Home electrical inspections may be required for a few different reasons. When someone buys or sells a house, they should hire a professional electrician to perform an electrical inspection. This inspection ensures everything is safe and up to the standards of the National Electric Code. In fact, home insurers and mortgage lenders usually mandate an inspection before they agree to enter into a contract with you. If you have your system required or install new fixtures, you should also have an inspection performed to know the work was done correctly. However, there is no need to panic when you are presented with a failed electrical inspection.
What Issues Do Electricians Look For?
In some cases, your house may not pass an electrical inspection. The inspection is extensive and comprehensive, and several possible issues could result in a failure:
- Lack of GFCI outlets in areas that require them (bathrooms, kitchens, porches, etc.)
- Two-prong outlets–these are ungrounded and thus more prone to causing electric shock
- Exposed wires
- Loose or damaged outlets and light switches
- Outdated or damaged circuit breaker boxes
- Plants touching overhead power lines
- Improperly wired fixtures – typically caused by DIY electrical work or hiring an unlicensed, sloppy electrician.
Failed Electrical Inspection? Do This Next.
It may be distressing to receive a failing electrical report, but it is not the end all be all. In fact, it is a valuable tool to have–you can use it as a detailed guide for any repairs that you need. Here’s what to do next:
- Contact the inspector for clarification about anything you do not understand. It can be helpful to be home during the inspection so that the inspector can directly show you any problems. But if you cannot be home, you should do your best to understand the report thoroughly. Knowing what exactly needs to be repaired will be beneficial when hiring an electrician.
- Change your habits to avoid the areas flagged by the inspector as damaged or failing. Damaged outlets and breakers shouldn’t be used, and exposed wires need to be blocked off so that no one accidentally touches them.
- Find the right electrician to help with your repairs. Professional electricians should hold a legal license to work, be fully insured against liability and injury of their employees on-site, and have good references and experience performing the work they need. Reach out to multiple electricians to receive a few quotes that you can compare. You want the job done correctly the first time so that you do not have to deal with the headache of multiple inspections and paying fines.
- Always have the work warrantied. If possible, the electrician should warranty their work for you to be protected if the work fails again.
- Be sure you’ve got the proper permits. Many types of electrical work (usually the more extensive ones like rewiring) require a permit from your local municipality. In some cases, the homeowner can get it, but some towns may require that only professional electricians can pull it.
- Leave yourself a few days for reinspection. The home inspector has to return and re-inspect the areas that failed during the first inspection. The turnaround time for this process is generally rapid–once the repairs are complete, they will need to return within a day or two.
If you need a professional electrical inspection (or you need to recover from a failed electrical inspection) call Promise Electric today. Our team of master electricians is trusted by hundreds of Sarasota home and business owners.
