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Electrical Safety Inspection · Pennsylvania
An electrical safety inspection is a hands-on check of the panel, wiring, grounding, devices and protection by a licensed electrician. It is worth doing when you buy an older home, an insurer asks, after a flood or fire, or before a big electrical project.
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh rowhomes and older suburbs carry original wiring and small services.
Across the Mid-Atlantic, homes deal with humid summers, coastal storms and occasional ice. Permit offices, utilities and housing stock differ by city, which affects how electrical safety inspection is planned and scheduled. These local guides cover the Pennsylvania cities where we have written specific notes.
Buying a Philadelphia rowhome often means buying a century of electrical changes. A licensed electrician's inspection can identify knob-and-tube still in service, ungrounded outlets, overloaded circuits, a small service and any work done without permits by previous owners.
Utility: PECO
Buying an older Pittsburgh home often means inheriting a century of electrical changes. A licensed electrician's inspection can identify knob-and-tube still in service, fuse boxes, ungrounded outlets, rusted basement panels and work done without permits.
Utility: Duquesne Light
Before buying a rowhouse in Center City or Old Allentown, an inspection can reveal knob-and-tube, cloth wiring, 60 amp services, fuse panels and apartments created with wiring added without permits. West End homes may have wiring from several eras.
Utility: PPL Electric Utilities
Before buying a Victorian in Scranton's Hill Section or a converted apartment house on the West Side, an inspection can reveal knob-and-tube, cloth wiring, fuse panels, small or shared services and work done without permits. Basements near the Lackawanna River should be checked for flood damage and moisture.
Utility: PPL Electric Utilities
Before buying a rowhouse in Midtown or Old Uptown, or a home in Shipoke near the river, an inspection can reveal knob-and-tube, fuse panels, small services and work done without permits, and riverside homes should be checked for flood history. Investors buying multi-unit rowhouses often want each unit's circuits traced and labeled.
Utility: PPL Electric Utilities
Before buying a Reading rowhouse or a converted Victorian in Centre Park, an inspection can reveal knob-and-tube, fuse panels, small or shared services, ungrounded outlets and wiring added without permits. Investors buying multi-unit buildings often want each unit's circuits traced and labeled.
Utility: Met-Ed (FirstEnergy)
Before buying a double in Wilkes-Barre's Heights or North End, or a single home in South Wilkes-Barre, an inspection should cover both sides of a double, both services and the shared basement. Common findings include knob-and-tube, fuse panels, ungrounded outlets, old wiring left in former coal-furnace rooms and work done without permits.
Utility: PPL Electric Utilities
1. Panel and service
Panel condition, breaker sizing, grounding and bonding are checked.
2. Branch circuits and devices
A sample of outlets, switches and fixtures is tested.
3. Report
Findings are prioritized by safety.
Electricians set their own prices; local permit fees and utility requirements add to these factors.
Permits come from the city or county where the home is. For example: Philadelphia: Electrical permits in Philadelphia are issued by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) to licensed electrical contractors. Pittsburgh: Electrical permits in Pittsburgh come from the city's Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections (PLI); surrounding boroughs and townships handle their own. Allentown: Electrical permits inside the city come from the City of Allentown's building standards and safety office; surrounding townships issue their own. Scranton: Electrical permits come from the City of Scranton's licensing, inspections and permits office. Harrisburg: Electrical permits inside the city come from the City of Harrisburg's codes bureau; surrounding townships issue their own. Reading: Electrical permits inside the city come from the City of Reading's permits office; surrounding boroughs and townships issue their own. Wilkes Barre: Electrical permits inside the city come from Wilkes-Barre's code enforcement office; surrounding boroughs issue their own.
Philadelphia: PECO. Pittsburgh: Duquesne Light. Allentown: PPL Electric Utilities. Scranton: PPL Electric Utilities. Harrisburg: PPL Electric Utilities. Reading: Met-Ed (FirstEnergy). Wilkes Barre: PPL Electric Utilities.
Yes. A licensed electrician goes deeper into the panel and circuits than a general home inspection.
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