Service
Electrical Inspection
An inspection establishes the actual condition of a system rather than its apparent condition. It is most valuable before you buy, after work has been done, or when something has changed.
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What an inspection can and cannot tell you
An electrical inspection assesses accessible conditions and samples the rest. An electrician can examine the panel thoroughly, test a representative set of outlets and switches, identify the wiring types present, and evaluate grounding and bonding. What no inspection can do is see every inch of conductor inside every wall.
That is a real limitation, and we would rather state it plainly. What a good inspection provides is a well-founded picture of the system’s condition and era, and identification of the specific problems that are actually findable, which in practice is most of the ones that matter.
Code compliance versus safety
These are not the same, and conflating them causes unnecessary alarm. Electrical codes apply when work is done. A home wired in 1978 to the standards of 1978 was compliant then and is not required to be retrofitted to current requirements.
So an inspection report typically separates two things: genuine safety concerns that warrant action, and observations where the installation differs from what would be required today. The second category is useful for prioritising improvements. It is not a list of violations.
When an inspection is most worth having
Before buying, particularly for older properties, where the cost is small against the purchase and the findings are negotiable. After work has been done, especially unpermitted work by a previous owner. When an insurer asks about wiring type or panel make. And before a renovation, because knowing what you are starting from changes what the work involves.
Signs you may need this
- 01Buying a home, particularly one built before the 1980s
- 02A general home inspection flagged electrical concerns
- 03An insurer asking about wiring type or panel make
- 04Recent work you want verified independently
- 05A home that has had many owner modifications over the years
- 06Planning a renovation and needing to know what you are starting from
- 07Selling a home and wanting problems identified before a buyer finds them
Common problems
What actually goes wrong
Undocumented modifications
Homes accumulate work over decades, much of it unpermitted. Circuits get extended, junctions get buried in walls, and outlets get added to circuits already at capacity. None of this is visible from the outside.
Obsolete or defective panels
Certain panel makes have documented histories of breakers failing to trip. Identification matters for both safety and insurance.
Missing GFCI and AFCI protection
Requirements have expanded over successive code cycles. Older homes are not obliged to retrofit, but knowing where protection is absent lets you prioritise.
Grounding and bonding deficiencies
Frequently found in older homes and easy to overlook because nothing appears wrong until a fault occurs. It also prevents surge protection from working.
Ungrounded three-prong outlets
A three-prong outlet on a two-wire circuit looks correct and provides no ground. It is a common finding and a genuine hazard.
Overheating connections
Loose connections generate heat before they fail. Thermal imaging identifies them while they are still developing.
How the work usually goes
- Step 01
Establish scope
A pre-purchase assessment, a targeted safety inspection, and a post-work verification are different exercises. Agreeing which one you need shapes the visit.
- Step 02
Panel examination
Panel make and age, breaker condition, conductor terminations, grounding and bonding, and evidence of heat or corrosion.
- Step 03
Service and grounding assessment
Service entrance condition, capacity, meter base, and the grounding electrode system.
- Step 04
Branch circuit sampling
Testing outlets and switches for polarity, grounding, and GFCI function, and identifying wiring types present.
- Step 05
Thermal assessment where offered
Thermal imaging under load reveals connections running hot before they fail visibly.
- Step 06
Written findings
A report identifying what was found, what is a safety concern, and what is a code-compliance observation. The distinction matters.
Read this first
Safety
considerations
- 01
An inspection is an assessment, not a repair. Findings identify what needs attention; correcting them is separate work.
- 02
A general home inspection is not an electrical inspection. Home inspectors are generalists and are explicitly limited in what they assess.
- 03
Ungrounded three-prong outlets are a frequent finding and a real hazard, precisely because they appear correct.
What affects the cost
We do not
publish prices.
Electricians in the network set their own rates. Quoting a figure on someone else's behalf would not be honest. These are the factors that move the number.
- 01Property size and number of circuits
- 02Depth of inspection, since a visual assessment costs less than one including thermal imaging
- 03Whether a written report is needed for a lender or insurer
- 04Accessibility of the panel, attic, basement, and crawl spaces
- 05Age of the property, since older homes take longer to assess
Straight answers
Electrical Inspection questions
Is this the same as the inspection during a home purchase?
No, and the difference matters. A general home inspector assesses the whole property and is limited in what they examine electrically, typically visible conditions, a sample of outlets, and the panel exterior. A dedicated electrical inspection by a licensed electrician goes considerably deeper. When a general inspection flags electrical concerns, a dedicated inspection is the appropriate follow-up.
How much does an electrical inspection cost?
It varies with property size, depth of inspection, and region. A visual safety assessment sits at the lower end; a detailed inspection with thermal imaging and a written report for a lender or insurer costs more. Ask what is included: specifically whether you get a written report, since that is often what you actually need.
My insurer is asking about knob-and-tube. What should I do?
Have an electrician confirm what is actually present and whether it is still energised. Many homes have knob-and-tube that was abandoned in place during earlier partial rewiring, which is a very different situation from active knob-and-tube. Insurers generally distinguish between the two, but you need documentation from a licensed electrician either way.
Will an inspection tell me my home is up to code?
Not quite, and this is a common misunderstanding. Electrical codes apply at the time work is performed. A home wired in 1975 to 1975 standards is not non-compliant now. It was compliant when built and was never required to be updated. An inspection identifies genuine safety concerns and notes where the installation differs from current requirements, which is useful information but is not the same as a code violation.
Should I get an inspection before selling?
It is often worth it. Finding problems before a buyer's inspector does gives you the choice of fixing them, pricing them in, or disclosing them, rather than renegotiating under time pressure late in a sale. It is particularly worthwhile for older homes and for homes where previous owners did their own work.
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