A home inspection report will tell you the roof has eight years left and the furnace is aging. What it often will not tell you is whether the electrical system can safely carry the load your family will put on it, or whether you are inheriting a decade of unpermitted work done by a previous owner. Electrical problems are among the most expensive surprises a Toronto buyer can discover after closing — and among the easiest to catch beforehand if you know what to look for.
At North York Electricians, our team of 30+ licensed electricians has spent more than 20 years working on homes across North York, Toronto, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill and the wider GTA. This guide covers what an electrical inspection should actually examine before you buy, which findings matter most, and how to fold the results into your negotiation.
Why a General Home Inspection Is Not an Electrical Inspection
A general home inspector performs a visual, non-invasive review of the whole property. They will flag obvious issues — an open junction box, a missing cover plate, a double-tapped breaker they happen to see. But they do not open walls, they do not typically perform load calculations, and they are not licensed electrical contractors.
An electrical inspection by a licensed electrician goes further. It assesses capacity against how you intend to use the home, identifies wiring types that affect insurability, and distinguishes between a cosmetic defect and a genuine safety concern. For a house built before 1970, a condo undergoing renovation, or any property where you plan to add an EV charger, air conditioning or a basement suite, that distinction is worth the cost of a service call.
The Electrical Panel: Start Here
The panel is the single most informative component in the house. Key things to establish:
- Service size. Many older Toronto homes still run on 60-amp or 100-amp service. A 100-amp panel is adequate for a modest home with gas heat and no major electrical loads. Add an EV charger, central air, an induction range and a hot tub, and 100 amps runs out quickly. Ask whether the service is 60, 100, 125 or 200 amps — it is printed on the main breaker.
- Available spaces. A panel that is physically full, or full of tandem breakers squeezed into single slots, limits what you can add later without an upgrade.
- Condition and workmanship. Rust or water staining inside the enclosure, scorch marks, melted insulation, breakers that do not match the panel manufacturer, and unlabelled circuits are all findings worth documenting.
- Fuse panels. A live fuse box is not automatically unsafe, but it strongly suggests the rest of the system is original and it can complicate home insurance.
If the inspection points toward a capacity problem, our electrical panel upgrade service in North York covers the full 100A to 200A process, and our guide to whether your Toronto home needs a 200 amp panel explains how to work out the load before you commit.
Wiring Type and Age
What is behind the walls matters as much as what is in the panel. Three findings come up repeatedly in older Toronto neighbourhoods:
Knob-and-tube
Found in homes built before roughly 1950. It has no ground conductor, the insulation becomes brittle with age, and it should never be buried in blown-in insulation. Many insurers will decline coverage or require replacement within a set period.
Aluminum branch wiring
Common in houses wired between the mid-1960s and late 1970s. The concern is not the conductor itself but the connections, which can loosen and overheat over time. Remediation is usually possible without a full rewire.
Undersized or damaged copper
Rodent damage, DIY extensions spliced outside a box, and undersized conductors feeding modern appliances are all common. Look for a mix of wiring vintages in the basement joists — it is a reliable sign of piecemeal work over the years.
If any of these turn up, read our guide to the signs a Toronto home needs rewiring, then have a licensed electrician scope the work properly. Our wiring and rewiring services page outlines how partial and whole-home rewires are approached.
Grounding, Bonding and GFCI/AFCI Protection
Ontario Electrical Safety Code requirements have tightened considerably over the decades, and an older home is not required to be retrofitted to current code simply because it changes hands. Still, these are the items most worth knowing about:
- Two-prong receptacles indicate ungrounded circuits. Replacing them with three-prong outlets without a ground is a serious and surprisingly common defect.
- GFCI protection should be present in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, unfinished basements and outdoor locations. Test every one — a GFCI that will not trip is not protecting anything.
- Bonding at the water service and a correctly installed grounding electrode are easy to check and important to get right.
- Reverse polarity and open grounds show up quickly with a receptacle tester and point to sloppy past work.
For loose, warm or non-functioning devices throughout the house, our post on dead outlets and flickering switches covers what is a quick fix and what is not, and our switches and outlets maintenance service handles the remediation.
Permits and Past Work
Finished basements, garage conversions, additions and rental suites are where unpermitted electrical work hides. In Ontario, most electrical work requires a notification to the Electrical Safety Authority, and completed work should have an ESA Certificate of Acceptance. Ask the seller directly for ESA documentation on any renovation, and treat its absence as a reason to look harder rather than a dealbreaker on its own. Our overview of electrical permit requirements in Ontario explains what should have been filed, and our explainer on the Ontario Electrical Safety Code covers why compliance matters at resale.
Plan for What You Intend to Add
An inspection should be forward-looking. Tell your electrician what you plan to do in the first two years. A Level 2 charger, a heat pump, a workshop subpanel or a basement suite each change the load calculation and may change whether a service upgrade belongs in your renovation budget. Our EV charger installation service in North York is a common example — buyers who check capacity before closing avoid discovering the constraint after the car arrives.
Using the Findings
Bring a written scope and a quote to the negotiating table rather than a vague concern. Genuine safety defects and capacity shortfalls are legitimate grounds to request a price adjustment or a credit. Cosmetic items rarely are. A clear, itemised assessment from a licensed electrician is far more persuasive than a single line in a general inspection report.
Practical Homeowner Tips
- Photograph the panel label and the main breaker rating during your viewing.
- Carry a small receptacle tester — it takes seconds per outlet and reveals open grounds and reverse polarity.
- Check the basement joists for a mix of wiring vintages.
- Look at the service mast and meter base outside for corrosion or loose attachment.
- Count the kitchen counter receptacles; older kitchens are often badly under-served.
- Ask for ESA certificates on every finished space that was not original to the house.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an electrical inspection cost before buying a home in Toronto?
Cost depends on the size and age of the property, how accessible the wiring and panel are, and whether you need a load calculation for planned additions. Rather than quote a figure that may not fit your situation, we scope each inspection individually — contact us for a quote and we will tell you what the visit will cover.
Can I make my offer conditional on an electrical inspection?
Yes. Buyers commonly include a condition on inspection, and you can arrange for a licensed electrician to attend alongside or after your general home inspector. Speak with your real estate representative about the wording and timelines, and book the electrician early — condition periods in the GTA are often short.
Does a home need to be brought up to current code before it is sold?
Generally no. Existing installations that complied when they were done are not required to be upgraded simply because the property is being sold. Work performed after the fact, however, is expected to meet the code in force at the time and to be properly filed with the ESA. That is why documentation on renovations matters so much.
Is knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring an automatic reason to walk away?
No. Both are manageable with the right remediation, and plenty of well-maintained Toronto homes have had them addressed successfully. What matters is getting an accurate scope and cost before you close, and confirming with your insurer what they will accept.
Book an Electrical Inspection Before You Close
North York Electricians is a certified electrical contracting company serving Toronto and the GTA, with 20+ years of experience and a team of 30+ licensed electricians working to Ontario Electrical Safety Code standards. Whether you are buying a century home in North York or a 1970s semi in Markham, we can assess the system, document the findings and quote any remediation clearly.
Call +1 (647) 832-3800 for a free estimate, or get in touch through our contact page. If you have already closed and something is wrong, our 24/7 emergency electrician service is available across the GTA.