Whole-House Rewiring · Los Altos, California

Whole-House Rewiring in Los Altos, CA

Replacing aluminum, knob-and-tube, or cloth-insulated wiring with modern copper and code-current GFCI/AFCI protection — often without opening every wall.

Get a Free Estimate →

CSLB #1145945 PG&E Handled Upfront Pricing

15+

Years Experience

5.0★

Google Rating

2 hr

Quote Response

Whole-House Rewiring for Los Altos Homes

Rewiring in Los Altos is almost always a story about original mid-century homes that have been added onto for sixty years. A 1955 ranch in Old Los Altos or Loyola Corners may have started with cloth-insulated branch wiring and a fuse box, then gained a primary suite, a remodeled kitchen, and a back office over the decades, each addition splicing into wiring that was already aging. The result is a patchwork: a few modern copper runs feeding a lot of brittle, undersized original circuits with no ground. On the larger Los Altos and Los Altos Hills properties, the sheer square footage and long wall runs mean a rewire is a serious project, but the generous lots and frequent crawl-space or attic access often let us fish new copper without gutting finished rooms. We replace the old cloth or knob-and-tube wiring with modern copper branch circuits, add the GFCI and AFCI protection current code requires, and modernize the panel in the same pass. Where a home only has isolated problem circuits, we say so, because not every dated Los Altos home needs a full rewire, and we would rather target the real issue than sell you the whole house. Fox Electric leaves you with documented, insurance-ready work and far less drywall damage than most homeowners expect.

Permits & utility in Los Altos

Electrical service for Los Altos is provided by PG&E, and the electrical permit and inspection go through the local building department. We pull the permit and coordinate the PG&E service work as part of the job.

A Los Altos rewire requires a City of Los Altos building permit and electrical inspection, with Santa Clara County handling unincorporated Los Altos Hills, and PG&E disconnecting the service when the panel is replaced alongside the wiring. The housing reality drives the scope: heavily expanded ranches mean mixed-vintage wiring that has to be traced circuit by circuit, and larger homes mean long runs. The upside is access, since many Los Altos homes have usable attics or crawl spaces, so we can often fish new copper with minimal wall opening. Insurers frequently want proof the old wiring is gone, and we document it.

Pricing depends on your home and scope — we give a free on-site estimate with a written, fixed price before any work starts. For typical Bay Area ranges, see our guide on knob-and-tube wiring replacement.

What's Included

Whole-House Rewiring in Los Altos

Replacement of knob-and-tube, aluminum, or cloth-insulated wiring

Modern copper branch circuits with GFCI/AFCI protection

Fuse box or undersized panel replaced with a 200A breaker panel

Fishing wire through walls to minimize drywall damage

City permit pulled and electrical inspection closed out

Insurance-ready documentation of the completed work

How We Handle Whole-House Rewiring in Los Altos

Straightforward, permitted, and clean — from your first call to final sign-off in Los Altos.

Walkthrough

We assess the existing wiring, identify access points, and scope the work with a fixed-price quote.

Permit

We pull the city permit and plan the rewire to keep you in the home where possible.

Rewire

Old wiring replaced with copper, GFCI/AFCI added, panel modernized, drywall patched.

Inspection

City inspection passed and documented for your insurer and records.

Recent Project

200A Panel Upgrade — Los Altos200A Upgrade

A Los Altos homeowner needed more capacity for an EV charger and a future heat pump, but the home was still on its original 100A service. We ran a load calculation, pulled the city permit, coordinated the PG&E service window, and installed a 200A panel — every circuit relabeled and the directory typed, powered back up the same day.

Before: Original 100A service, no room to grow
After: 200A panel sized for EV + heat pump headroom
Coordination: PG&E disconnect/reconnect + city inspection handled
Outcome: Passed inspection, permit closed out for resale

The Fox Difference

Why Los Altos Chooses Fox Electric

Local to Los Altos

Based in San Carlos — 13 min away. We know Los Altos homes, PG&E coordination, and the local permitting.

Licensed & Insured

CSLB #1145945 — fully licensed C-10 contractor and bonded. Every job permitted and inspected to current code.

Permits & Utility Handled

We pull the Los Altos permit, coordinate PG&E service work, and close out the inspection — you schedule one day, we do the rest.

5.0★ on Google

We earn the rating on every visit, not just the first.

Upfront, Fixed Pricing

Free on-site estimate with a written fixed-price quote before any work starts. No obligation, no surprises.

Same-Day Availability

We hold same-day slots open for Los Altos homeowners when something can't wait.

Questions

Whole-House Rewiring in Los Altos — FAQ

How do I know if my Los Altos home actually needs a full rewire?

We assess it during a walkthrough before recommending anything. Many expanded Los Altos ranches have only a few aging original circuits mixed in with newer copper from past remodels, and in that case we target those circuits rather than rewiring the whole house. We will tell you honestly whether a full rewire is warranted or whether spot work solves it.

Can you rewire without tearing apart my finished Los Altos home?

Usually to a large degree, yes. Many Los Altos homes have attic or crawl-space access, and the larger lots and single-story ranch layouts give us room to fish new copper through existing cavities. We minimize wall opening and patch what we do open, so the disruption is far less than people expect from a rewire.

What kind of old wiring do you find in older Los Altos houses?

In 1950s and 1960s Los Altos ranches we most often find cloth-insulated branch wiring with no ground, sometimes alongside an original fuse box. In the oldest homes in Old Los Altos there can be knob-and-tube. We replace it with modern grounded copper and add the GFCI and AFCI protection California code now requires.

Will rewiring help with home insurance in Los Altos?

Often yes. Insurers in this area increasingly ask about cloth, knob-and-tube, or aluminum wiring, and some will not write or renew a policy until it is replaced. We provide documentation of the completed, permitted, and inspected rewire so you have proof to give your insurer.

Do you replace the panel during a Los Altos rewire?

Usually, because the same older homes that need rewiring tend to still have an undersized panel or a fuse box. We coordinate the PG&E disconnect, swap in a properly sized 200-amp or larger panel, and tie the new copper circuits into it, so the wiring and the service are both brought current in one permitted project.