The founder of a prominent central Florida home services company who is currently running for Congress has announced that his firm will inspect and replace electrical ground wires that may fail to meet building codes, following the filing of a civil lawsuit by local homeowners.

Joe Strada, the founder and part-owner of Sanford, Florida-based Strada Services, confirmed that remediation efforts are actively underway. This development comes despite earlier reports by the Orlando Sentinel indicating that an attorney representing the firm had previously stated the specific homes equipped with the alleged subpar wiring had not yet been definitively identified.

Strada is currently campaigning for the District 11 congressional seat, a political district that encompasses parts of Lake, Orange, and Sumter counties in central Florida. If he secures a victory in the upcoming election, he is projected to become the wealthiest member of the United States Congress, according to a profile published by Forbes magazine last month.

The underlying legal challenge stems from a lawsuit initially brought forward by four homeowners in central Florida. According to the court filings highlighted by the Sentinel, the litigation alleges that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic years—a period marked by severe shortages of standard building materials—crews working for Strada may have substituted copper-clad steel exterior grounding wire in place of fully compliant, solid copper wire.

The lawsuit contends that steel wiring is largely unapproved by prevailing building codes for these specific applications and carries inherent safety risks, including the potential to overheat and spark electrical fires. While these allegations have triggered widespread attention, representatives for the Strada political campaign could not be reached immediately for comment regarding the broader political implications or specific logistical details of the ongoing remediation.

Legal representatives for Strada Services have mounted a defense in court, arguing that the plaintiffs failed to provide the mandatory 60-day notice of construction defects required by Florida statute before initiating legal action. This procedural argument forms a central part of the company’s initial response to the litigation in local courts.

The timing of the lawsuit is particularly notable given Florida’s complex legal landscape regarding construction defects. The litigation was filed with approximately one year remaining before the state’s construction-defect statute of limitations would have permanently barred at least a portion of the homeowners’ complaints. The installations in question were reportedly completed between 2020 and 2022. A significant legislative change in Florida enacted in 2023 altered the state’s statute of limitations, modifying the window for property owners and insurance companies to file construction-related lawsuits from ten years down to seven years.

Industry experts note that identifying the disputed materials can present a considerable challenge, even for trained professionals. Alan Atchley, a real estate broker and general contractor with Atchley Realty in Sarasota, explained that the steel-based wire can be exceptionally difficult to spot during standard property walkthroughs or routine evaluations.

When advising prospective buyers or current homeowners navigating this situation, Atchley emphasized the specific nature of the inspections required. For anyone purchasing a property constructed between 2020 and 2022, he advised specifically asking about the exterior grounding wire by name and hiring a qualified, licensed electrician to conduct a thorough examination, noting that a general home inspector is typically not equipped for that specific task.

Furthermore, Atchley recommended that homeowners and homebuyers carefully preserve all documentation and paperwork provided by the original builder, as these records could prove vital in any future legal or insurance proceedings. Highlighting a practical method for identification referenced in the Sentinel’s reporting, industry observers point out that a simple household magnet will not stick to a true, solid copper wire, but will show magnetic attraction to a copper-clad steel wire, offering a rudimentary field test for concerned residents.