Wilmington has beautiful old homes — and a lot of them still run on wiring from the 1950s. Outdated systems get replaced from panel to outlet, permitted and inspected through New Hanover County.
None of these are normal. If you're seeing any of them, your wiring is either worn out, undersized, or both. A full inspection will tell you exactly what's going on.
Lights dim or flicker when you turn on an appliance. Usually means circuits are overloaded or connections are loose — both common in older wiring.
Outlets or switch plates that feel warm to the touch. This means wiring behind the wall is overheating — a fire hazard that needs immediate attention.
Two-prong outlets mean no ground wire. That's fine for a lamp, not fine for your computer, kitchen appliances, or anything with a three-prong plug.
Breakers that trip regularly are telling you circuits are overloaded. Older homes have fewer circuits running at lower amperage than modern appliances need.
If your panel has screw-in fuses instead of breakers, it predates modern electrical standards. Fuse panels can't keep up with today's loads and are harder to insure.
A burning or acrid smell near outlets or switches means insulation on the wiring is breaking down. Stop using that circuit and call an electrician immediately.
These brands have known failure rates and are flagged by insurance companies. If you have one of these, it can be swapped out with a modern panel and bring your system up to code.
Breakers fail to trip during overloads. Documented fire risk. CPSC investigation found breakers failed 25-60% of the time. Common in homes built 1950s–1980s.
Breakers melt to the bus bar and won't trip during a fault. Once this happens, nothing stops the overcurrent. Found in homes built 1960s–1970s.
Push-button breakers that are hard to find replacement parts for. Not a documented fire hazard like FPE or Zinsco, but aging out of serviceability. Insurance companies increasingly flag them.
Everything gets pulled out and replaced. Every circuit gets new wire, new connections, and proper grounding. When it's done, your electrical system is modern, safe, and built for the next 40 years.
Every room gets walked, the panel gets checked, and existing circuits get traced. You get a written quote with scope, timeline, and cost.
New panel goes in first. New panel goes in first — a clean starting point to land new circuits as they're pulled through the house. Old panel comes out, new one goes up.
New wiring pulled through attic, crawl space, or wall cavities. Work moves one section at a time — you keep power in the rest of the house during the process.
Every circuit tested, every outlet and switch verified. County inspection scheduled. You get a fully permitted, fully inspected electrical system and a clean permit record.
Pricing depends on home size, number of circuits, and accessibility. A 1,500 sq ft ranch with attic access is on the lower end. A two-story home with plaster walls is on the higher end. You get a detailed quote after we walk the house.
Yes, in most cases. We work room by room, keeping power to the rest of the house while each section is rewired. You'll have some disruption — small access holes, temporary circuit shutoffs — but most homeowners stay home through the entire job. Plan for 3–7 days of work.
Flickering lights, warm outlets, two-prong outlets with no ground, breakers that trip regularly, burning smell near outlets, or a panel with fuses instead of breakers. If your home was built before 1970 and hasn't been rewired, it's worth scheduling an inspection.
It wasn't designed for modern loads, has no ground wire, and the insulation deteriorates over decades. It's also a fire risk when covered with blown-in insulation. Most insurance companies won't cover homes with active knob and tube. We remove and replace it with modern wiring.
Yes. Any rewire in New Hanover County requires an electrical permit and inspection. We pull the permit, do the work, and schedule the county inspection. The permit protects you — it means the work was verified by a third party and meets current code.