The 25-Point Home Electrical Safety Checklist

Walk your home top to bottom. Tick each item. If you can't answer “yes” — flag it for a licensed electrician.

~15 minutes·25 checks across 6 areas

1. Outlets & Switches

~4 min

  • No outlets feel warm, discolored, or scorched.Heat = loose wiring or overload — fire risk.
  • Plugs fit snugly; none fall out or wiggle loose.
  • No two-prong (ungrounded) outlets in kitchens, baths, or near water.
  • GFCI outlets in bathrooms, kitchen, garage, outdoors, laundry. Test/Reset buttons trip and reset.
  • No cracked faceplates or exposed wiring around any switch or outlet.
  • Light switches operate without buzzing, sparking, or delay.

2. Cords & Appliances

~3 min

  • No frayed, pinched, or taped-up extension cords.
  • No extension cords run under rugs or through doorways.
  • No ‘daisy-chained' power strips (strip plugged into another strip).
  • Major appliances (fridge, microwave, AC, space heater) plug directly into a wall outlet — not a strip.
  • Large appliances are on their own dedicated circuit.

3. Electrical Panel

~3 min

  • Panel is clearly labeled — every breaker identifies its circuit.
  • 3 ft. of clear space in front of the panel. Nothing stored against it.
  • No rust, moisture, scorch marks, or burning smell at the panel.
  • No breakers that trip repeatedly — that means overload or a short.
  • If your home was built before 1990: confirm panel brand is NOT Federal Pacific, Zinsco, or Pushmatic (known fire hazards — call an electrician).

4. Lighting & Fixtures

~2 min

  • Every bulb is at or below the fixture's max wattage rating.
  • No flickering lights (other than dimmer-related).
  • Recessed/can lights are not covered with insulation unless IC-rated.
  • Outdoor fixtures are rated for wet/damp locations and sealed properly.

5. Safety Devices

~2 min

  • Smoke alarm on every level and inside every bedroom. Press test button — all sound.
  • Carbon monoxide detector on every level, especially near sleeping areas.
  • Alarms are less than 10 years old (check date on back of unit).

6. Whole-Home Red Flags

~1 min

  • No persistent burning plastic smell anywhere in the house.
  • No mild shock or tingle when touching appliances — call an electrician immediately if present.

Finished the walkthrough?

If you flagged any item in the Electrical Panel or Whole-Home Red Flags sections, schedule a licensed electrician this week. Everything else can usually wait 30 days — but don't ignore it.

Educational resource only. Not a substitute for inspection by a licensed electrician. When in doubt, shut off the circuit and call a pro.