A home electrical inspection is a check of your electrical system by a licensed electrician. It looks at the service and panel, grounding, wiring, outlets, GFCI and AFCI protection, and smoke alarms. It is useful when buying or selling, after storm damage, before a big project, or when an older home has never had one.
What an electrical inspection is
The word inspection can mean a few different things. A city or county inspection checks new work done under a permit. A home inspector’s report, done when a house is sold, often flags electrical items for an electrician to look at more closely.
This guide is about the third kind: a licensed electrician looking over your home’s electrical system to find problems and explain them. It is often called a safety inspection or an electrical evaluation.
When to schedule one
An inspection is worth considering in any of these situations.
You are buying or selling a home, or a home inspector flagged electrical items
Your home is older and has never had its electrical system checked
An insurer has asked about your panel or wiring
You are planning a panel upgrade, an EV charger, a spa or a remodel
After storm, flood or fire damage
Breakers trip often, lights flicker, or outlets feel warm
The service and panel
The electrician starts where power enters the home.
The service size and the condition of the meter base and service wires
The panel brand, including brands with known concerns such as Federal Pacific or Zinsco
Signs of heat, rust, water or scorch marks
Breakers matched to the wire they protect
Clear, accurate circuit labels
Clear space in front of the panel for safe access
Grounding and bonding
Grounding gives stray electricity a safe path. Bonding ties metal parts together so they stay at the same voltage. The electrician checks the grounding connection, the bonding of water and gas piping where it applies, and whether outlets that look grounded really are.
Wiring, outlets and switches
Next comes the wiring you can see and the devices on the walls.
Outlets that are loose, cracked, warm, or do not hold a plug
Two-prong outlets and three-prong outlets with no ground
Signs of aluminum branch wiring and the condition of its connections
Exposed wiring in the garage, attic or outdoors
Overloaded circuits and heavy use of extension cords
Switches and fixtures that buzz, flicker or feel warm
GFCI and AFCI protection
GFCIs protect people from shock near water. The CPSC calls for GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, garages and outdoors. AFCIs protect against fires caused by arcing in wiring. The electrician tests existing devices and notes where adding protection would help. Older homes often have little or none of either.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
The CPSC recommends a smoke alarm in every bedroom, outside every sleeping area and on every floor, and a CO alarm outside every sleeping area. The inspection notes where alarms are missing, outdated or not working.
What you get afterward
You should come away knowing what is safe, what needs attention now, and what can wait. A good electrician sorts the findings by how urgent they are and explains each one in plain words.
We do not use an inspection as a sales visit. If your system is in good shape, we will tell you.
How to prepare
A little preparation helps the electrician see what matters.
Clear access to the panel, the attic hatch and the garage outlets
Make a list of anything that has bothered you, such as tripping or warm outlets
Have any home inspector’s report ready to share
Know where outdoor outlets, the spa and pool equipment are located
Older homes in the West Valley
Homes in Sun City were built from 1960 into the late 1970s, and many other West Valley neighborhoods are of a similar age. Homes from that era can have panel brands with known concerns, some aluminum branch wiring, two-prong outlets, and few or no GFCI or AFCI devices. Over the years, many have also had additions and changes, not all of them done to code. An inspection sorts out what is original, what has been changed, and what needs attention.
Inspections for buyers and sellers
If you are buying, an electrical inspection helps you understand what a home inspector flagged and what it would take to fix. If you are selling, it lets you find and fix problems before a buyer’s inspector finds them. Either way, a written list of findings in plain words helps everyone make decisions.
Scheduling an inspection
Call us at (602) 999-2770 and a real person answers. Tell us the age of the home, the reason for the inspection, and any concerns. You will hear the price before anyone drives out. Any repair work we do afterward carries a two-year warranty on labor and material, and we are licensed under AZ ROC #341966.
If an inspection or your own senses turn up heat, a burning smell or smoke at the panel or an outlet, do not wait for a scheduled visit. If you see smoke or fire, get out and call 911.
Common questions
What does a home electrical inspection include?
The service and panel, grounding and bonding, visible wiring, outlets and switches, GFCI and AFCI protection, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Is a home inspector’s report the same as an electrical inspection?
No. A home inspector looks at the whole house and often refers electrical items to a licensed electrician for a closer look.
How often should an older home be inspected?
There is no single rule. It is wise when buying or selling, after storm damage, before major projects, or if the home has never been checked.
