House & Home Spotlight: Electrical Inspectors, Inc.

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Electrical Inspectors, Inc. was formed to provide electrical inspections within the State of New York. This company was incorporated in 1992 to meet the needs of the electrical industry, and provides services to many towns and villages throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties. For a number of frequently asked questions about electrical issues in your home and place of business, EIINY.com has the answers:

Q: Do I need an electrical inspection certificate?

A: Yes, in most cases. If you are building, renovating, buying, selling or repairing property  damage, you will be required to have an inspection of the wiring.  This certificate is requested for many different scenarios.  The most common is the municipality requiring it as one of the mandatory inspections to receive a final Certificate of Occupancy or Completion. (The other inspections would be plumbing and building, where applicable)  This inspection is often necessary to close an open permit.  Please call our office for more guidance:  800-794-2198

Q: Do I need a license to provide electrical installations within my own dwelling or building?

A: If you are the owner, some municipalities do allow you the right to install your own wiring, as long as it is inspected by an authorized inspection agency. However, you must also know, that in certain towns and villages you are not allowed and require a licensed electrical contractor no matter what. What seem to be the current standards in most of the larger towns the owner is permitted to wiring simple outlets, etc.  However, they are NOT permitted to wire what is considered high hazard areas, such as POOLS, SERVICE CHANGES and HEATING SYSTEMS.

Q: Some towns are now requiring a test that will enable them to prove to the municipality that they are competent to install the wiring.

A: We suggest contacting your local town or village and requesting information relating to electrical installations and requirements. Call, fax or e-mail your request, we will guide you.

Q: What is an “ELECTRICAL APPROVAL CERTIFICATE”?

A: In the past this was called a Board of Fire Underwriters Certificate. However, since the New York Board of Fire Underwriters was a private company and not a State Agency, the proper designation for a certificate issued by an authorized inspection is “ELECTRICAL APPROVAL CERTIFICATE”.

Q: What is UL?

A: UL, Underwriters Laboratories, is a testing company that provides testing on products for safety and usage. They are not associated with an electrical inspection. Often our certificate is incorrectly referred to as a UL certificate, although the correct reference should be Electrical Approval Certificate.

Q: Are there State Inspectors?

A: No, there is no such employee as a State Electrical Inspector that is employed to provide inspection services in Nassau or Suffolk County.

Q: Are our Certificates accepted in every town, village and city?

A: Most municipalities do approve us to inspect. Our list of approved areas is under “Nassau/Suffolk Village Served”, or call for an updated list.

Q: Can I wire my own pool?

A: Pools are one of the most serious life safety areas. In most cases pools are installed for recreational use with children. If the pool is not wired as per the National Electrical Code, NEC Part 680, it is not a safe pool. Consult a licensed electrical contractor for pricing on pool wiring.

Q: After the inspection, do our inspectors correct the violations?

A: No we are an inspection agency and independent licensed electrical contractors provide violation corrections. Check your local yellow pages for a licensed electrical contractor.

Q: Are any inspection agencies permitted to make up their own laws and rules?

A: No. An approved inspection agency is required to follow the Building Code of New York State.

Q: What if my needs are different and not listed in the Building Code of NYS? What are my choices?

A: You can apply for a variance with the Secretary of State Codes Division.

Q: How do I request for an inspection?

A: By website, email, phone, fax or mail. Customers with accounts have access via the internet.