# Knob and Tube Risk Assessment

> A free 9-question knob and tube risk assessment for older Los Angeles houses: how urgent your situation is, what it means and what to do next.

URL: https://laknobandtube.com/tools/knob-and-tube-assessment/

Nine questions about what you already know about the house. The result says how urgent your situation is, what it means and what to do next. Nothing to open, test or measure, and nothing is sent.

## Answer the questions

Answer from memory, the listing or an inspection report. "Not sure" is a fine answer.

## How the result is decided

The rules run in a fixed order, and the first one that matches decides the result. The same answers always give the same result.

| If you said | The result |
| --- | --- |
| Heat, scorch marks or a burning smell | Stop using the affected circuit and call an electrician now. This outranks every other answer. |
| Escrow, a sale, an insurer or an inspection report | Plan a circuit map before the date that matters to you. |
| Attic insulation planned | Replace the attic circuits before insulating, because the California Electrical Code limits insulating over knob and tube. |
| Insulation already in place over unchecked wiring | Have the attic wiring checked soon. |
| Fuses blowing often, or daily extension cords and space heaters | Get the overloaded circuits checked soon. |
| A remodel coming up | Plan the rewire with the remodel, while walls are open. |
| A permitted whole-house rewire already done | Confirm what is left with the permit record. |
| None of the above | Plan, not urgent. |

## What this check cannot tell you

It cannot see inside walls, so it cannot say how much knob and tube a house has, whether a run is live or dead, or whether the wiring is in good condition. Only an electrician's circuit map answers those questions.

It does not say whether a house is safe, and it does not predict what an insurer or lender will decide. Each sets its own rules, and the result is a way to plan the conversation with them.

[Next: estimate the cost for your house](https://laknobandtube.com/tools/knob-and-tube-cost-estimator/)