What electrical inspections follow a Fredericton kitchen rewire?

After a kitchen rewire in Fredericton, you'll go through a two-step inspection process involving both NB Power and the province's Technical Inspection Services (TIS) — and the sequence matters.

Before your licensed electrical contractor even pulls a single wire, they need to obtain an electrical wiring permit from NB Power (1-800-615-0522 or nbpower.com). A kitchen rewire almost certainly exceeds the 10-outlet / 5 kW threshold that triggers the permit requirement, and a kitchen specifically — with dedicated circuits for the refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, and the mandatory two small-appliance circuits on the counter — will easily hit that mark. The permit must be in hand before construction begins, not after. Working without one results in a special inspection fee on top of the regular permit cost, so don't skip this step.

Once the rough-in wiring is complete (before walls are closed up), your contractor should coordinate a rough-in inspection. This is the stage where an inspector can actually see the wire runs, box placements, junction boxes, and circuit layout. Kitchens have specific requirements under the National Building Code of Canada 2020 — now in effect for NB as of May 1, 2025 — including GFCI protection on all receptacles within 1.5 metres of a sink, arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) protection on kitchen circuits, and those dedicated small-appliance branch circuits on the counter. Getting this inspected before drywall goes up saves enormous headaches if anything needs to be corrected.

The final step is the final electrical inspection by TIS (NB Dept. of Justice and Public Safety — Technical Inspection Services, 1-888-659-3222). After all wiring is complete, devices installed, and the panel connections made, your contractor contacts TIS to schedule this inspection. TIS inspectors are the province-wide authority for electrical inspections — they verify the completed installation meets code before the work is considered closed out.

One thing Fredericton homeowners should know: if your home is a pre-1970s build — and there are plenty of them in the University Avenue corridor, the North Side, and older downtown neighbourhoods — your contractor may uncover knob-and-tube wiring or aluminum branch circuit wiring during a kitchen rewire. If that happens, the scope can expand quickly, and TIS inspectors will flag any non-compliant legacy wiring they encounter. Budget for that possibility upfront.

Your role as the homeowner is straightforward: verify that your contractor is licensed through TIS (you can ask to see their licence), confirm the NB Power wiring permit has been pulled before work starts, and ask your contractor to walk you through the inspection schedule so you know when walls need to stay open. You should also request a WorkSafeNB clearance certificate from your contractor before work begins — if they have fewer than three workers and aren't registered, you as the property owner could be assessed for their coverage.

Find licensed electrical contractors serving Fredericton in the New Brunswick Construction Network directory — a good starting point before making any calls.