Why Your Home Insurance Company Wants an Electrical Compliance Report Before They'll Cover You
If you've bought, sold, or renewed insurance on an older home in Regina lately, you might've run into this: your broker says they need an "electrical compliance report" before they'll write the policy. Nobody warns you about this ahead of time. It just shows up as a surprise condition, usually right when you're trying to close.
Here's what it actually is, why insurers are asking for it, and what to expect if you need one.
What changed
This isn't new in the rest of Canada. It's been standard practice in other provinces for years, and it's now the norm here too. Most major insurers in Saskatchewan won't offer coverage on a home until a licensed electrical contractor confirms the electrical system is safe.
The trigger is usually one of these:
The home has aluminum wiring
The home is older and the panel or wiring hasn't been touched in decades
You're buying the home and switching to a new insurer
Your current insurer is renewing but flagged the home for review
If none of that applies to you, you probably won't hear about this. But if your house was built before the 80s or has any history of aluminum branch wiring, budget time for it.
What the report actually checks
This isn't a general home inspection. It has to be done by a licensed electrical contractor, not a home inspector, because insurers want someone qualified to open the panel and actually test things. A typical compliance report covers:
The amperage size of your electrical service (60A, 100A, 200A)
Whether the main panel, grounding, and bonding are up to code
Whether the breakers and circuit protection are correct for the wiring type
What percentage of the home's wiring is aluminum, if any, and whether it's been properly treated
A list of any deficiencies, plus what it'll take to fix them
We check a random sampling of outlets and switches throughout the house to get an honest read on the whole system, not just the obvious stuff. For most homes, that's about an hour on-site.
What it costs and what happens next
A standard compliance report runs $150. We come out, do the inspection, and put together a list of deficiencies if we find any.
Here's the part people don't expect: it's on you to take that list to your insurer. We don't decide what needs fixing, your insurance company does. Some insurers will wave off minor stuff, others want everything on the list resolved before they'll write the policy. Either way, you're the one relaying it back and forth.
We'll usually quote the fixes for you right away, before you've even heard back from the insurer. Our experience is that insurers end up wanting it all fixed anyway, so it saves you a second visit and a second wait if you're ready to go the moment they confirm it. Fixing the issues before you list a home for sale is almost always the better move too. Buyers get spooked by disclosed electrical problems and use it to negotiate the price down. A completed repair with paperwork in hand shows the home is well maintained and takes the issue off the table entirely.
One thing worth knowing: having aluminum wiring or an older panel doesn't mean your home is uninsurable or worth less. It just means the insurer wants proof the system is safe before they take on the risk. Once that's confirmed, you're in the same boat as everyone else.
If you're buying, selling, or renewing in Regina
Talk to your broker first if you're not sure whether you'll need one. They'll know exactly what your specific insurer requires, since checklists vary company to company. Once you know what's needed, that's when you call us.
We do these reports for homeowners, buyers, sellers, and realtors across Regina and the surrounding area. If deficiencies turn up, we'll quote the fix right away so you're ready to move the second your insurer confirms what they want done.
Give us a call at 1-306-910-1469 or book online if you need a compliance report done before your closing date or renewal.
