Electrical Inspections

For most homes, a professional electrical inspection every 10 years is a reasonable baseline — more frequently if the home is older, has had significant renovations, or has shown signs of electrical trouble. Beyond routine maintenance, there are specific situations that warrant an inspection regardless of when the last one was done: purchasing a home, completing a major remodel, adding a significant new electrical load (like an EV charger or hot tub), or moving into a home that’s more than 25-30 years old. When in doubt, an inspection is always worth the peace of mind.

Not quite. A general home inspector performs a visual survey of accessible electrical components as part of a broader whole-home inspection. They’re trained to identify obvious issues and flag them for further evaluation — but they’re not licensed electricians and aren’t equipped to diagnose electrical problems in depth. A licensed electrician’s inspection goes significantly further: we test circuits, evaluate panel condition and capacity, check grounding and bonding, and identify issues that aren’t visible to the untrained eye. If a home inspector has flagged electrical concerns on a property you’re buying, a licensed electrician inspection is the logical next step.

The issues we encounter most frequently include undersized or outdated panels, double-tapped breakers, missing or improperly installed GFCI and AFCI protection, ungrounded outlets, aluminum wiring in older homes, DIY electrical work that doesn’t meet code, improperly sized breakers for the circuits they’re protecting, and deteriorating wiring insulation. Many of these issues have been present for years without causing an obvious problem — but they represent real safety risks that are worth addressing before they become emergencies.

It’s not required, but it’s often a smart move. Having a licensed electrician inspect your home before listing gives you the opportunity to identify and address any electrical issues on your own terms — rather than having them surface during the buyer’s inspection and potentially derail your sale or give the buyer leverage to negotiate a lower price. Sellers who take care of known issues upfront tend to have smoother transactions and fewer last-minute surprises.

For a typical single-family home, an electrical inspection generally takes one to two hours depending on the size of the home, the age of the system, and what we find along the way. Larger homes, older systems, or properties with complex electrical setups may take longer. We’ll give you a realistic time estimate when you schedule, and we’ll make sure you have a thorough written summary of our findings before we leave.