Electrical inspection cost

An electrical inspection costs $200 to $600, typically around $350. A full report on an older house runs $400 to $800. A municipal inspection tied to a permit is $50 to $300 and is a different thing entirely.

It is the cheapest way to find out whether the wiring in a house you own, or are buying, is a maintenance item or a five-figure project.

What it costs

When it is worth paying for one

Buying a house built before 1980. A general home inspector opens the panel cover, tests a sample of outlets and writes two paragraphs. An electrician spends two hours and tells you whether you are buying a $500 problem or a $20,000 one.

Any house where the inspection report says knob and tube, aluminium branch wiring, or a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel. Each of those is a specific and expensive finding, and you want the number before the inspection period closes.

Before a major renovation, so the electrical scope is known before the budget is set rather than after the walls are open.

When the insurer asks, which they increasingly do on older houses.

After buying a house where the previous owner clearly did their own work. This is more common than people expect and it is where the genuinely alarming things are.

If breakers trip regularly, lights flicker, or anything is warm.

What a real inspection covers

Ask for the scope in writing before booking. It should include:

• The service entrance, meter and main disconnect, and the service capacity
• The panel: brand, age, breaker condition, double-tapped breakers, correct sizing, neutral and ground arrangement
• A representative sample of outlets and switches, tested for ground, polarity and GFCI function
• GFCI and AFCI protection where code requires it
• Visible wiring in the basement, attic, garage and crawl space
• Wiring type and age, and any aluminium or knob and tube
• Junction boxes: covered, accessible, no splices outside boxes
• Bonding and grounding of the electrode system, and of gas and water piping
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
• A written report with photographs and a prioritised list

That last point matters most. A list of forty findings with no priority is not useful. You want to know which three things to do this month.

The panel brands worth knowing about

Two specific panel types come up repeatedly and both are legitimate findings:

Federal Pacific Stab-Lok. Widely installed from the 1950s to the 1980s. Independent testing found a significant proportion of breakers failed to trip on overload. Replacement costs $1,500 to $4,000 and most electricians recommend it.

Zinsco and Sylvania-Zinsco. Similar era, similar concern: breakers that can fail to trip, and bus bars that deteriorate. Same recommendation.

Neither is a code violation, and neither can be repaired. Insurers increasingly ask about both.

Frequently asked questions

Is the electrical part of a home inspection enough?

For a house built in the last thirty years, usually. For an older one, no. A general inspector is a generalist and is explicitly not doing an electrical survey.

What is thermal imaging for?

An infrared camera under load finds hot connections inside panels and behind devices before they fail. It is genuinely useful on a large or old panel and it is an add-on rather than a replacement for a visual inspection.

Will the inspector fix what they find?

Some will quote and some will not, and there is an obvious reason to prefer a report from someone who is not selling the remedy. If the same firm does both, get the repair quote checked by a second company.

What is a four-point inspection?

An insurer's short-form survey of roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, usually required on houses over about 30 years old before they will write a policy. It costs $100 to $300 and is narrower than a real electrical inspection.

How long does it take?

Two to four hours for a thorough job on an average house, and longer if the panel is crowded or the crawl space is difficult. Anything done in forty minutes was a look rather than an inspection.