially as we're going to split a single family into 3 units, the load on the system will be much higher than it was for the last couple decades...It might not even be able to handle that much. 

    Appreciate the input everyone, I know just enough about this stuff to know when to ask people who really know. 

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  • Logan Krutsch
    Member since 2019 · 16 posts · 16 votes
    5y

    @Dan Sundberg

    Putting the conduit on the outside has worked great. No problems and Incase there ever is an issue it is easy to access and work on. Repairing lathe and plaster is not easy. Lathe and plaster walls are never straight and often vary in their depth across the wall. Patching with drywall can be done but over time you will have a noticeable section that is straight compared to the original wavy look of the plaster. You will need to find someone skilled enough to do the patches correctly which you will pay for. I saved myself the money and headache by just putting it on the outside. (I’m referring to the outside of the interior walls. Not outside of the building itself)

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