Electrical Work in Vero Beach

Vero Beach homes moved from the city electric utility to FPL at the end of 2018, and many older houses here still have older wiring and panels.

County: Indian River County
Permits: Usually the City of Vero Beach for addresses inside city limits, and Indian River County for unincorporated areas. Confirm for your address.

For decades, the City of Vero Beach ran its own electric utility, serving the city and parts of the surrounding county. That system was sold to FPL, and the changeover closed at the end of 2018. Today, FPL handles service, meters and outages for those homes. If you need a service upgrade, a meter relocation or a temporary disconnect for a panel change, your electrician will coordinate with FPL.

Older homes near downtown

Vero Beach has many homes from the 1920s through the 1960s near downtown and along the older streets east and west of US 1. Some still have ungrounded two prong outlets, cloth insulated wiring, fused panels or panels insurers dislike. Insurance renewal letters are a common reason owners call an electrician. Ask what your panel is, whether it can stay, and what it would take to update grounding and add GFCI and AFCI protection where needed.

Barrier island homes

On Orchid Island, salt air corrodes outdoor disconnects, pool equipment wiring, landscape lighting and dock power. Large oceanfront and lagoon homes often have bigger services, elevators, pool and spa equipment and generator transfer switches. Ask for an electrician who regularly works on the island and uses enclosures and fittings suited to salt exposure.

Which office permits the work

Panel changes, new circuits, generator hookups and most electrical work beyond basic replacements need a permit. Inside Vero Beach city limits it goes to the City of Vero Beach Building Department. Unincorporated addresses go to the Indian River County Building Division. Indian River Shores and Orchid have their own permitting. Condo owners should also check with the association before touching anything outside the unit panel.

Seasonal homes

If you leave for the summer, ask an electrician about surge protection at the panel and whether your AC, refrigerator and sump or well pump are on circuits that will come back on cleanly after an FPL outage. Summer lightning on the Treasure Coast is frequent, and nobody is home to reset a tripped breaker.

For general information, see our electrical guide and the Vero Beach area page. Related: generators in Vero Beach and pool service in Vero Beach.

Check before you hireFlorida licenses electrical contractors. Look up the license at myfloridalicense.com and ask for proof of insurance before work starts.

Electrical work questions in Vero Beach

I used to have Vero Beach electric. Who do I call now?

FPL. The City of Vero Beach sold its electric utility to FPL, and the changeover closed at the end of 2018. FPL now handles service, outages, meters and new connections for those homes. If an electrician needs power cut for a panel change or a service upgrade, they coordinate that with FPL.

My older Vero Beach home has two prong outlets. Is that a problem?

Two prong outlets usually mean the circuit has no ground wire, which is common in homes from before the 1960s. It is not automatically unsafe, but it limits protection for electronics and may concern insurers. An electrician can add grounding where practical or install GFCI protection as a code allowed option. Ask which approach fits your house and budget.

Who issues electrical permits in Vero Beach?

Inside city limits, the City of Vero Beach Building Department. For unincorporated Indian River County addresses, the Indian River County Building Division. Indian River Shores and Orchid on the barrier island each have their own permitting. The electrician usually pulls the permit and schedules inspections.

What should I ask about electrical work on an Orchid Island home?

Ask whether the electrician works on the island regularly, what materials they use for outdoor boxes and fittings in salt air, and how they protect pool, spa and dock circuits. Large island homes often have generators, elevators and complex panels, so ask about their experience with those systems and who will handle the permit with the town or county.

For the general guide, see Electrical on the Treasure Coast. For more about the town, see Vero Beach.

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