Rewires take weeks: here's how the weeks go.
Rewires aren't day projects. They're 3-6 week endeavors with disruption that varies by phase. Here's an honest week-by-week breakdown so you can plan around the work.
By Steven Lockhart · Reviewed by Alex Towery, C-10 #989290
Updated 2026-06-16
Typical Marin partial rewire runs 3-5 weeks from contract to final inspection close. Full rewire 5-10 weeks. The disruption isn't continuous — most days are 'electrician on-site working, normal life around them.' A handful of days are 'whole house powered off for several hours.' Planning around the specific high-disruption phases (panel work, service-side work, walls open at rough) makes the experience manageable.
01Typical week-by-week for major partial rewire.
Week 0 — Pre-construction
Contract signed, permit application filed, materials ordered. Final walk-through with homeowner to confirm scope and access plan. Permit issuance usually mid to late week 0.
Week 1 — Demo and rough start
Wall opening at planned access points (2-3 days of opening work). Initial rough wire pulling in attic and crawl space. Light disruption — work happens in service areas, not living areas. Power stays on.
Week 2 — Rough completion
Wire pulling through wall cavities, box mounting, panel rough-in. Mid-week: 1-2 days where specific circuits are off as they're being reworked. Late week: rough inspection scheduled.
Week 3 — Inspection and walls close
Rough inspection (usually pass first time). After pass: drywall patching at access holes, plaster work where needed. Heavy dust week for the rooms with patches; we cover floors and adjacent rooms.
Week 4 — Finish and final
Texture and paint at patches (typically by your contractor or our finisher, depending on contract). Device installations, panel labeling, final wiring. Final inspection scheduled at end of week. Whole-house power-off for service-side work if service upgrade included (typically 1 day, 8-10 hours).
Week 5 — Close-out
Final inspection completion. Documentation packet to homeowner. Project closeout. Most rewires done by end of week 5.
02What disruption actually feels like.
Most days during a rewire: 1-3 electricians on-site, working in specific rooms. Other rooms are normal. Power is mostly on. Living, working, sleeping in the house is generally fine. Plan around the specific room being worked on that day — coffee in a different room, bathroom use timed around the bath circuit work, etc. We share daily schedules in advance.
Higher-disruption days are predictable: panel replacement day (whole house off 6-10 hours), service upgrade day (similar, plus PG&E coordination), drywall demo days (dust and noise concentrated), inspection days (electricians not actively working, just available for inspector questions). Most homeowners stay in the house except for the panel-and-service days; some choose to be elsewhere for that 2-3 day window. We coordinate with you on logistics.
03Drivers that extend or compress the timeline.
| Factor | Timeline impact |
|---|---|
| Walls already open (remodel context) | -1 to -2 weeks |
| Single-story home, easy access | -3 to -7 days |
| Two-story or three-story | +3 to -7 days |
| Plaster walls vs drywall | +5 to -10 days |
| K&T discoveries requiring work | +3 to -7 days |
| Service upgrade included | +1 to -2 weeks (PG&E coord) |
| Historic preservation required | +1 to -3 weeks |
| AHJ inspection delays | +3 to -10 days possible |
Common questions.
Can I live in the house during the rewire?
Most homeowners do — partial rewires especially are house-livable through most of the project. The hardest days are panel/service work (whole-house power off for hours) and the wall-opening days in primary living areas (dust and disruption). Some homeowners choose to stay with family or rent short-term housing for these specific 2-4 day windows. Full whole-house rewires sometimes warrant moving out for 1-2 weeks during the heaviest demolition phase, but partial rewires almost never require moving out.
Will my pets be OK during the work?
With planning, yes. Electricians work in specific areas with doors closed; pets stay in other rooms or are crated during active work. Dogs and cats sensitive to noise and strangers may need separate boarding for the loudest days (demolition, drywall cutting). We coordinate with homeowners on pet considerations — most days pets adjust quickly to having electricians around. The challenging days are predictable (loud days, specific room access) and we give advance notice.
What happens if the project goes longer than estimated?
Discovery-driven extensions are normal in vintage homes — we estimate timeline conservatively but uncovering buried junction boxes or unexpected K&T can add days. We communicate timeline updates as soon as discoveries happen, before changing schedule. Our contracts include change-order language for scope changes; for time-only extensions (same scope, more time due to discovery), we don't charge extra unless the discovery itself requires new work. Total timeline variability for typical Marin rewire: ±20% on the original estimate.
When is the noisiest part of the project?
Two phases: initial wall opening (drywall cutting and demolition, typically 1-3 days) and drywall patching at the end (dust and texture work, typically 1-3 days). Both are concentrated noise rather than persistent — most rewire days are quiet wire-pulling and box work that doesn't generate significant noise. We schedule noisy work for weekday hours (8am-5pm) and avoid early morning or evening on residential blocks.
Do I need to be home during the work?
Not usually — most rewire work happens during business hours with the homeowner at their normal work. We coordinate access (key, code, or scheduled meet-and-greet at start of each day) and check in regularly on questions or decisions. Some milestones benefit from homeowner presence: pre-work walk-through, mid-project review, inspection days, final close-out. For most working hours, electrician on-site without homeowner is normal and efficient.
How do you handle pricing — flat fee or hourly?
Both, depending on scope. Routine service calls and predictable scope (panel replacement, EV charger install, transfer switch install, fixture replacement) are flat-fee quoted up front. Diagnostic visits and emergency scope are hourly because we don't know what we'll find. Either way, you get a written quote before work starts on anything significant, and we don't proceed beyond the quote without your sign-off.
How quickly can you schedule?
Depends on scope and season. Emergency dispatch: same-day across Marin County (1-3 hours business hours, 1-4 hours after-hours). Same-day standard service: 3-6 hours from call when capacity allows; otherwise next business day. Scheduled service work: 1-3 weeks typical. Larger projects requiring permits and PG&E coordination: 4-12 weeks depending on scope. We're upfront about timeline at the quote stage.
What warranty do you offer on work?
Our standard residential warranty: 2 years on labor, manufacturer warranty on parts (varies by product — typically 1-10 years). Major installs (panels, generators, EV chargers) often have longer manufacturer warranties (5-10 years). If there's an issue with our work in the warranty period, we come back and fix it at no cost. We also stand behind work past warranty — repeat customers and referrals matter more than a transactional fix.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. California State License Board C-10 Electrical Contractor #989290, in good standing. Carry general liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance as required by California law. Bondable on projects requiring it. Happy to provide proof of insurance to clients or property managers on request. License lookup: cslb.ca.gov.
Talk to a licensed electrician in Marin.
Family-run, C-10 #989290, 20+ years in the trade. Honest scoping, fair pricing, work that lasts.