The Cost to Check the Electrical Circuits in a House

Purpose

• The purpose of having an electrician check all of the electrical circuits in your home is to ensure that everything is in safe and working order. The process will usually include checking all connections in the circuit breaker panel and all junction boxes and receptacles throughout the home. The electrician will also load test the wiring, which is a process that should be repeated annually. If the voltage drop increases from year to year, this indicates that your circuits or wiring may be degrading and are about to fail.

Average Number of Circuits

• The number of circuits in your home depends on the size of the home and what kind of stress the previous owners put on the electrical system. Seven circuits is an average number, but homeowners who work from home or have a large number of electrical devices may have added circuits.

Hourly Cost

• The per-hour cost to have an electrician come out to your house depends on a number of factors. Many electricians include the cost of their travel expenses in their hourly charges, so if you hire an electrician that needs to drive outside of their normal service area, that will be reflected in the price you are charged. The average price per hour is usually around $65, though prices range from between $40 and $100.

Estimated Total Cost

• Checking the circuits in your home will likely take around one hour. Some electricians charge by the hour and round up to the nearest hour or quarter of an hour. However, other electricians charge by the minute to give you a better deal. Check with your electrician to determine their billing preferences and to get an estimate for inspecting your home electrical circuits.