Rewiring a house.. [would like your help]

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rex_b

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I'm sorry if this may sound dumb but I know little or nothing about electrical work and I find myself in an awkward situation.

I bought a house that was built in 1956 (Louisiana) and have completely gutted the home, added on to it, and even built a roof over the existing roof. (yah it was really fun, and turned out great)

But now I face the problem of rewiring the home since it's very old stuff. But I really need to try and keep the costs down to stay within my budget that is increasingly shrinking!

Anyways the walls are all bare and no wires have to go through the "attic" since I just built a roof over a roof so the wire can just sit up there. I was thinking if I string a wire to each place I want to have an outlet or switch it would help in the price but again I'm not sure if that is possible.

In the end I would love your help in going about this the right way. The house is a tad over 2100 sq ft and I'm not doing anything fancy. Maybe 2 outlets in each room and 1 set of switches in each room. Minus the kitchen/living which of course will have multiple.

What do you think I will be paying for this, and what can I do as a homeowner to keep costs down and help my chosen electrician.

Thanks,
Rex
 
Re: Rewiring a house.. [would like your help]

Hire a licensed and insured electrical contractor that has a good standing with the local building department. Make sure they pull a permit and get the job inspected. Make sure you provide yourself what you really need and not be too minimal, it will cost you more in the long run to come back later and add receptacles or lighting outlets in places that will not be as accessible as they are now.

And listen to the advice of your contractor. If they are a good contractor, they will inform what and where you need devices and such. Good luck.
 
Re: Rewiring a house.. [would like your help]

Rex,
In the end I would love your help in going about this the right way. The house is a tad over 2100 sq ft and I'm not doing anything fancy. Maybe 2 outlets in each room and 1 set of switches in each room. Minus the kitchen/living which of course will have multiple.
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you don't have a say so in this, there are code minimums that must be met, and two receptacles per room will not get it. (unless they are ridiculously small rooms.

The best bet is to talk to a few EC's for estimates and let the one you choose sail the ship.

Roger
 
Re: Rewiring a house.. [would like your help]

Your best move is to contact some local contractors, of the licensed and insured flavor. Some are willing to perform "design build" type services. Tell them what you want specifically, and everything else they can install to code. Then, let the contractor do their thing.

You might be able to find a contractor willing to let you play "helper" to save money. But many, if not most contractors don't want the hassle of dealing with such things (no offense to you, or anyone like you, but these things never seem to work out.) Personally, I charge more for the privilage of helping me out :D :D

[ August 21, 2005, 09:31 PM: Message edited by: cselectric ]
 
Re: Rewiring a house.. [would like your help]

Hmm. Interesting replies. I never knew there were such codes in place.

Being that I am doing the contracting work myself I guess I will have to rely on the word of the electricians in my area.

Looks like I'm in for an expense of the magnitude I didn't want. ugh.

hehe. It will all work out in the end I guess.
 
Re: Rewiring a house.. [would like your help]

Originally posted by rex_b:
Hmm. Interesting replies. I never knew there were such codes in place.
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Yep. The current (2005) edition of the National Electric Code is 771 pages long. This is one very good reason to leave electrical work to the professionals.

Originally posted by rex_b:
Being that I am doing the contracting work myself I guess I will have to rely on the word of the electricians in my area.
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Ultimately, that is the best route. But, there is no need to call an electrical contractor at random and take his advise. Ask around, perhaps friends or coworkers have a good (or bad) experience that could help guide you. Check credentials, make sure the contractor is licensed and insured. You can even ask for references, a lot of us have no problems accomodating such requests.

Originally posted by rex_b:
Looks like I'm in for an expense of the magnitude I didn't want. ugh.

hehe. It will all work out in the end I guess.
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The electrical portion of a job can be one of the most costly, or it can be quite affordable. The reality is, a good electrician can do anything your mind can imagine, as long as it's within code and you have a fat enough wallet :) SOmething tells me the kids spilled something on my keyboard.

[ August 21, 2005, 10:26 PM: Message edited by: cselectric ]
 
Re: Rewiring a house.. [would like your help]

I understand how important it is. I just never thought I would have to rewire the house and it very recently/suprisingly came to my attention so I was just not prepared.

You know how that goes.

I guess I'll just have to see how it goes and take your recommendations on how to go about this.

Wish me luck and I will keep you guys up to date with the progress if you like.

Again thanks for the help.. :)
 
Re: Rewiring a house.. [would like your help]

Rex, good luck on finding a good electrical contractor in your area. Since your question has been addressed, I am locking this thread.
 
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