Check seven things before you list or during your inspection period: the panel, GFCI and AFCI protection, exposed or DIY wiring, double-tapped breakers, knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring, smoke and CO alarms, and permit history. A general home inspection looks at these, but Oregon and Washington rules both say it is visual and not technically exhaustive. An electrician's inspection goes further.
Why electrical issues come up in Portland and Vancouver home sales
Both states put the electrical system on the seller's disclosure form in almost the same words. Oregon's form asks whether the "electrical system, including wiring, switches, outlets and service" is in good working order. Washington's Form 17 asks whether the "electrical system, including wiring, switches, outlets, and service" has any defects.
Once the seller's disclosure is delivered, the buyer has a short window to walk away: five business days in Oregon, unless the buyer waived it, and three business days in Washington. An electrical surprise found late is the kind of thing that uses that window.
The housing makes it more likely here. About one in four Portland homes was built in 1939 or earlier; in Vancouver it is about one in 25, but about one in six Vancouver homes dates from the 1970s. Older Portland houses are where knob-and-tube and fused panels turn up. Homes built from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s are the years aluminum branch wiring was used.
The home electrical inspection checklist
- 1
Panel condition and brand
Rust, scorching, a warm or buzzing panel, fuses, and brands inspectors flag: Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco. Washington's inspection rules require inspectors to report panels with known safety risks by design or age.
- 2
GFCI and AFCI protection
Under the current electrical code, GFCI protection belongs in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, outdoors, unfinished basements, crawl spaces and laundry areas, and AFCI protection covers most living spaces. Older homes won't have all of it; the question is what's missing and where.
- 3
Exposed, DIY or amateur wiring
Loose splices outside a box, extension cords used as wiring, open junction boxes, basement and garage add-ons.
- 4
Double-tapped breakers
Two wires under a breaker terminal made for one. The wires can loosen, heat and arc.
- 5
Knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring
Knob-and-tube has no ground and its insulation ages. Aluminum branch wiring from the 1960s–70s needs the right connections. Oregon's inspection rules require inspectors to report any aluminum branch circuit wiring they see.
- 6
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Both states require them when a home changes hands.
- 7
Permit history
Electrical work done without a permit was never inspected. Oregon's disclosure form asks whether additions and remodels needed permits and whether they were finaled.
What a home inspector checks, and what they don't
Oregon
Home inspectors are certified by the Construction Contractors Board. Their rules say an inspection is "visual and … not technically exhaustive." The inspector observes the service entrance, the panel and main breaker, branch circuits and their breakers, a representative number of switches, lights and outlets, how GFCI and AFCI devices operate, and smoke and CO alarms. Not required: putting any tool or tester inside a panel, operating breakers, or taking devices apart beyond removing the panel cover.
Washington
Home inspectors are licensed by the Department of Licensing. Their standards describe the home inspector as "a generalist that identifies existing conditions in the home that may need to be referred to a specialist." For electrical, that means reporting wiring that needs evaluation by a licensed electrical contractor and reporting missing GFCI and AFCI protection. Not required: operating breakers, removing outlet cover plates or verifying ground continuity.
An electrician's inspection is that specialist step. A licensed electrician looks at the electrical system itself, hands-on, and can tell you what a flagged item actually means for the sale — and fix it.
What home inspectors flag most often
Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok panels
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission tested FPE breakers in the early 1980s and found they failed certain Underwriters Laboratories tests, but closed its investigation in 1983 without a recall or a safety finding. Independent testing since found high failure rates, which is why inspectors flag them.
Zinsco panels
Flagged by inspectors for breakers that can stick to the bus bar. There is no federal recall or safety publication on them.
Aluminum branch wiring
The Consumer Product Safety Commission found homes built before 1972 with aluminum branch wiring were 55 times more likely to have at least one outlet connection reach "fire hazard conditions" than homes wired with copper. Its approved permanent repairs are copper replacement or approved pigtail connectors, not ordinary twist-on wire nuts.
Knob-and-tube wiring
Ungrounded, with ageing insulation, and not designed to be buried under attic insulation. Some insurers ask about it; neither Oregon's nor Washington's insurance regulator sets a rule, so ask your insurer.
Ungrounded three-prong outlets
A three-prong outlet on a two-wire circuit looks grounded and isn't.
Overfused circuits
A breaker or fuse too big for the wire, for example more than 15 amps on 14-gauge copper, lets the wire overheat before it trips.
Double-tapped breakers and DIY wiring
See the checklist above.
What an electrical inspection costs
What happens if the inspection finds problems
Repairs need the right permit, and who issues it depends on where the house is.
What to disclose is between you, your broker and, if needed, your attorney. The disclosure form asks; this guide can't answer for your house.
Timing: before you list, or during the inspection period
Get a pre-listing or pre-purchase electrical inspection
PWR Pro Electric inspects homes across the Portland metro and Vancouver. The visit is usually the same day you call, and you get a written list of everything that needs doing, sent the same day. Call 503-984-1097. Oregon CCB #259813.
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