Electrical Inspections in Lexington & Louisville, Kentucky
At Dauenhauer, your safety and the well-being of your property are our top priorities. That’s why we offer comprehensive electrical inspections to identify and address any potential electrical hazards in your residential or commercial property.
Our certified electricians are highly trained and experienced to ensure that your electrical system receives a thorough inspection, functions properly, and adheres to all electrical codes.
What Our Electrical Inspections Cover
We offer thorough residential and commercial electrical inspection services in Lexington, Louisville, and Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Our electrical inspection services cover the following:
- Visual Inspection: We’ll examine all visible electrical components, such as wiring, outlets, switches, panels, and fixtures. We’ll look for any signs of damage, wear and tear, burning, or improper installation.
- Outlet Testing: We’ll test all visible or accessible outlets with a micrometer or probe. We pay special attention to GFCI outlets and test them to ensure that they are functioning properly and provide protection against electrical shock. We’ll look for improper connections and electrical surges, which our micrometer can detect.
- Electrical Panel Inspections: As the heart of your electrical system, your electrical panel channels all your electricity into the circuits spread throughout your home or building. We’ll check for loose connections, overloaded circuits, faulty circuit breakers, and other potential fire hazards. A thorough inspection of the electrical panel is crucial to identify any issues that could lead to overheating, arcing, or a fire.
- Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector Testing: We’ll perform a full smoke and carbon monoxide detector inspection to ensure each detector is functioning properly. These detectors are an important component in your home safety and provide an early warning of potential fire and CO hazards. We’ll also ensure they have the correct placement to provide the best warning system.
If you are concerned about any part of your electrical system, let us know, and we will take extra care to test that component. Our electricians aren’t present for every circumstance your electrical system goes through. If we know what set of conditions causes problems, we can take steps to identify any electrical problems with special circumstances.
Electrical Installation Condition Report
It’s important for our customers, landlords, supervisors, and building owners that the electrical inspection is reported in a way that is well documented and captures detailed information on the electrical wear and tear on a system, such as faulty wiring, damaged equipment, and other electrical code violations.
That’s why we offer an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) performed by a qualified electrician to document our electrical testing results. Sometimes called the landlord safety test or homebuyer electrical test, the EICR should be conducted every ten years for home residents and every five years for rental properties (or as soon as there is a change of tenancy).
These condition reports find and report electrical safety and electrical code issues that need to be addressed.
Electrical System Maintenance Services
Dauenhauer does more than just report problems; we can be ready to fix electrical problems on the spot. We can schedule both an electrical inspection and an electrical system maintenance service on the same day to ensure that all the electrical maintenance problems we find are fixed.
Contact Dauenhauer today to schedule a comprehensive electrical inspection for your home or business in Lexington, Louisville, or Elizabethtown.
Electrical Inspection FAQs
When is an electrical inspection required?
Four common triggers: (1) when you buy or sell a home — lenders and home inspectors will flag visible issues but rarely perform a deep electrical inspection; (2) when you file a homeowners-insurance claim related to electrical damage, or switch insurance carriers on an older home; (3) after any major remodel, addition, or service upgrade — building inspectors sign off on the permit; and (4) on a routine schedule for safety. Many insurers require a current electrical inspection for homes over 30 years old, and most policies will reference the report for up to 5 years.
How often should I get a home electrical inspection?
The widely cited industry cadence (and the one we follow in Louisville): every 3–5 years for homes under 25 years old, and every 2–3 years for older homes. Get one sooner if you have aluminum wiring, knob-and-tube, a Federal Pacific / Zinsco / Challenger panel, visible corrosion on the meter or panel, or the home has been through a lightning strike or flood. A full inspection usually takes 2–4 hours for an average single-family home and finishes with a written pass/fail report you can send to your insurer.
What does an electrical inspector actually check?
A residential inspection follows the current NEC and includes: the service entrance (mast, weatherhead, meter) and grounding electrode system; the main panel and any sub-panels (bonding, torque on lugs, double-tapped breakers, signs of overheating, correct breaker-to-wire sizing); every visible outlet and switch tested for polarity, ground, GFCI/AFCI function and proper box fill; required GFCI locations under 210.8 (kitchen, bath, laundry, garage, outdoors, basements, within 6 ft of any sink); required AFCI locations under 210.12; smoke/CO alarm interconnect and power source; hardwired appliances; and exterior lighting and receptacle covers. The inspector leaves a report with photos, code references and a prioritized fix list.
What is the 83% rule in electrical service sizing?
NEC 310.12 allows the service-entrance conductors feeding a dwelling unit’s main disconnect to be sized at 83% of the service rating rather than 100% (a 200-amp service can use conductors rated at 166A, typically #2/0 copper or 4/0 aluminum). It’s a common question because homeowners see wire sizes that look “too small” on a spec sheet — they’re not, they’re the code-approved dwelling-service table. A licensed electrician will confirm your feeder matches the panel’s nameplate during inspection.
