Questions we hear in old houses

Only in small places. New boxes go where old ones already are, and cable is fished through the stud bays from the attic, the basement or a closet. Where a wall can't be fished, such as plaster over brick, we say so on the survey sheet and show you the other route before any work starts.

A rewire needs a city electrical permit, and our office files it before work starts. The inspector looks at the work before the walls are patched, and again at the end.

Not by itself. It becomes a problem when it has been cut into, covered with insulation, overloaded or spliced to newer cable. We look at what you have and tell you what we found, room by room.

Some insurers do, especially with knob-and-tube or a fuse box. Ask yours. We can give you the written survey sheet and, afterward, the record of what was replaced. We don't promise what any insurer will do.

Usually not. Power is off to the circuits we are working on, and we plan the order of rooms with you so you can keep a kitchen and a bathroom running. Some houses need a day with the power off at the panel, and we tell you which day ahead of time.

Lena's patch crew fills and skims every opening we make, and leaves the wall ready for paint. Painting and wallpaper are not in our price.

The survey is a paid visit. Its fee is credited to the job if you book within 30 days. We walk every room, open a few boxes and give you a written plan.

The license and registration lines are in the footer of every page. Look the numbers up with the city and the state before you sign. A certificate of insurance is available on request.

No. We do planned rewiring and repairs on weekdays. If you smell burning or see sparks, turn off the breaker if it is safe and call 911 for a fire.

Text a photo of your panel and one wall to (215) 555-0100, or use the link on the contact form. The photos stay on our phone, and we delete them when the job is closed.