The pre-purchase home inspection your realtor arranged before closing was a generalist inspection. A generalist home inspector is trained to spot obvious hazards — a Federal Pacific panel, visible knob-and-tube in the basement, a missing GFCI in a kitchen — but does not have an electrician's license, does not open the panel beyond removing the dead front to look, and does not run continuity, polarity, or load tests.
A post-closing electrical inspection is the full walkthrough by a licensed NJ electrician after you own the home. It catches the issues a home inspector missed: marginal panel capacity, incorrect GFCI and AFCI coverage under the 2023 NEC (which NJ adopted in 2024), bootleg grounds that pass a 3-light outlet tester but fail real continuity, shared neutrals on multi-wire branch circuits, and double-taps on breakers. In 2026, a full electrical inspection from a licensed NJ contractor runs $175 to $350 depending on home size, and it is the single best $300 a new homeowner can spend in the first 90 days.
Here is the 12-point checklist every NJ homebuyer should request.
1. Service Entrance + Meter Base
The electrician verifies the service entrance cable is properly sized for the panel amperage (4/0 aluminum or 2/0 copper for 200A), the meter base is weatherproof, the service mast is properly braced, and the drip loop on the overhead drop is correct. Ungrounded or improperly-routed service entrance cable is a very common issue in older Hudson County homes.
2. Main Panel — Capacity and Brand
Pop the dead front. Identify the panel brand. If it is Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco, Sylvania-Zinsco, Pushmatic, or Bulldog, the panel is on the NJ dangerous panel list and should be replaced regardless of whether it is "working." If it is a 100A panel and the home has more than 2,000 sq ft, central A/C, electric dryer, and any future EV plans, the panel is likely undersized.
3. Breaker Count + Double-Taps
Verify no breaker has two hot conductors terminated under one screw (double-tap) unless the breaker is manufacturer-rated for two conductors (rare — most are not). Double-taps are the #2 most common code violation we find during post-closing inspections. They overheat, loosen over time, and are a fire risk.
4. GFCI Coverage (2023 NEC)
Under the 2023 NEC that NJ adopted in 2024, GFCI protection is required in: kitchens (all countertop + island + peninsula receptacles), bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, unfinished basements, crawl spaces, outdoor receptacles, within 6 feet of any sink, and on any 240V circuit serving a dishwasher or disposal. Pre-2017 homes typically have partial coverage. The electrician verifies each required location with a GFCI tester, not just at one representative outlet.
5. AFCI Coverage
AFCI (arc-fault) breakers are required on nearly every 120V 15/20A branch circuit serving living spaces: bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, laundry, hallways, closets, sunrooms. Homes built before 2014 almost never have full AFCI coverage. Adding AFCI coverage is not retroactively required, but knowing what coverage you have — and which circuits are most exposed — informs every subsequent renovation decision.
6. Grounding + Bonding
The electrician verifies: (a) a ground rod (or two) at the service, (b) a bonding jumper at the water main within 5 feet of entry, (c) neutral and ground bonded only at the main panel (not at subpanels), and (d) continuity from every outlet ground back to the main panel bond. Bootleg grounds — where the ground terminal is jumped to neutral at the outlet — test "correct" on a cheap 3-light outlet tester but fail a real ground-impedance test. They are disturbingly common in older flips.
7. Smoke + CO Detector Status
Smoke detectors have a 10-year life; CO detectors have a 5–7 year life. NJ requires hardwired interconnected smoke/CO detectors in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every level for homes built or renovated after 2003. Replacement of every detector older than its service life should be a day-1 priority. Dated manufacture stamps are on the back of every unit.
8. Exterior Outlets + Lighting
All exterior outlets must be GFCI-protected and weather-resistant (WR-rated), with in-use covers (bubble covers). Porch and walkway lighting circuits should be on separate breakers from interior lighting so a tripped breaker in one area does not kill the other. Flood lights and outdoor dimmer-compatible fixtures should be checked for correct lamp type.
9. Bathroom Circuits
Bathroom receptacles must be on a dedicated 20A circuit (one for all bathroom receptacles, not shared with lighting or other loads), GFCI-protected. Bath fans must be on a separately-switched, dedicated circuit or on the same lighting circuit. Older Hudson County homes very commonly have bathroom outlets tied into hallway or bedroom circuits — a code violation and a safety issue when the only 20A receptacle in the bathroom is serving a hair dryer plus running a sunlamp.
10. Garage + Attic + Basement
Garage receptacles must be GFCI-protected (2023 NEC) and on a dedicated circuit. Basement and attic lighting should be on switched circuits with visible disconnects. Any sub-panel in a garage or basement must have its neutral and ground isolated (not bonded together — bonding only happens at the main panel). Multi-wire branch circuits running to basements must have common-trip breakers.
11. Legacy Wiring Identification
The electrician physically identifies wiring type in accessible areas: basement ceiling, attic floor, behind accessible outlet boxes. They are looking for knob-and-tube (pre-1950), early aluminum branch wiring (1965–1973), and undersized BX cable. Any knob-and-tube found during this inspection should trigger a K&T remediation conversation. Aluminum branch wiring needs AlumiConn connectors on every outlet and switch.
12. Load Calculation + Future Readiness
The final step is a full panel load calculation (NEC 220.83) using your home's actual square footage, heating/cooling type, water heater type, range/oven type, and dryer type. This tells you how much spare capacity the panel actually has — not what the breaker space looks like, but what the service amperage calculates out to. If you plan to add an EV charger, heat pump, induction range, hot tub, or ADU in the next 5 years, this calculation tells you whether a panel upgrade is required first.
What This Inspection Actually Costs
In the NJ market in 2026, a full 12-point post-closing electrical inspection with a written report and load calculation runs $175 to $350 depending on home size. Larger homes (4,000+ sq ft, multiple panels, outbuildings) can run higher. This fee is almost always credited against the first repair job if you hire the same electrician to fix any of the findings. Malfettone offers this inspection for our service area and will credit $100 toward any subsequent work booked within 60 days.