# What should a rewiring quote include, and how do you compare two of them? > What a rewiring quote should include: circuits, openings and patching, permit, panel work and leftover knob and tube. Use the checklist to compare two quotes. URL: https://laknobandtube.com/guide/rewiring-quote-checklist/ Two quotes for the same house can be thousands apart because they describe different jobs. This list shows what to look for and how to line them up. Last Updated: October 24, 2026 [LA Knob and Tube](https://laknobandtube.com/) writes rewiring quotes for houses across Los Angeles, Pasadena, Glendale and South Pasadena, and this checklist covers what a rewiring quote should include whoever writes it. In short: the circuits in scope, the new circuits added, the panel work, each planned wall or ceiling opening and who patches it, the permit and inspections, what happens to the old wiring, and a written list of any knob and tube that stays. A total with no list behind it cannot be compared with anything. The point of the checklist is to turn two quotes into the same shape, so the difference between them shows. Key takeaways - Circuits: which old ones are replaced and which new ones are added - Openings: how many, where, and who closes, textures and paints them - Panel: kept, replaced, or upgraded with utility work - Permit: who pulls it and whether inspections are included - Old wiring: disconnected, removed where accessible, and any remaining circuits listed ## The checklist ### Scope and circuits - **Whole house or partial.** A [whole-house rewire](https://laknobandtube.com/whole-house-rewiring/) should say that no live knob and tube will remain. A [partial replacement](https://laknobandtube.com/partial-knob-and-tube-replacement/) should name the rooms and circuits in scope. - **Old circuits replaced.** Ideally listed by room, based on a circuit map, not on a guess from outlet counts. - **New circuits added.** Kitchen counters, bathrooms, laundry, and any dedicated circuits for appliances, air conditioning or a home office. - **Devices.** The number of outlets, switches and fixture connections, including new outlets where the old layout had too few. - **Protection.** How AFCI protection is provided on replaced living-area circuits, at the breaker or the first outlet, where GFCI goes, and tamper-resistant receptacles. All three are California code requirements for the new work. ### Access, openings and restoration - **Routing approach.** Through the attic and crawlspace first, with openings where routes cross framing or reach a box. - **Openings.** A list or count of planned wall and ceiling openings, ideally by room. - **Restoration.** Who closes each opening, whether texture is matched, and whether painting is included. Plaster on lath is a different patch from drywall; the [plaster wall rewiring](https://laknobandtube.com/plaster-wall-rewiring/) page explains why. - **Protection and cleanup.** Floor and furniture protection, dust control and daily cleanup. - **Lead and asbestos.** For a pre-1978 house, how painted surfaces are handled and whether any asbestos testing is expected. The [lead and asbestos guide](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/lead-and-asbestos-during-rewiring/) covers both. ### Panel and service - **Panel kept or replaced.** If kept, a note that it has the capacity and space for the new circuits. If replaced, the amperage and location. - **Utility work.** Whether the meter, mast or service changes, and who coordinates with LADWP, Pasadena Water & Power, Glendale Water & Power or SCE. - **Labeling.** A labeled panel directory at the end. The [panel upgrade vs rewiring guide](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/panel-upgrade-vs-rewiring/) explains why the panel and the branch circuits are separate lines. ### Permit and inspection - **Permit.** Who pulls it, from which office, and whether the fee is included. - **Inspections.** Rough and final inspection, and who is present for them. - **Testing.** Circuit testing before inspection, including AFCI and GFCI function. ### Old wiring - **Disconnection.** Every replaced knob and tube run disconnected at both ends and verified dead. - **Removal.** Whether accessible runs in the attic and crawlspace are removed or left in place; the [removal page](https://laknobandtube.com/knob-and-tube-removal/) explains the choice. - **Remaining circuits.** On a partial job, a written list of every circuit that still runs on knob and tube. ### Schedule, exclusions and paperwork - **Schedule.** Expected working days, the circuit sequence and the day the whole house is off for any panel work. - **Exclusions.** Anything not included, stated plainly: insulation, drywall finishing, fixture rewiring, utility fees. - **License.** The contractor’s CSLB license number, which you can check on the board’s website. ## How to compare two quotes Put the quotes into a simple table before looking at the totals. | Line | Quote A | Quote B | | --- | --- | --- | | Old circuits replaced | | | | New circuits added | | | | Outlets and switches | | | | AFCI and GFCI approach | | | | Planned openings | | | | Patching, texture, paint | | | | Panel work | | | | Utility coordination | | | | Permit and inspections | | | | Old wiring removed or left | | | | Knob and tube remaining | | | | Exclusions | | | Blank cells are the useful part. A lower quote that leaves out patching, the panel or the permit is not cheaper; it moves those costs to later. A quote that replaces fewer circuits may leave knob and tube that an insurer still cares about, which the [California insurance guide](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/knob-and-tube-insurance-california/) covers. ## Claims worth questioning Some phrases should prompt a follow-up question: - **“No walls opened.”** Routes through the attic and crawlspace keep openings small, but a house usually still needs some, at boxes and where framing is crossed. - **“New panel, problem solved.”** A panel replacement does not remove knob and tube. - **“Rewire house” with no detail.** Ask for the circuit list. - **“Grounded outlets throughout”** on a job that is not replacing every circuit. A three-prong outlet on an old circuit is not grounded unless a ground was added. - **No permit.** Rewiring is permitted work; the [Los Angeles rewiring permit guide](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/los-angeles-rewiring-permit/) explains who issues it. ## Checking the total against published ranges As a sense check, whole-house knob and tube replacement typically costs $10 to $20 per square foot of living area in the LA area for the wiring, before panel and patching, and $12,000 to $35,000 is a national budgeting range for a typical house. A 100 to 200 amp panel upgrade in the same location runs about $2,500 to $5,500 in the LA area. A quote well outside those ranges is not necessarily wrong, but it should be explained by something on the checklist, such as access, plaster restoration or a utility-side service change. The [Los Angeles cost guide](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/knob-and-tube-replacement-cost-los-angeles/) explains what moves a house within the ranges, and the [cost estimator](https://laknobandtube.com/tools/knob-and-tube-cost-estimator/) shows the effect of each factor. When you want a quote laid out this way for your own house, call or request an estimate. ## Questions about this guide ### How do I check a contractor's license before signing a rewiring quote? Look up the license number on the Contractors State License Board website. Check that it is active, that it includes the C-10 electrical classification or another class that covers the work, and that the name matches the company on the quote. ### Why can two rewiring quotes for the same house differ by thousands? Usually because they cover different work: a different number of circuits, a panel included or not, patching and paint included or left to the owner, or knob and tube left in place on one and removed on the other. Line them up item by item before comparing totals. ### Should a rewiring quote include the permit fee? It should say either way. Some quotes include the permit fee and the inspections, others list the fee as a pass-through. What matters is that the permit is in the scope, who pulls it, and that the final inspection is part of the job. ## More guides - Cost Guide [How much does knob and tube replacement cost in Los Angeles?](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/knob-and-tube-replacement-cost-los-angeles/)The ranges, what moves a house within them, and the parts of the price that come from public figures. - Decision Guide [Panel upgrade vs rewiring: which one does an older house need, and when does it need both?](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/panel-upgrade-vs-rewiring/)They are separate jobs on separate parts of the system. Here is how to tell which one your house needs, and how they fit together when it needs both. - Learn [Do you need an electrical permit for rewiring in Los Angeles, and how does it work?](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/los-angeles-rewiring-permit/)Who issues it, who is allowed to pull it, what the inspector checks, and how Pasadena, Glendale and South Pasadena differ from LADBS. - Learn [How does knob and tube replacement work, from the first visit to the final inspection?](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/knob-and-tube-replacement-process/)Each stage depends on the one before it. Here is what has to be known before the next step starts, and where the path splits by house. - Learn [How does knob and tube affect home insurance in California?](https://laknobandtube.com/guide/knob-and-tube-insurance-california/)What carriers tend to ask, how to get their answer in writing, what an electrician's letter can and cannot say, and where the FAIR Plan fits.