Knob and Tube Replacement Cost in Los Angeles (2026)

For a 1,500-square-foot home, knob and tube replacement cost is $12,000 to $25,500 in HomeGuide’s 2026 national figures. We found no current Los Angeles-specific published price, so use that range as a planning benchmark, not a local quote. As a general contractor, here is what we tell homeowners to expect: access, plaster repairs, and panel work are what change your total.

How much does knob and tube replacement cost in 2026?

HomeGuide gives a national replacement range of $8 to $17 per square foot and an overall national project range of $12,000 to $35,000. Those are national benchmarks, not a confirmed Los Angeles average, and they are not our prices.

The size-based examples below help you start a budget. They do not replace a walk-through, especially if you have lath-and-plaster walls or ceilings. The plaster ceiling repair row is an extra cost, not part of the replacement ranges above it.

Market ranges reviewed September 2026. These are typical market ranges, not our prices.

Keep the square-foot measurements separate: the replacement examples refer to home size, while the plaster ceiling repair rate refers to the area needing that repair. Do not multiply the plaster repair rate by your entire home’s square footage unless that is actually the repair scope.

How should you use national prices in Los Angeles?

We could not find a current Los Angeles-specific price guide for knob-and-tube replacement, and the knob-and-tube specialists we checked in Pasadena and Glendale publish no prices. That leaves a meaningful gap between an online budget and a quote for your house.

A published Los Angeles-area electrical contractor cost guide, citing Angi, reports local labor at about 18% above the national average. That supports planning toward the upper half of the national ranges, but it is not a knob-and-tube-specific local price study. It also is not a reason to add 18% to every line of the table: the cited premium concerns labor, not the entire project.

Local electricians generally publish ranges rather than flat prices because the site matters. Use these figures to frame questions, then compare written scopes. AI answers and older web pages can repeat stale prices, which is why the review date matters alongside the dollar amount.

What drives the cost to replace knob and tube wiring?

Knob-and-tube is an old two-wire system, usually without a ground. It is the original wiring in some older homes. Replacing it is a planned project, and the quote should explain both the electrical work and the access needed to do it.

• Attic and crawlspace access: Access through these spaces versus opening walls is a major cost driver. During the walk-through, ask which routes are available and where the proposed work needs openings.
• Lath and plaster: This can be the swing item in your budget. The national ceiling repair range is substantial, so ask for the repair area and responsibility to be made clear rather than assuming the electrical price answers both questions.
• Number of openings: Ask how many openings the proposed scope anticipates and where they will be. A square-foot price alone does not describe how much of your finished space will be affected.
• Panel work: Whether a panel upgrade accompanies the replacement changes the project scope. Ask whether the quote includes panel work, and why it is proposed. You can also review the separate panel upgrade service before discussing that portion.
• Asbestos or lead findings: These findings can affect the scope and cost. Ask how the estimate handles them if they arise; do not assume an online replacement range covers that work.
• Wall patching: Make repair responsibility explicit before comparing bids. On rewiring jobs the estimate spells out which walls are opened and who repairs them. That is VoltGen’s quoting approach, not a statement that patching is included or excluded.

The practical question is not just “What is the price per square foot?” It is “What work does this price cover in my house?” A useful comparison keeps electrical replacement, access openings, repairs, and any panel work visible.

Which utility and permit office serve your city?

Use your city’s information when discussing the project. The utility and permit office are different organizations, so keep both names with your project notes.

• City of Los Angeles: Permits are from LADBS; the utility is LADWP. Studio City is in the City of Los Angeles, so use the Los Angeles information for a Studio City property.
• Burbank: The permit office is Burbank Building & Safety; the utility is Burbank Water and Power. The 2025 California Building Code has been in effect since January 1, 2026.
• Pasadena: The permit office is Pasadena Permit Center, reachable at (626) 744-4200; the utility is Pasadena Water and Power.
• Glendale: The permit office is City of Glendale Building and Safety; the utility is Glendale Water and Power.

These local facts were checked on official pages on September 28, 2026. Permit fees are not priced here, so ask how permitting is handled in your written estimate rather than treating the national table as an itemized local total.

What does a fair estimate include?

A fair estimate describes the whole job, not just a price per square foot. Start by making sure each estimate describes the same project. Does it cover the replacement you discussed, identify planned openings, and explain who repairs them? Is any panel work clearly identified? How will findings that change the scope be handled?

Separate what is known from what still needs a site visit. Your home’s size is useful, but it does not answer the access or plaster questions. If a quote differs substantially from the national range, ask the contractor to walk you through the scope instead of assuming that the online number or the quote must be wrong.

For more about the work itself, see knob-and-tube replacement. If you are discussing a broader project, the old-home rewiring service is another useful starting point.

Questions to ask any contractor

• How many circuits are still live knob-and-tube, and does this price replace all of them?
• Which runs go through the attic or crawlspace, and where do you need to open walls or ceilings?
• Who patches the walls and ceilings? Is lath-and-plaster repair in this price or separate?
• Is the permit fee included?
• Is any panel work included, and why is it needed?
• If you find asbestos or lead, how will we agree on the change before more work proceeds?
• If the quote says "removal," what new wiring does it include?

How VoltGen quotes this

VoltGen Energy is led by Hovik Akopyan and serves Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, and Los Angeles, including Studio City. Every job gets a written estimate after a site walk-through, before work starts.

On rewiring jobs the estimate spells out which walls are opened and who repairs them. Use that written scope to understand the proposed work and compare it with other estimates, rather than comparing only the bottom-line number.

VoltGen Energy operates under Akopi Builders, CSLB #1112420. Electrical work is performed by licensed C-10 electrical contractors.

Where these numbers come from

• HomeGuide, “Cost to replace knob and tube wiring” (2026): national replacement ranges, size-based examples, and lath-and-plaster ceiling repair pricing.
• A Los Angeles electrical contractor's cost article, citing Angi, for the local labor premium. It is not a knob-and-tube price study.
• LADBS, City of Los Angeles permit information: the permit authority for Los Angeles properties.
• City of Pasadena, Permit Center page: the Pasadena permit office and its phone number.
• City of Burbank, Building & Safety page: the Burbank permit office and building-code effective date.