Old houses need careful hands
New Bern has some of the oldest houses in North Carolina, and plenty of mid-century homes that have never had their wiring updated. Electrical work in these houses is less about speed and more about care. Walls are plaster, trim is original, and the owner wants the house to look the same when we leave.
What we usually find, and fix:
- Fuse boxes and undersized panels that can't take modern loads like heat pumps and kitchen appliances.
- Two-prong, ungrounded outlets that won't protect electronics and fail a home inspection.
- Old cloth-insulated wiring that has gone brittle in attics and crawlspaces.
- Circuits added over the years by whoever was handy, with splices buried in walls and no junction boxes.
We plan wiring routes through attics, crawlspaces and closets to keep openings in finished walls to a minimum, and we tell you before we cut anything.
When your insurer asks about your panel
Some insurance companies won't write or renew a policy on a house with certain older brands of panels, or with a fuse box. If you've gotten that letter, we can replace the panel, pull the permit and get the inspection done, and you'll have the paperwork your insurer wants to see.
Living on the water
Florence pushed a storm surge of around 10 feet up the Neuse and Trent in 2018, and New Bern took the worst of it. Homes along the rivers live with moisture, salt and the chance of flooding, and their electrical should be built for that: service equipment kept above the likely water line where possible, and outdoor circuits protected and weather-rated. After a flood, anything that went underwater has to be checked before it's turned back on.
Downtown and along US 70
New Bern's businesses get the same care. We handle commercial electrical for downtown shops, restaurants, offices and churches, and industrial electrical and machinery moving for the manufacturers around the city.
Power and permits in New Bern
Most of the city buys power from the City of New Bern's municipal electric utility; some areas are on Duke Energy Progress. Electrical permits go through City of New Bern Inspections inside the city and Craven County outside it. We coordinate with the utility and pull the permit.
For Generac generators, call Rebecca at (910) 330-1860.
Communities we serve around New Bern
New Bern, Trent Woods, River Bend, James City, Bridgeton, Fairfield Harbour, Vanceboro, Cove City and Pollocksville, along US 70, US 17 and NC 43, plus nearby Havelock, Trenton and Kinston.
Common questions
Can you rewire an old house without tearing out the plaster?
Usually most of it. We route new wiring through attics, crawlspaces and closets and keep wall openings small. Some openings are unavoidable, and we'll show you where before we start.
My insurance company wants my panel replaced. Can you help?
Yes. We replace the panel, pull the permit and get it inspected, so you have documentation for your insurer.
Who issues electrical permits in New Bern?
City of New Bern Inspections inside city limits, and Craven County outside the city. We pull the permit for you.