Whole-Home Rewire - Standard Operating Procedure

Purpose

Define the standard operating procedure for scoping, quoting, sequencing, and delivering a whole-home rewire project. Whole-home rewires are the largest single residential electrical scope a shop will sell - high revenue, long timeline, high coordination cost. They also have the highest risk of mid-job scope drift, customer disputes, and margin erosion. A disciplined SOP turns the scope into a repeatable, profitable line.

Scope

Applies to:

• Homes with knob-and-tube (pre-1950 typical)
• Homes with single-strand aluminum branch circuits where pigtail remediation is not acceptable to the insurer
• Homes with 60 A or 100 A service that cannot support modern loads and need both service-equipment and branch-circuit replacement
• Substantial-remodel projects where the AHJ requires bringing existing branch circuits to current code
• Insurance-driven scope where the carrier mandates full replacement

Excludes:

• Partial rewires of a single floor or addition
• Service-only upgrades (panel + service entrance only, branch circuits remain)
• Knob-and-tube remediation by isolation (where one circuit is replaced while others remain in service)

Responsibilities

• Lead estimator scopes the project, presents the quote, owns the change-order process
• Project lead electrician runs the work onsite, calls in subs, coordinates with the customer day-to-day
• Helper / apprentice executes pulls, opens walls, installs devices
• Office handles permits, inspector scheduling, customer invoicing
• GC or homeowner owns drywall repair (electricians cut access; the homeowner or a GC patches)

Procedure

Phase 1: Pre-scope walk (1-2 hours, free OR billed against project)

1. Open the panel, photograph the service equipment, document the make / model / amperage of the existing service
2. Open at least one device per room and identify the conductor type - knob-and-tube, NM cable, BX, aluminum branch
3. Measure all rooms, sketch a floor plan, count outlets, switches, fixtures, and major appliances
4. Identify all subpanels, junction boxes, abandoned circuits
5. Photograph the attic and crawlspace - note insulation type (knob-and-tube and blown insulation cannot coexist; that's a separate scope)
6. Identify the path of least disruption - soffit chases, closet stacks, basement ceiling runs
7. Discuss the customer's lifestyle: home offices, EV charger, future solar, hot tub, kitchen remodel

Phase 2: Quote and contract (1-2 weeks)

1. Produce a written scope of work itemizing:

• Service equipment replacement (panel size, location, meter base)
• Number of new circuits
• Devices installed (count by type - receptacle, switch, dimmer, GFCI, AFCI, etc.)
• Fixture allowance OR fixture exclusion
• Drywall scope - explicitly OWNED BY whom
• Access cuts - size and number
• Inspections - rough-in and final

1. Define payment schedule - common pattern is 25 percent at signing, 25 percent at rough-in approval, 25 percent at trim, 25 percent at final inspection passed
2. Include a written change-order process - every scope addition gets a signed change order BEFORE work
3. Define exclusions - no patch and paint, no fixture sales beyond allowance, no AV / network low-voltage unless specifically scoped
4. Include a temporary-power plan - homeowner needs at least a few working circuits during the work

Phase 3: Permits and pre-work (1-3 weeks)

1. Pull the electrical permit naming the licensed contractor
2. Schedule rough-in inspection target date
3. Schedule final inspection target date
4. Notify the utility of any service-equipment changes; arrange for service disconnect / reconnect
5. Customer prepares the home - clear access to every wall, attic, and crawlspace; pet plan; alternative living arrangement if appropriate
6. Material take-off and order - long-lead items (panel, smart breakers, specialty fixtures) ordered first

Phase 4: Demo and rough-in (1-3 weeks depending on size)

1. Disconnect old service; install new service equipment first (gives the home modern grounding immediately)
2. Open ceilings and walls per the access plan - minimum cuts, smart routing
3. Pull all new circuits per the plan; install device boxes
4. Stub fixture locations and label
5. Install rough smoke alarms, hardwired interconnected per IRC R314
6. Rough-in inspection scheduled when 100 percent complete
7. Document every covered run with photos before drywall closes - invaluable when the customer or a future tech needs to know what's behind a wall

Phase 5: Trim and finish (1-2 weeks)

1. After drywall is patched and primed, install all devices, plates, and fixtures
2. Final smoke and CO alarm install
3. Panel labeling - every circuit identified by location
4. Service the door and trim devices in the kitchen, bath, laundry
5. Final inspection scheduled

Phase 6: Final inspection and walkthrough

1. Final inspection passed; certificate of occupancy retained
2. Customer walkthrough with the lead electrician - every switch and outlet operated together
3. Hand off panel directory, photographs of covered work, warranty documentation
4. Final payment collected
5. Customer survey / review request sent

Acceptance criteria

• Permit pulled and final inspection passed
• All circuits operate as documented in the panel directory
• All AFCI and GFCI devices test functional with TEST and RESET
• All smoke and CO alarms interconnect within 10 seconds of one alarm trigger
• No exposed conductor or unmarked junction box
• Customer received documentation packet: photos of covered work, panel directory, warranty certificate, inspection sign-off

Common pitfalls

• Quoting without a walk-through - undiscovered knob-and-tube in the attic destroys the margin on day three
• Vague drywall scope - electricians get blamed for the painter's missed seam unless the contract is explicit
• Skipping the temporary-power plan - homeowner with no working outlets day five of a two-week job becomes an angry homeowner
• No photo documentation of covered work - five years from now when the customer remodels, no one can find the runs
• Mid-job scope additions without change orders - every "while you're at it, can you also..." needs paper before tools
• Underestimating helper hours - pulls take longer in occupied homes than in new construction because the helper is also moving the customer's belongings

What to do when scope drifts mid-job

Scope drifts on every rewire. Three kinds, handled differently.

Discovered conditions. Live knob-and-tube feeding a circuit the walk-through said was dead, a buried junction box behind plaster, undisclosed aluminum branch, a subpanel with no traceable feed. Stop work in that area only. Photograph it before anything is disturbed, because that photo is the entire basis of the conversation that follows. Price it, write it, get a signature, resume. The rest of the house keeps moving; do not idle the crew over one room.

Customer additions. The "while you're in the wall" requests. These are usually the profitable part of the job and should be welcomed, but they still go on paper. Keep a running change-order sheet on the truck and close it out at the end of each day rather than chasing eleven separate signatures.

Code-triggered additions. Work the estimate did not carry but the adopted code cycle requires: AFCI coverage the panel schedule assumed away, alarm counts that changed, a service size the load calculation now demands. Present these as requirements with the code basis attached, not as an upsell, because they are not optional and the customer will otherwise hear a sales pitch.

Every change order carries the same five things: what was found or requested, why it is needed, added labor hours and material, schedule impact in days, and a signature line. Schedule impact is the line customers actually react to, and leaving it off is how a two-week job turns into a trust problem in week three.

Two hard rules. No tools before paper on anything that adds cost, with one exception: an immediate safety condition (exposed energized conductor, scorched bus) gets made safe first and documented immediately after. And never absorb drift quietly to keep the peace. The crew notices, the margin is gone, and the next customer with the same condition gets quoted off a number you already know is wrong.

References

• NEC 2023 (or the cycle adopted by the AHJ)
• IRC R314 (smoke alarm requirements during remodel)
• IRC R315 (CO alarm requirements during remodel)
• NEC 310 - Conductor sizing for service and branch
• NEC 408 - Switchboards and Panelboards
• State electrical contractor license rules
• Manuall internal: Service Panel Upgrade SOP, Knob-and-Tube Reference, Aluminum Wiring Remediation Reference