What An Electrical Safety Inspection Covers

An inspection is mostly a systematic version of what a homeowner half notices over years. Doing it deliberately is what turns a vague unease into a list.

At the service and panel

The size of the incoming service, the condition of the main, whether breakers match the wire they protect, whether anything has been doubled up on a terminal, and evidence of heat or corrosion.

Through the house

• Protective devices where they belong, near water and outdoors
• Outlets tested for correct wiring and for reversed polarity
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, their placement and their age
• Junction boxes that are covered and accessible
• Fixtures and fans mounted to something rated to hold them

In the older corners

Attics, crawl spaces and garages are where previous work tends to be found. Splices outside a box, extension cords used as permanent wiring, and circuits added without anybody updating what the panel says are all common and all fixable.

What you should get out of it

A written list, sorted by what is a safety issue now and what is a plan for later. Not everything found needs doing this month, and an inspection that cannot tell you the difference has not finished the job.