Does a full rewire of a 1940s Kitsilano house really cost $25,000?

A full rewire of a 1940s Kitsilano house sits in the $15,000 to $35,000 range for most Metro Vancouver jobs, so $25,000 is squarely in the middle and not an unreasonable number. Whether it lands at the low or high end depends on a handful of factors that are very specific to these older character homes.

What moves the price on a Kitsilano rewire

The biggest variable is wall access. If the house is being renovated and walls are already open, a rewire can cost dramatically less, sometimes $12,000 to $18,000, because the electrician isn't fishing wire through plaster and lathe or cutting and patching drywall. A fully finished house with intact plaster walls, a tight crawlspace and no attic access can push the job toward $30,000 to $35,000 or beyond, because every metre of new wire is a battle.

Pre-1950 Kitsilano homes almost always have knob-and-tube wiring, and many still have a 60-amp fuse panel. A rewire almost always includes a service upgrade to 200 amps, which adds $3,500 to $6,000 on its own and requires BC Hydro to disconnect and reconnect the service drop. That coordination adds time and a BC Hydro fee, typically around $1,200, which should appear in the quote. If the service mast needs to move or the underground lateral is involved, costs climb further.

The square footage matters too. A 1,200-square-foot bungalow and a 2,500-square-foot two-storey with a finished basement are very different jobs. Expect the electrician to count circuits: a modern rewire of a house this age typically adds dedicated circuits for the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, and any EV charger or heat pump you're planning, all of which add to the circuit count and the permit fee.

Speaking of permits: in Kitsilano, the electrical permit is issued by the City of Vancouver's own inspection program, not Technical Safety BC. The City of Vancouver permit fee for a full rewire is typically in the $300 to $500 range and should be included in the contractor's quote. Inspections happen in stages, so the job isn't done until the final inspection passes.

A fair quote for a full rewire should include the permit and all inspections, BC Hydro coordination, the service upgrade if needed, all new devices and panel, and a clear statement about drywall patching. Some electricians exclude patching entirely; others include basic patching but not finishing or painting. Get that in writing before you sign anything.

Before hiring, ask the contractor for their Technical Safety BC licence number and confirm it on the Technical Safety BC website. Ask for proof of WorkSafeBC coverage and liability insurance. Ask whether the quote changes if they find asbestos insulation around the old knob-and-tube (it sometimes does in houses this age, and remediation is a separate trade). Also ask whether the quote covers the full panel replacement or just the rewire.

One more thing worth knowing: most BC home insurers will not renew or will heavily surcharge a policy on a house with active knob-and-tube wiring. Getting the rewire done and the permit closed is often the trigger for getting standard coverage reinstated, which is a real financial benefit beyond just the electrical upgrade.

Want quotes for this? Vancouver Electrical Repair can match you with local electricians who work in Kitsilano and the surrounding neighbourhoods, for free.