Home Remodel EElectrician

Call us at (503) 981-3320

We can provide you with a design that fits your budget and expert installation for your home remodel project no matter the size.

Home Remodel Electrician

Being detail oriented is as important to planning as it is to installation. When we plan a home remodel wiring project, we are methodical: Assess the existing system, calculate electrical loads, check local codes, and create a wiring floor plan.

If you are only replacing existing devices—changing a light fixture, replacing a faulty switch, or upgrading a receptacle, for example—you still need an Oregon Electrical Trade permit from the local building department.

It is best to start by inspecting the fuse box or breaker panel. By looking at the outside of the service panel and wiring that’s exposed in the basement and attic, we can get a basic overview of the system’s condition. If the panel has unused breaker spaces and the wiring insulation is in decent shape, you can probably continue using it and safely add an outlet or two if there is sufficient capacity. However, if the system seems unsafe or inadequate, you may need to consider upgrading by replacement your electrical panel. Here is a list of things we look for:

-Rust and corrosion on the outside of the service box or on the cable or conduit feeding it.

-Melted wire insulation inside of the electrical panel.

-Oversized fuses or breakers.

-Missing cable connectors.

-Grounding System installed to code.

The next step is to assess the condition of the existing home wiring. To the greatest extent possible, it is important to take a good look at the wiring in the home so that any repairs or replacement that would be required can be accounted for in your remodel budget. Obviously we can’t see through your walls at every possible cable, but the cabling we can access we are going to look at some of the following items:

-Deteriorated cabling.

-Type of cabling existing. (2-wire, NM, knob & tube, etc)

-Size of cabling installed vs. current load on the circuit

-Wire splices type and locations

A final review of your electrical home service to ensure it has adequate size will be completed. Some considerations are outlined below.

Next you will need to consider the placement of your switches. This can be hard to do if your home hasn't been constructed yet. It helps if you look at your floor plan and visualize walking through the space. Try and picture how you would walk through your home and where you'd expect to reach out and turn a light on or off. We recommend physically walking through the home once the walls are framed as if you live there to determine the best location for switches. Here are a few things to consider:

  • Fuse box service. If you’ve got a fuse box with a 30-amp or 60-amp main fuse, the best advice we can give is to upgrade your service. Don’t add outlets or circuits until you replace the fuse box with a breaker panel. Fused mains are often abused by people trying to bypass its protection, so insurance companies often charge higher premiums on houses with fuse boxes.
  • Adding outlets. If you have a breaker panel with space to add an additional breaker, you can most likely add a circuit to feed a new outlet or two or more lights. If, for example, you have three-wire service and a 100-amp main, you may have excess capacity.
  • Adding a circuit for general use. If there is an unused space in the panel, we will need to determine whether the panel can handle another circuit.
  • Adding a kitchen or bath circuit. If you want to add a bath fan or some new light fixtures, and there’s space in the panel, we need to see if you can add a circuit. Adding a 20-amp, small-appliance circuit to reduce the load on an existing circuit is smart.
  • Remodeling a kitchen. Kitchens are complicated and often full of big energy users. If there aren’t many open spaces for breakers, you may need to upgrade to a larger panel.
  • Adding dedicated circuits. If you need to add dedicated circuits for heavy-use items such as an electric range (50 amps) or a hot tub (60 amps), we will need to get out the calculator and do the math to ensure your existing service can handle the additional load.

Once this overall electrical service assessment has been completed, we can help you and your builder create a new design for your remodel area including lighting, plugs, switches and equipment that incorporates your wants and needs into your remodel budget.