Electrical Inspection Checklist: Service, Panel, Branch Circuits, and Devices
Electrical findings carry the highest safety stakes of anything in a residential report, and they are also where inspectors most often exceed their scope. This checklist walks the system from the drop to the device, separates what is genuinely observable from what requires a licensed electrician, and flags the specific equipment that insurers and buyers treat as automatic problems.
Who orders this
Every home inspection, every 4-point, and any home built before 1975 or with visible amateur wiring. Also standard before a renovation permit and after any electrical service upgrade.
Service Entrance
Everything downstream is sized by what arrives here. Establish capacity and clearances before opening anything.
- Service type — overhead drop or underground lateral
- Service conductor material and approximate size
- Service rating in amps and whether it matches the main disconnect
- Weatherhead condition and drip loop present
- Service drop clearance over roof, deck, walkway, and driveway
- Mast condition, plumb, and secure attachment
- Meter base condition, seal, and any evidence of tampering
- Main disconnect location and accessibility
- Service entrance cable damage, UV degradation, or exposed conductors
Panel Interior
Remove the deadfront if it is safe to do so, and photograph the label. Note it as a limitation if you cannot.
- Panel manufacturer and model recorded from the label
- Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco, Sylvania-Zinsco, Challenger, or Pushmatic present
- Breaker brand compatibility with the panel listing
- Double-tapped breakers (two conductors under one lug not rated for it)
- Conductor gauge matched to breaker rating on each circuit
- Neutrals and grounds separated in subpanels, bonded only at the service
- Bonding screw or strap present at the service panel and removed at subpanels
- Open knockouts and missing filler plates
- Cable clamps present at every entry
- Signs of overheating — discoloration, melted insulation, arcing marks at the bus
- Corrosion or water intrusion evidence in the enclosure
- Legible and accurate circuit directory
- Working clearance in front of the panel (roughly 30 inches wide, 36 inches deep)
- Panel not located in a clothes closet or over a stairway
Branch Wiring
Identify the wiring type and look for the modifications that follow a home through decades of DIY work.
- Branch conductor material — copper, copper-clad aluminum, or solid aluminum
- Solid-strand aluminum branch wiring and any COPALUM or AlumiConn remediation
- Knob-and-tube wiring, and whether it is energized or abandoned
- Cloth-insulated conductors and insulation brittleness
- Non-metallic sheathed cable damage, staple overdriving, or unsupported runs
- Junction boxes present at every splice and accessible, with covers installed
- Splices outside of boxes
- Extension cords or lamp cord used as permanent wiring
- Wiring run through joists or studs without protection plates
- Exposed wiring in unfinished basements, crawlspaces, garages, and attics
- Improper wiring methods in wet or damp locations
Grounding, Bonding, and Protection Devices
Protection devices are the cheapest safety upgrade in a house and the most commonly missing item in the report.
- Grounding electrode conductor present, sized, and terminated
- Ground rod or Ufer connection visible where accessible
- Metallic water and gas piping bonded
- GFCI protection at kitchen counter receptacles
- GFCI protection at bathrooms, garages, exteriors, laundry, and unfinished basements
- GFCI protection at pool, spa, and hot tub equipment
- AFCI protection where required by the era of the wiring
- Every GFCI device tested with a tester and by its own test button
- Reverse polarity, open ground, and open neutral results by location
- Three-prong receptacles on ungrounded circuits — a common and misleading upgrade
Devices, Fixtures, and Life Safety
Walk the house and operate things. Most of this section is found by touching switches rather than reading labels.
- Representative number of receptacles tested per room
- Loose, damaged, or painted-over receptacles and switches
- Missing cover plates
- Light fixtures operable and securely mounted
- Recessed fixtures — IC rating where in contact with insulation
- Ceiling fans secured to a fan-rated box
- Smoke alarms present in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on each level
- Carbon monoxide alarms where fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage exist
- Alarm age — units past roughly 10 years
- Exterior receptacles with in-use weatherproof covers
- Garage and exterior lighting operable
Most common findings — and why they matter
These come up often enough that it is worth knowing the consequence, not just the observation.
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panel
Independent testing has shown elevated failure-to-trip rates. It is one of the few findings that reliably affects insurability as well as safety.
Neutrals and grounds bonded in a subpanel
Puts normal return current on the grounding system and on metal enclosures. Extremely common in DIY subpanel installs and easy to spot once you look for it.
Three-prong receptacles on two-wire ungrounded circuits
Gives the occupant a false belief that surge protectors and appliances are grounded when nothing is connected.
Missing GFCI protection in wet locations
The lowest-cost, highest-impact correction in most reports, and still missing in a large share of pre-2000 homes.
Double-tapped breakers
Loose connections at an overloaded lug generate heat. Also a reliable signal of unpermitted work elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Should a home inspector remove the panel deadfront?
Most standards of practice call for removing it when it can be done safely. If the panel is live-front, obstructed, painted shut, or in a wet location, note that you did not remove it and state the resulting limitation rather than skipping the section silently.
Is aluminum wiring an automatic dealbreaker?
No. Solid-strand aluminum branch wiring from roughly 1965–1973 is a recognized fire hazard, but approved remediation — COPALUM crimps or AlumiConn connectors installed by a qualified electrician — is an accepted correction. Multi-strand aluminum feeders are normal and not a defect.
How many amps should a house have?
100 amps is generally the practical minimum for a modern single-family home; 200 amps is typical for new construction and usually necessary for electric heat, EV charging, or a heat pump. A 60-amp service is undersized for almost any current use.
Can an inspector say wiring is 'unsafe'?
Describe the observed condition, cite why it matters, and recommend evaluation by a licensed electrician. Inspectors report conditions; they do not perform code enforcement or design corrections.
Turn this checklist into a finished report
Walk the property, photograph what you find, and narrate your observations. FieldScribe analyzes the photos, transcribes the voice notes, and drafts the report in professional language — you review, edit, and export the PDF. First report is $9.99 with no subscription.
Related checklists
This checklist is provided free for professional and personal use. It is a general reference, not a standard of practice — inspection requirements vary by state, jurisdiction, and client agreement, and licensing rules for specialty inspections differ. Verify current requirements with your state board and the relevant standard of practice before relying on it in the field.