Whole-Home Wiring & Rewiring in Houston, TX
Outlets that feel warm. Lights that flicker for no reason. A house that still runs on wiring from decades ago. We rewire Houston homes room by room or top to bottom, and we pull the city permit for you.
When does a Houston home need rewiring?
Rewiring means replacing the old wires that run inside your walls and ceilings. It is the fix when the wiring itself is the problem, not one bad outlet or breaker.
The common signs are warm outlets or switch plates, lights that flicker, a burning smell, and breakers that trip with no clear cause. Old wiring types are another sign. So are two-prong outlets with no ground, and a remodel that opens up the walls anyway.
What we do on a wiring job
Whole-home rewiring
New copper branch circuits through the whole house, run to today's code and tied into a panel that can carry them.
Partial and room rewiring
One room, one floor or one problem circuit. Good for a kitchen or bath remodel, or an addition.
Aluminum and old wiring fixes
Safe repairs or replacement for aluminum branch wiring, ungrounded circuits and worn-out cloth wiring.
Old wiring was not built for how Houston homes run today
Many Houston homes were wired for a smaller load. Fewer outlets, fewer appliances and no home office.
Today the same circuits may feed a big A/C, a full kitchen, computers and a car charger in the garage. Our summers keep that load running for months. Old wire and loose connections heat up under it.
Rewiring often goes with a bigger panel. If your panel is near its limit too, read about our electrical panel upgrades. Adding an EV? See our EV charger installation work, since the new circuit has to fit the plan.
Aluminum wiring: what the federal safety agency says
Some homes built from 1965 to the mid 1970s were wired with aluminum branch circuits. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission looked at this closely.
Its report says homes built before 1972 and wired with aluminum are 55 times more likely to have one or more connections at outlets reach "fire hazard conditions" than homes wired with copper. You can read it in CPSC Publication 516.
The CPSC names a full copper rewire as one permanent fix. It also names special connectors (COPALUM, then AlumiConn) for repairs at each connection. We will tell you which one fits your home and your budget.
Wiring is a safety question, not just a convenience
The National Fire Protection Association estimates an average of 44,880 home fires a year involved an electrical failure or malfunction, from 2012 to 2016. Those fires caused an estimated 440 deaths a year.
Not every one of those starts in the walls. But worn insulation, loose connections and overloaded circuits are exactly what a rewire removes. Ungrounded two-prong circuits are another gap. They give a fault current nowhere safe to go.
Houston requires a permit and a master electrician
Rewiring is permitted electrical work in the City of Houston. The permit is signed by the licensed master electrician of record, and the city inspects the work.
New circuits must also meet the code the city has adopted. Houston adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code on September 1, 2023. You can read the city's notice on the Houston Permitting Center site.
| Code section | What it means on a rewire |
|---|---|
| NEC 210.12 | Arc-fault (AFCI) protection on home branch circuits, including circuits that are replaced, modified or extended. |
| NEC 210.8 | Ground-fault (GFCI) protection in wet areas such as kitchens, baths, garages and outdoors. |
We handle the permit, schedule the inspection and meet the inspector. RBG Services is a licensed electrical contractor, TECL #38858.
How a rewiring job works with RBG
Inspect and map
We open a few boxes, test the circuits and map what feeds what. Then you get a clear scope and price.
Permit and plan
We pull the city permit and plan the work room by room, so you keep power in the rest of the house.
Rewire and inspect
We run the new circuits, label the panel and meet the city inspector before the walls are closed.
Not sure it is the wiring? Start with a diagnosis.
A flickering light can be one loose fixture. A tripping breaker can be one bad circuit. We test first, and if the fix is small, that is what we will tell you.
If it is urgent, such as a burning smell, a hot outlet or sparking, call our emergency electrician in Houston line. You can also see our full list of residential electrical services.
Rewiring questions from Houston homeowners
How do I know if my house needs rewiring?
Watch for warm outlets or switch plates, flickering lights and a burning smell. Breakers that trip for no clear reason are another sign. So are two-prong outlets with no ground and aluminum branch wiring. A licensed electrician can test the circuits and tell you for sure.
Is aluminum wiring dangerous?
It can be. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that homes wired with aluminum before 1972 were far more likely to have connections reach fire hazard conditions than homes wired with copper. The CPSC lists a copper rewire and special connector repairs as permanent fixes.
Do I need a permit to rewire a house in Houston?
Yes. In Houston, the electrical permit is signed by a licensed master electrician of record, and the city inspects the work. RBG Services pulls the permit and meets the inspector.
Can I stay in my home during a rewire?
Usually, yes. We plan the work room by room so most of the house keeps power while we work. We will tell you up front which days a room will be without power.
Do I need a new panel when I rewire?
Not always. If the panel is in good shape and has room for the new circuits, it can stay. If it is near its limit or is an older model we replace, we plan the panel upgrade with the rewire.
Can you help me pay for a rewiring project?
Yes. We offer financing options for larger projects. See our financing page, or ask about it when you call.
Larger project? See our financing options.
Get your wiring checked by a licensed electrician
Tell us what your outlets, lights and breakers are doing. We will tell you if it needs a repair, a few new circuits or a full rewire.
(832) 291-4433Request a quote
