What To Look For During Your Electrical Home Inspection

What to Think About When Getting an Electrical Home Inspection

An electrical home inspection is one of the most important things homeowners can do to ensure the safety of anyone who steps foot inside their home. Not only do electrical safety inspections provide peace of mind, but can save thousands of dollars in electrical nightmares.

What is an electrical home inspection?

During an electrical home inspection, a certified home inspector will thoroughly examine the status of your entire electrical system to reveal any electrical component deficiencies and ensure all electrical systems, components, and wires meet legal and safety standards. When examining your home, the inspector should operate under The National Electrical Code (NEC), an adoptable standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment in the United States. Upon completion of your electrical home inspection, they will provide you with a prioritized, detailed, checklist highlighting areas in need of immediate attention, potential upgrades, and recommendations for improvements.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recommends you conduct an electrical home inspection if:

Your home is 40 years old or older

You purchase a pre-owned home

Your home has undergone any major renovations

You’ve added major new appliances in the last 10 years

How do I check if my home is safe from electrical hazards?

An electrical home inspection is important for the safety of your home and offers peace of mind in everything from safe operation of electrical components and electrocution prevention to recognizing outdated wiring and reducing energy costs. ESFI offers a number of resources that offer questions and tips to help you and your Raleigh electrical home inspector to identify any potential hazards, including information on electrical switches and outlets, electrical cords, lamps and appliances, and electrical panels.

We recommend that you hire a certified home inspector to provide you with a detailed, prioritized report on all areas of attention concerning your home electrical system. Don’t wait, ensure the safety of your family and friends. Once you’ve received your report, we can help with any necessary repairs.

Home Inspection Cost

A home inspection costs $336, with most homeowners spending between $278 and $399. The actual costs depend on where you’re located, as well as the size of your home. Many home inspections have a fixed price for home of up to 2,000 square feet. For every additional 500 square feet, they charge $25 extra.

Average Cost of Home Inspection

The average cost of home inspection is $336, but it varies depending on whether you own a house, condo or mobile home. Veterans Affairs inspections costs are on average as regular home inspection costs.

House Inspection Cost

A house inspection costs around $315 for homes that are between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet. Larger homes over 2,000 square feet cost $400 or more.

Condo Inspection Cost

Condo inspection costs as little as $200 for an area of less than 1,000 square feet.

Mobile Home Inspection Cost

Mobile home inspection costs $250, but if you have a double- or triple wide, it will cost more.

Home Inspection

HIABC is a self-regulating Association of professional home and property inspectors, representing all regions of British Columbia. They are committed to protecting consumers through stringent membership requirements, mandatory ongoing training programs, and detailed HIABC Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.  HIABC was instrumental in seeking provincial regulatory control of the home inspection industry which came into effect April 1, 2009.  All BC practicing home and property inspectors must now be licensed through Consumer Protection BC,  responsible for licensing and administering of regulations.

HIABC, the largest association of home inspectors in the province, has been critical of lax laws and non-existent inspection standards since our inception in 1991.  Since licensing for home inspectors was enacted in 2009, they continue to work with CPBC and the Government to close loopholes that allow insufficiently trained inspectors to conduct home inspections, and have pushed to raise standards to ensure every home buyer gets a comprehensive and accurate home inspection from the industry.

Before you buy a home, one of the things you should do is to have the home checked out by a professional home inspector. Buying a home is expensive enough as it is – why would you choose to fork over another $450 if you’re not required to? Here is what a home inspection can reveal and why you shouldn’t forgo this optional procedure.

Your first clue that a home inspection is important is that it can be used as a contingency in your purchase offer. This contingency provides that if significant defects are revealed by a home inspection, you can back out of your offer, free of penalty, within a certain timeframe. The potential problems a home can have must be pretty serious if they could allow you to walk away from such a significant contract.

Inspectors vary in experience, ability and thoroughness, but a good inspector should examine certain components of the home you want to purchase and then produce a report covering his or her findings. The typical inspection lasts two to three hours and you should be present for the inspection to get a firsthand explanation of the inspector’s findings and, if necessary, ask questions. Also, any problems the inspector uncovers will make more sense if you see them in person instead of relying solely on the snapshot photos in the report.

Electrical Inspection Services

What kind of condition is your home or business’s electric infrastructure in? Just because your lights are on and your electronic devices receive power when they are plugged in doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is fine. And unless you are a licensed electrician, the chances of you recognizing that there’s a problem with your home or business’s electrical work before the damage is done are very low. So, what can you do to protect your property from fires, shocks, surges and other electrical hazards?

Why Electrical Inspections are Important

There are plenty of home and business owners who have lived to regret their decision to get an electrical inspection. An electrical inspection is essential to ensuring the safety of your home or business.

There is never a bad time for additional peace of mind that your residential or commercial property is vulnerable to electrical hazards. So, if you want to take advantage of the best electrical inspection services the area has to offer

electrical inspection services by:

Assuring the safe operation of electrical components throughout your home and business.

Identifying common electrical mistakes by unlicensed contractors and DIY owners.

Recognizing outdated wiring like aluminum or knob and tube.

Identifying electrical wiring and components that may have degraded over time.

Spotting oversized fuses or breakers that could lead to fire.

Correcting any potential fire and safety hazards.

Adding or replacing more efficient electrical components to help save energy and reduce your monthly utility bills.

Meeting insurance risk assessment inspection requirements.

Making sure that the building’s electrical work is safe before you purchase it.

Things You Should Know About Your Home Inspection

Home inspections are a vital part of the home buying and selling process but do you know what home inspectors actually do or if a house can even fail a home inspection? Luckily, we’ve put together the top twenty most frequently asked questions about home inspections and asked the professionals to answer them. Here is everything you need to know about your home inspection.

What is a home inspection?

Without a comprehensive home inspection, you could end up paying thousands of dollars in repairs or possibly buy a house that is unsafe.

Why do I need a home inspection?

If you are planning to buy or sell a home, it is recommended that you hire a certified home inspector to conduct the inspection. This is one way to learn the condition of the home and potentially gain more negotiating power during the sale/purchase of the home.

How much is a home inspection?

Based on more than 80,000 home inspections conducted during the last year, our data shows that the average home inspection costs $358

Why can’t I do a home inspection myself?

When you’re purchasing a home there are many things to consider. From negotiating the price to understanding the resale value, the tasks can become overwhelming.