What Electrical Problems Show Up on a Home Inspection in Northern Virginia?

By Sarah Walls, co-owner of Sarah & Family Electrical Services in Burke, VA. Published October 2, 2026.

Some of my favorite people to work with are real estate agents and home inspectors. They see which electricians show up and actually finish the list, and they send us the kind of clients we like: people who want the job done right the first time.

Whether you're buying or selling, the electrical section of an inspection report can look scarier than it is. Here are the items Ryan sees come up, what they mean, and how to get them handled without turning a short list into a big project.

Items that show up on Northern Virginia inspection reports

An appliance that needs its own circuit

When Sharon Ricketts and her husband bought their home in Woodbridge, the inspection flagged a microwave that needed its own dedicated 20-amp circuit. Older kitchens often have the microwave sharing a circuit with outlets or other appliances. Ryan ran the new circuit.

Equipment in a spot that doesn't meet code

The same report called for the exterior A/C disconnect to be moved. Placement rules for equipment like this exist so the power can be shut off safely and the unit can be worked on. Ryan relocated it to meet code.

A panel that's aging, corroded, or patched together

A lot of homes around here were built in the 60s and 70s, and many still have their original panels. Ryan has replaced panels in Springfield that were badly corroded, and one homeowner's 40-year-old panel had rusted parts inside from water. Inspectors also notice panels that have had subpanels tacked on over the years or breakers that aren't labeled.

Breakers showing heat damage

Discolored breakers or a burning smell at the panel need attention before anything else on the list. On one McLean call, Ryan found several overheating breakers and replaced them. The panel itself stayed.

Missing GFCI protection

Inspectors check for GFCI protection in the places code calls for it, like kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements, and outdoors. Adding it is usually a quick fix compared to anything else on the report.

Fix what's required, and know what can wait

The Ricketts family told us they weren't sure who to hire and called us on a recommendation. Ryan started with a walkthrough of every item in the proposal before he touched anything, finished the list, and then mentioned a few things he would do down the road. Since they had just bought the house, they chose to wait on those, and that was the right call for them.

That's how it should go. The most common complaint people have about electricians is being told they need work that isn't actually required. A report gives you a defined list. A good electrician fixes that list and tells you plainly what else he noticed, then lets you decide.

What decides how big the job is

• How many electrical items are on the report, and whether any of them involve the panel.
• Whether the fixes need new circuits, which means a permit and an inspection.
• Whether the walls are open or finished, which affects how wire gets from the panel to where it needs to go.
• Your closing date, since that sets how much room there is in the schedule.

How we handle an inspection list

1. Call us with the electrical items from the report and your closing date.
2. Ryan walks through each item at the house so everyone agrees on the scope.
3. You get an upfront, flat price before any work starts.
4. Ryan does the work himself, pulling permits where the job needs them.
5. Everything he touched is tested before he leaves.
6. Anything else he noticed, he tells you about. Whether to do it is your call.

We work with buyers, sellers, and agents across Fairfax County, including Burke and Fairfax. If you're still deciding who to call, our guide to finding an electrician you can trust covers what to look for, and you can see the full list of what we do on our services page.