The most expensive electrical problems in a house are invisible during a showing — and mostly invisible to a general home inspection too. A dedicated electrical inspection exists to close that gap before you're the one who owns it.
What we actually do on site
The panel comes open first. With the cover off, we inspect every breaker termination and bus connection for the browning and heat signatures that predict failure, check for double-tapped breakers and undersized wire, and verify the service grounding and bonding to the water line. Then we work through the house: outlet testing for polarity, grounding, and GFCI protection where code requires it, switch and fixture sampling, attic and basement checks for knob-and-tube or junction boxes buried under insulation, and a check of smoke and CO alarm placement against the Fire Code. In 1965–76 homes we specifically confirm whether branch wiring is aluminum and whether it's been remediated.
You get a written report with photos, severity ratings, and — this is the part that matters in a transaction — repair quotes for everything found.
How this differs from the home inspection
No criticism of home inspectors: their scope is the whole house and their electrical review is deliberately visual and non-invasive. They'll catch missing cover plates and obvious DIY; they generally won't remove the panel cover, won't test each circuit, and can't quote repairs. The two inspections are complements — the home inspection tells you where to worry, ours tells you exactly what it costs.
What it's worth in negotiation
Findings with numbers attached move prices. Active knob-and-tube is a $9,000–$15,000 conversation (cost guide); a 60-amp fuse service is $4,000–$6,000 (panel upgrade pricing); aluminum remediation is $2,500–$5,000. On older GTA homes, our $250–$400 inspection routinely surfaces five figures of legitimate negotiation — or the peace of mind that you're not buying a project. Either outcome pays for the visit many times over.
Booking inside a tight conditional window? We prioritize pre-purchase inspections and deliver reports same-day — call 416-837-4038 with your address and condition deadline.