Homes built before 1980 often have wiring that cannot safely handle modern electrical demands. Between central HVAC systems, kitchen appliances, home offices, and entertainment systems, today's households draw far more power than homes were designed for 40 or 50 years ago. Rewiring replaces old, degraded wiring with new copper conductors and modern safety features -- bringing your home's electrical system up to current code and eliminating fire and shock hazards at their source.
Many older homes in Aiken and the surrounding CSRA region were built during eras when aluminum wiring, knob-and-tube wiring, or cloth-wrapped wiring were standard practice. These materials deteriorate over time, creating loose connections, overheated conductors, and conditions that lead to electrical fires. If your home has any of these wiring types, or if you are experiencing frequent breaker trips, flickering lights, or burning smells near outlets, a professional rewiring assessment is the responsible next step. Unity Power & Light provides whole-home electrical rewiring throughout Aiken, SC and surrounding areas, using modern copper wiring and code-compliant installation methods.
When Rewiring Is Needed
Not every older home needs a complete rewire, but several conditions make it necessary. If your home has any of the following, you should schedule a wiring assessment.
Aluminum Wiring
Homes built between 1965 and 1973 commonly used single-strand aluminum branch wiring. Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper, causing connections to loosen over time. Loose connections generate heat, and aluminum wiring is a documented fire hazard. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates homes with aluminum wiring are 55 times more likely to have fire-hazard conditions at outlets.
Knob-and-Tube Wiring
Found in homes built before 1950, knob-and-tube wiring runs individual hot and neutral conductors through ceramic knobs and tubes. This system has no ground wire, no protection against arc faults, and cannot be safely buried under blown-in insulation. Many insurance companies will not cover homes with active knob-and-tube wiring.
Cloth-Wrapped Wiring
Common in homes built during the 1950s through 1970s, cloth-wrapped wiring uses fabric insulation instead of modern thermoplastic. Over decades the cloth deteriorates, cracks, and falls away from the conductors -- exposing bare wire inside walls. This creates shock and fire risks that only worsen with age.
Ungrounded 2-Prong Outlets
If your home has two-prong outlets throughout, the wiring system lacks a ground conductor. Without grounding, your electrical system has no safe path for fault currents, and surge protectors cannot function properly. A rewire adds grounded circuits to every room.
Frequent Breaker Trips
Breakers that trip repeatedly indicate circuits that are overloaded or wiring that has deteriorated. While a single tripping breaker might just need a dedicated circuit, widespread tripping throughout the home often points to a wiring system that has reached the end of its useful life.
Burning Smells or Discolored Outlets
If you smell something burning near an outlet or switch, or if you see brown or black discoloration on outlet covers, there is likely arcing or overheating inside the wall. This is an urgent condition that warrants immediate inspection and often indicates the need for rewiring in the affected area or throughout the home.
What a Whole-Home Rewire Includes
A complete rewiring project replaces all of the branch circuit wiring in your home -- the wires that run from your electrical panel to every outlet, switch, and fixture. Here is what is included in a Unity Power & Light whole-home rewire.
Our Rewiring Process
We approach every rewiring project with a clear plan designed to minimize disruption to your household while ensuring a thorough, code-compliant result.
Assessment and Scope Planning
We inspect your existing wiring, panel, and electrical system to determine the full scope of work. We identify the wiring type, evaluate the panel capacity, note any areas with damage or deterioration, and develop a detailed plan for the rewire. You receive a flat-rate quote covering the entire project before any work begins.
Permit Application
We file the necessary electrical permits with Aiken County on your behalf. Permitted work protects you because it ensures the installation will be independently inspected and verified against current electrical codes.
Strategic Wire Routing
This is where experience matters most. We route new wiring through attics, crawl spaces, and interior wall cavities to minimize the amount of drywall that needs to be opened. Careful routing reduces repair costs and speeds up the project. In many homes, we can complete a significant portion of the rewire by accessing walls from above and below rather than cutting large openings.
New Circuit Installation
We install all new wiring, outlets, switches, and junction boxes throughout the home. Each circuit is sized appropriately for its intended use, with dedicated circuits where code requires them. All connections are made with proper techniques and materials.
Panel Connections
All new circuits are terminated at your electrical panel. If your existing panel lacks capacity for the new circuits, we will recommend a panel upgrade as part of the project. Each breaker is properly sized and labeled.
Testing and Inspection
We test every circuit for proper voltage, grounding, polarity, and GFCI/AFCI function before scheduling the county electrical inspection. After the inspector signs off, your new wiring system is verified safe and code-compliant.
What to Expect During a Rewire
A whole-home rewire is a significant project, but knowing what to expect helps you plan around it. Here is what most Aiken homeowners experience during the process.
Timeline: A typical whole-home rewire takes one to two weeks depending on the size of the home, the accessibility of walls and ceilings, and whether a panel upgrade is included. Smaller homes or partial rewires may be completed in less time.
Drywall patching: Some drywall openings are necessary to route new wiring through walls. We minimize these openings through strategic routing via attics and crawl spaces, but some patching will be needed. We can recommend trusted drywall contractors in the Aiken area, or coordinate patching as part of the project scope.
Living in the home during work: Most homeowners continue living in the home during a rewire. We work room by room and maintain power to as much of the home as possible throughout the project. There will be periods when individual circuits are de-energized, but we plan these outages to minimize inconvenience.
Phased approach: For homeowners who prefer to spread the cost over time, we offer a phased rewiring approach. We prioritize the most critical areas first -- typically bedrooms and kitchens -- and schedule remaining areas in subsequent phases. Each phase is fully functional and code-compliant on its own.
Rewiring Cost
The cost of a whole-home rewire depends on the size of the home, the number of circuits, the accessibility of the wiring routes, and whether a panel upgrade is needed. For most homes in the Aiken area, expect the following range.
Whole-home rewire: $8,000 - $20,000+
Smaller homes with accessible attics and crawl spaces fall toward the lower end of this range. Larger homes, multi-story homes, and homes requiring extensive drywall work or a panel upgrade will be toward the higher end. We provide an exact flat-rate quote after your assessment -- the price we quote is the price you pay, with no hourly billing or surprise charges.
For more information about the warning signs that indicate your home may need rewiring, read our blog post: Signs Your Home Needs Rewiring.
Need Your Home Rewired?
Serving Aiken, SC and surrounding communities including North Augusta, Graniteville, New Ellenton, Jackson, and Clearwater. Get your flat-rate quote today.