Electrical Diagnostic!
Waived When We Do the Repair
$49
Electrical Diagnostic — Waived With Repair
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We Replace Knob and Tube Wiring in Seattle Homes
Save $2,100 on a knob and tube rewire. We remove the wiring that stops you insulating your attic and stops insurers writing your policy, and rewire to modern code.
Why Knob and Tube Has to Go
Seattle has one of the highest concentrations of knob and tube wiring of any major American city, simply because so much of the housing stock went up between 1900 and 1945 and was never fully modernised. Pull back the attic insulation in a Ballard or Beacon Hill bungalow and there is a good chance you will find ceramic knobs, ceramic tubes and cloth-covered conductors still carrying current.
Knob and tube was competent engineering for its era. The problem is that the era assumed a few light fixtures and no grounding conductor, and it relied on the wires running through open air to shed heat. A century later the cloth insulation is brittle, the system has usually been extended with unsafe splices by previous owners, and — critically — the code prohibits burying it in insulation because that traps the heat it was designed to release.
That last point is what catches most homeowners. You cannot properly insulate an attic that still has active knob and tube, which means you are stuck choosing between an energy-efficient home and a legal one. Replacement resolves both problems at once, and right now a knob and tube rewire comes with $2,100 off.
- $2,100 off a knob and tube rewire
- Grounded, modern circuits throughout
- Lets you finally insulate the attic properly
- Permitted and inspected for your records
- Full or partial replacement, whichever fits
- Financing available on approved credit
The Real Problems With Knob and Tube
Not scare stories — these are the specific, documented reasons it needs replacing.
No Ground Conductor
Knob and tube has two wires and no ground. Every modern appliance and electronic device assumes a grounding path that simply is not there.
Cannot Be Buried in Insulation
The system sheds heat into open air by design. Code prohibits covering it with insulation, which blocks any serious attic energy retrofit.
Brittle, Century-Old Insulation
The cloth and rubber insulation dries out and cracks. Disturbing it during any other attic work can expose live conductors.
Decades of Unsafe Splices
Nearly every knob and tube house has been extended by previous owners with junctions taped up outside a box. These are the most common failure points we find.
Nowhere Near Enough Capacity
Designed for lighting and a radio. Today it is asked to run kitchens, home offices and laundry rooms, and it runs hot doing it.
Insurance Refusals
A growing number of carriers decline new policies, non-renew existing ones, or surcharge heavily for active knob and tube.
Exclusive Money-Saving Offers
Take advantage of these limited-time deals on our most popular services
Panel & Service Upgrade
Upgrade Your Home's Power Safely
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200-Amp Service Upgrade or Electrical Panel Replacement
Any Service Repair!
Including Electrical Services
$75 OFF
Any Service Repair, Including Electrical
Knob & Tube Rewire!
Insure It, Insulate It, Rewire It
$2,100 OFF
Knob and Tube Rewire
Insurance, Insulation and Selling Your Home
Knob and tube tends to become urgent for one of three practical reasons rather than an abstract safety concern.
Insurance. Carriers have tightened considerably. Many will not write a new policy on a home with active knob and tube, and some are non-renewing existing customers. A permitted replacement, with the inspection sign-off as documentation, is normally what they need to see.
Insulation. If you are planning an attic insulation retrofit — and in Seattle’s climate that is one of the highest-return efficiency upgrades available — the wiring has to be dealt with first. Insulation contractors will refuse the job, and rightly so.
Selling. Knob and tube gets flagged in essentially every home inspection. Left unaddressed it becomes a negotiating lever against you, usually costing more in a price reduction than the replacement would have.
- Permit sign-off satisfies most insurers
- Clears the way for an attic insulation retrofit
- Removes a standard home-inspection objection
Frequently Asked Questions
Existing knob and tube is not illegal to have, and it can legally remain in service where it is intact and undisturbed. What the code does prohibit is extending it, and covering it with insulation. In practice, most Seattle homes with knob and tube have been extended at some point by a previous owner, which is where the genuine hazards tend to be.
Not while it is active. The wiring was designed to dissipate heat into open air, and burying it in insulation traps that heat against century-old insulation. Reputable insulation contractors will decline the work, and doing it anyway creates both a fire risk and a code violation that will surface at resale. The wiring needs replacing first.
Not necessarily. Many Seattle homes were partially updated during earlier remodels, leaving knob and tube only in specific areas such as the upper floor or the original portion of the house. We assess exactly what remains active and give you a straight answer on whether a partial replacement genuinely solves it or simply defers the problem.
Look in the attic, basement or crawl space for white ceramic knobs securing individual wires to the framing, and ceramic tubes where wires pass through joists. The conductors run separately rather than bundled in a sheathed cable. If you are unsure, our diagnostic visit will confirm what you have and how much of it is still live.
Explore Our Other Services
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Installation, repair, and maintenance for tank and tankless water heaters.
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Professional drain cleaning, sewer repair, and camera inspections.
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Advanced technology to find and fix hidden leaks before they cause damage.
Explore Leak DetectionService Areas
Proudly serving the greater Seattle metropolitan area
North Sound
- Shoreline
- Edmonds
- Lynnwood
- Everett
- Mountlake Terrace
- Bothell
- Woodinville
- Lake Forest Park
East Side
- Mercer Island
- Issaquah
- Sammamish
- Newcastle
- Factoria
- Clyde Hill
- Medina
- Beaux Arts
Don't see your area? Give us a call – we may still be able to help!
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
I had no idea what I was getting into, and how severe our plumbing issue was. Jeff was so professional up front and willing to explain things to me in a way that I would understand. His level of expertise was very noticeable. And I'm very thankful to have Been serviced by someone with such levels of expertise. They truly went above and beyond their duty to help us.
★★★★★
Jordan H. was an absolute expert when installing our toilets and shower heads. He was friendly and made us feel comfortable as first time homebuyers. He informed us of the process, was transparent when answering questions, and ensured outstanding cleanliness during installation. He even went out of his way to make the installation areas look cleaner than they were before. I’ll definitely continue to use their services for my home, and would recommend them and especially Jordan H. to anyone.
★★★★★
May 30, 2026 UPDATE - High marks to Plumbers Diego and Hector who installed a pressure reducing valve for our condo unit this morning. We continue to be greatly impressed by Bee's Plumbing's excellent customer service and the skilled and caring plumbers who have serviced our condo. We were equally impressed by the receptionist who called us before our plumbers visit to make sure that Bee's had completely responded to our plumbing needs (they most definitely had - in fact, our plumbers, Diego and Hector - went above and beyond the call of service). Highly recommend Bee's Plumbing and Heating. Highly Recommend. My wife and I are always completely impressed by the expertise and outstanding customer service provided by the plumbers at Bee's Plumbing and Heating. Today, we called Bee's to book a repair of a water leak that we discovered under our kitchen cabinet. High marks go to the excellent receptionist who took my call - she listened to my concern and booked a plumber to analyze the plumbing problem this very day! Plumber Diego and Membership Services Manager Cameron promptly arrived and evaluated the problem. We were so impressed by today's repair as well as previous repairs by Bee's Plumbers that we signed up for the Bee's Club Membership. Kudos to the excellent service provided by Diego and Cameron.
Still Have Knob and Tube?
Book a licensed electrician to assess what is still active in your home and quote the replacement. $2,100 off the rewire, and the $49 diagnostic waived with the work.
(206) 745-7570
*Disclaimer: Cannot apply to any other offers and offers cannot be combined. Offers cannot be applied to dispatch fee. No cash value. Present discount at the time of service. Call for details.
