Home Inspection
Electrical System Inspection
Electrical failures don’t announce themselves. Overloaded circuits, corroded breakers, deteriorating insulation, and panels with known defects all operate normally — right up until they don’t. By then you’re dealing with a tripped breaker in the best case, a house fire in the worst. We find what’s building toward failure before it gets there.
New to NorTech? Save 15% off your first service — electrical inspection, electrical repairs, panel upgrades, or any home service in our catalog.
Use code
NORTECH15
at checkout.
Dangerous Panel Brands & Wiring Types Still in Millions of Homes
Certain electrical panels and wiring types have well-documented safety defects — and many are still installed in homes across the country. Insurance companies routinely deny coverage or charge significant surcharges for homes with these systems. If your home was built before 1990 and has never had an electrical inspection, there’s a meaningful chance one of these is present:
Our inspection identifies all of these and documents their presence — information you need whether you’re staying, selling, or filing an insurance application.
Inspection Only — Documented Findings, No Repair Pressure
Electrical inspections are high-stakes, and some contractors use findings to manufacture urgency or inflate repair scope. Our technicians document exactly what they find — with photos, severity ratings, and plain-language explanations. If your system is safe and adequate, the report says so. Every finding is rated and explained so you can make informed decisions about what to address and when, without pressure.
What’s Covered
Six Electrical Systems. One Complete Assessment.
Your home’s electrical system is one interconnected infrastructure — from the service entrance to the outlets in every room. We inspect all of it, from the panel to the periphery, in a single visit.
Electrical Panel & Breakers
The panel is the nerve center of your home’s electrical system. Defective breakers, overloaded buses, corroded connections, and improperly rated circuits are all panel-level problems that can’t be detected without a qualified inspection.
- Identify panel brand and model — flag known defective brands (Federal Pacific, Zinsco)
- Inspect bus bars, neutral bar, and ground connections for corrosion or burning
- Test breakers for proper trip function and capacity rating
- Check for double-tapped breakers, improper wire gauges, and missing knockouts
- Assess total panel capacity vs. current and projected load demand
- Inspect subpanels, disconnects, and meter base if accessible
Wiring Integrity & Grounding
Wiring problems are the most dangerous electrical issues because they’re the most invisible. Deteriorating insulation, aluminum branch wiring, knob-and-tube remnants, and improper connections can all exist in walls without any surface symptom.
- Identify wiring type throughout accessible areas — copper, aluminum, knob-and-tube
- Inspect visible wiring in attic, crawlspace, basement, and service areas
- Check for open splices, improper junction boxes, or missing covers
- Test grounding continuity at outlets, panel, and appliance connections
- Identify any evidence of DIY or unpermitted wiring modifications
- Flag any wiring with cracked, melted, or deteriorated insulation
Outlets, Switches & GFCI / AFCI
Outlets and switches are the most-touched part of your electrical system and among the most commonly improperly installed. Reversed polarity, missing grounds, and absent GFCI protection in required locations are extremely common — and correctable.
- Test voltage, polarity, and grounding at representative outlets throughout the home
- Check for warm or discolored faceplates — signs of arcing or overload behind the wall
- Test all GFCI outlets and breakers in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and exterior zones
- Verify AFCI breaker coverage in bedrooms and living areas per current NEC requirements
- Inspect for ungrounded two-prong outlets — identify scope and remediation options
- Check smart switches, dimmers, and USB outlets for compatibility and safe installation
Lighting & Fixture Safety
Lighting fixtures are one of the most common sources of hidden heat buildup — particularly recessed lights in insulated ceilings and ceiling fans with improper wiring connections. Overlamping and amateur installations are extremely common.
- Test all accessible lighting fixtures for proper function and wiring condition
- Check recessed lighting fixtures for IC rating compliance in insulated ceilings
- Inspect ceiling fans for secure mounting, proper wiring, and correct box rating
- Identify overlamped fixtures — bulbs exceeding fixture wattage rating
- Check outdoor lighting for weatherproofing, GFCI protection, and proper fixtures
- Test any whole-home lighting controls or smart systems for correct installation
Surge Protection & Backup Power
Whole-home surge protection is one of the most cost-effective electrical upgrades available — and one of the least understood. A single lightning event or utility surge can destroy thousands of dollars of electronics and appliances without it.
- Assess presence and condition of whole-home surge protection at the panel
- Check point-of-use surge protectors at major appliances and sensitive electronics
- Inspect any installed generator, transfer switch, or interlock kit for safe installation
- Evaluate UPS and battery backup systems for correct sizing and function
- Review grounding system adequacy for effective surge dissipation
- Recommend upgrades based on home electronics load and storm exposure
Code Compliance & Capacity Assessment
Electrical codes evolve. A home wired to 1985 code is legal but may not meet current safety standards — and won’t support the load demands of modern appliances, EV chargers, or smart home systems without upgrades.
- Identify code deficiencies relative to current NEC and local requirements
- Assess total service amperage vs. current and anticipated load (EV, additions, etc.)
- Review circuit segmentation — flag circuits serving too many high-draw appliances
- Identify missing smoke detector wiring or interconnection where required
- Document any conditions that would affect home sale, insurance, or permit applications
- Provide prioritized upgrade roadmap if deficiencies exist
Visual Reference Guide
Safe vs. Dangerous — What Our Technicians Look For
Most electrical hazards are invisible from the outside — but they leave evidence that a trained inspector knows how to read. Here’s what separates safe from concerning across the most critical components.
Panel Interior
✓ Safe
✗ Dangerous
Labeled circuits, single wire per breaker terminal, clean bus bars, no discoloration or odor
Double-tapped breakers, burn marks on bus bar, unlabeled circuits, corrosion at neutral bar — active arcing risk
Outlet Condition
✓ Safe
✗ Dangerous
Three-prong grounded, correct polarity, snug plug fit, no discoloration around faceplate
Two-prong ungrounded, reversed polarity, warm or discolored faceplate — arcing behind the wall
GFCI Protection
✓ Compliant
✗ Missing
GFCI outlets or breakers protecting all kitchen, bath, garage, exterior, and wet-area circuits — test button works
Standard outlets within 6 feet of a water source with no GFCI protection — shock hazard, code violation
Wiring Type
✓ Current
✗ Flagged
Modern copper Romex with intact plastic sheathing, properly stapled, routed, and protected at penetrations
Cloth-sheathed knob-and-tube, aluminum branch wiring, or Romex with cracked/melted insulation — fire risk
Recessed Lighting
✓ Correct
✗ Problem
IC-rated fixture in insulated ceiling, correct bulb wattage, no insulation packed directly against housing
Non-IC fixture surrounded by insulation — fixture runs hot, insulation contact is a sustained ignition risk
Junction Box
✓ Safe
✗ Violation
All splices inside a covered, accessible junction box — wire nuts secure, box not overfilled
Open splice in attic or wall cavity with no box — exposed connections are an arc and fire risk, always a code violation
Don’t Ignore These
Six Electrical Warning Signs That Mean Act Now
These aren’t quirks or inconveniences — they’re symptoms of active electrical problems that get more dangerous with every day they go unaddressed. If you recognize any of these, book an inspection before doing anything else.
Lights That Flicker or Dim
Occasional flickering when a large appliance starts is normal. Persistent flickering, flickering across multiple rooms, or dimming that correlates with nothing you can identify means there’s a loose connection, failing breaker, or overloaded circuit somewhere in the system — all of which generate heat and arcing risk.
Warm Outlets, Switches, or Cover Plates
An outlet or switch cover plate that’s warm or hot to the touch is not normal — ever. It means there’s a loose connection, overloaded circuit, or arcing happening inside the wall at that location. Arcing is the leading cause of electrical fires. A warm faceplate is the wall telling you something is burning behind it.
Burning Smell with No Visible Source
A burning smell that you can’t trace to an appliance or stove is almost certainly electrical — burning insulation, arcing connections, or an overloaded wire somewhere in your walls or panel. This is a same-day inspection situation. Don’t wait for it to resolve on its own.
Breakers That Keep Tripping
A breaker that trips occasionally when you overload a circuit is doing its job. A breaker that trips repeatedly on normal loads — or one that won’t reset and hold — is a failing breaker or a circuit with a fault. Resetting it repeatedly without investigating is how electrical fires start.
Buzzing, Crackling, or Humming from the Panel
A quiet hum from a transformer is normal. Buzzing, crackling, or clicking from your electrical panel is not — it indicates a loose breaker connection, a failing breaker, or arcing on the bus bar. These sounds mean active electrical arcing, which is a fire precursor. Don’t investigate the panel yourself. Book an inspection.
Two-Prong Outlets Throughout the Home
A home full of two-prong ungrounded outlets typically means the wiring predates the 1960s grounding requirements — which also means it’s likely aluminum or knob-and-tube wiring of unknown condition behind those walls. The ungrounded outlets are the visible symptom of a whole-home electrical system that needs assessment.
The Process
What to Expect During Your Electrical Inspection
A NorTech Electrical Inspection covers every accessible part of your home’s electrical system — from the service entrance and panel to outlets, wiring, lighting, and surge protection. Most visits run 60–90 minutes.
System History & Concern Brief
Your technician reviews your home’s age, any known electrical history — past repairs, panel replacements, additions — and any specific symptoms or concerns you’ve noticed. Context about your home’s history meaningfully shapes what the inspection prioritizes.
Panel, Service & Wiring Assessment
The panel is opened and inspected — breakers tested, bus bars and connections examined, wiring types identified, and overall capacity assessed. Accessible wiring in attic, basement, or crawlspace is inspected for condition, type, and compliance.
Outlet, Switch, Lighting & GFCI/AFCI Testing
Every representative outlet is tested for voltage, polarity, and grounding. GFCI and AFCI protection is verified in all required locations. Lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, and accessible switching are inspected for proper installation and heat safety.
24-Hour Report with Prioritized Findings
Your full report is delivered within 24 hours — every finding organized by severity (Safe / Monitor / Service Soon / Urgent), with photos, plain-language explanations, NEC code references where applicable, and estimated repair costs. Stored permanently in your customer portal.
What Does an Electrical System Inspection Cost?
Pricing varies by home size and system complexity. Get your exact quote in minutes — no obligation to proceed with any repairs.
Before Your Visit
How to Prepare for Your Electrical Inspection
Clear access is the single most important thing you can do. An inspector who can’t reach the panel or open the attic hatch can’t do a thorough assessment.
Prep Checklist
- Clear access to your main electrical panel — move anything stored in front of or around the panel. NEC requires 36 inches of clear working space in front of all panels. Your technician needs to open and inspect inside the panel door.
- Locate any subpanels — if your home has a subpanel in the garage, basement, or workshop, make sure that area is accessible as well
- Clear attic and crawlspace access — if wiring runs through your attic or crawlspace, those access points need to be unobstructed so the technician can inspect wiring in those areas
- Know your home’s age and any electrical history — if you have records of any electrical work, permit pulls, or panel replacements, have that information ready. If you know the original build year, that’s valuable context
- Note specific symptoms or concerns — write down any flickering fixtures, warm outlets, frequently tripping breakers, or rooms that have consistently weaker power. The technician will specifically evaluate those areas
- Ensure all areas of the home are accessible — locked rooms, blocked closets, and areas the technician can’t enter will create gaps in the assessment
Related Services
Electrical Services & Related Inspections
From inspection findings to full electrical service — NorTech handles what comes next.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the inspection scope, dangerous panel brands, insurance implications, and what happens after findings are documented.
Open your electrical panel door and look at the breaker brand name — Federal Pacific panels will say “Stab-Lok” or “Federal Pacific Electric” on the breakers. Zinsco panels typically say “Zinsco” or “Sylvania” on the breaker faces and have a distinctive color-coded breaker design. If your panel is a gray metal box with no visible branding or you’re not sure, that’s exactly what the inspection is designed to determine.
Both brands have documented failure rates — Federal Pacific breakers fail to trip under overload conditions, Zinsco breakers can overheat and weld to the bus bar. Many insurance companies will not write new policies on homes with either panel, or will require replacement as a condition of coverage.
Yes — in two important ways. First, if your insurer is questioning your panel or wiring type, a documented inspection with photos and a certified technician’s findings can support your case. Second, if an inspection reveals a problem that you then have repaired, a follow-up confirmation of the repair can satisfy an insurer’s condition for coverage. Some insurers will also reduce premiums for homes with documented surge protection and updated GFCI/AFCI coverage.
Yes — the inspection covers all accessible areas of the home including attached garages, exterior outlets and lighting, accessible attic and basement wiring, and any outbuildings with connected electrical service. Detached structures with their own subpanels are included as part of a full-home inspection. When you book, specify all structures on the property so the technician can plan the visit accordingly.
Possibly — it depends on the scope of the rewire and what was done. A partial rewire that updated the kitchen and bathrooms but left original wiring in bedrooms and hallways is common, and those older sections may still be aluminum, knob-and-tube, or cloth-sheathed wiring. An inspection tells you exactly what’s present and where, regardless of what work was done and when. It also verifies that the work that was done was done correctly.
Urgent findings are flagged immediately during the inspection — your technician will alert you to any condition that poses an active risk before leaving the property. These are documented with the highest severity rating in your report. For genuinely dangerous conditions — active arcing, a panel with severe heat damage, or a known imminent failure — your technician will explain the risk clearly and you can request an emergency repair quote through your customer portal the same day. You’re never pressured, but you’ll always have the information you need to act quickly if the situation warrants it.
The inspection assesses your panel’s current load, available breaker spaces, and total service amperage — the three factors that determine whether your panel can support an EV charger (typically 40–50A dedicated circuit) or solar inverter connection without an upgrade. This is one of the most common reasons homeowners in pre-2000 homes book an electrical inspection before starting an EV charger or solar installation project.
Yes — same-day availability in 100+ cities. If you’re experiencing an active symptom — burning smell, warm outlets, a panel making unusual sounds — flag the urgency when booking and we’ll prioritize your appointment. For any situation involving visible sparks, smoke, or a smell you can’t identify, leave the area and call 911 before booking a service appointment.
