There comes a point with an older home where patching one more circuit stops making sense. Maybe a renovation has the walls open already, maybe the wiring is a mix of eras that no electrician wants to keep adding to, or maybe a string of problems keeps pointing back to the same tired system. That is when a full rewire is the honest answer, and it is work we do across Winnipeg and the Interlake.
A whole-home rewire replaces the branch wiring throughout the house with new grounded copper run to the current Manitoba electrical code. It often goes hand in hand with knob and tube or aluminum removal and an electrical panel upgrade, since a house that needs new wiring usually needs more service too.
We start by mapping the existing system and planning the new circuit layout around how you actually use the house, including the kitchen, laundry, and any additions or basement space. Then we run new cable to every outlet, switch, and fixture, fishing it through finished walls and ceilings where needed. We plan the routes to keep wall openings to a minimum and show you where we expect to cut before we start.
The work is done in stages so the house stays livable where possible, then permitted and inspected so you have the records a future buyer or insurer will want. On homes in Winnipeg’s older neighbourhoods and on original farmhouses out toward St Andrews, this is some of the most common work we do.
A rewire usually moves through a few clear stages. Knowing what each one covers helps you plan around the work.
A renovation that already has the walls open lets us skip most of the fishing and access work, which is why an open-wall rewire goes faster and costs less than one done in a finished, occupied house. If your project has the drywall coming off anyway, that is the moment to rewire.
A rewire is invasive, and the difference is in the planning and the cleanup. We keep the whole job in-house, from the wiring to the access to the low-voltage, so one crew is accountable start to finish, the work is licensed and insured and backed by a one-year workmanship warranty, and you get straight answers about scope before anything opens up. We also coordinate the work around your routine, so a kitchen or a bathroom is not left without power overnight when it can be avoided, and we keep the site clean as we move from room to room. When a rewire ties into aluminum wiring replacement or knob and tube removal, the same crew handles both so nothing falls between two trades.
It depends on the size of the house and how accessible the wiring is, but a full rewire generally runs several days to a couple of weeks. We give you a clear schedule after seeing the home, and we stage the work to keep the house usable where we can.
In most cases, yes. We fish new cable through existing walls and ceilings and open only what we need to, which is far less than people expect. If a renovation already has the walls open, that is the ideal time to rewire.
Often, yes. A house old enough to need rewiring was usually built for a smaller service, so a rewire and a panel upgrade are commonly done together while the walls are open. We tell you whether yours needs both after we look.
If your home’s wiring is past the point of patching, get in touch for a free estimate and a straight answer on what a full rewire involves.
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