As an inspector, do your best to bring up anything that you know will hold up construction progress as early on as possible.

Some electrical contractors may be used to working in a specific county or even another state and may not be familiar with local city or county inspection requirements. Try to make the electrician aware of any local rules or ordinances related to construction readiness and inspection procedures.

The authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) over the project will expect specific things to be completed before each inspection is scheduled by the permit holder. Below are a few examples:

• Underground electrical inspection. Trench at proper burial depth, trench left open and not covered, conduit or cables (suitable for wet location and direct burial) in place, acceptable backfill material present with no large rocks.
• Concrete encased electrode (UFER) inspection. Grounding electrode installed, footing where the concrete encased electrode is installed to be open and no concrete poured, listed ground clamps installed and suitable for direct burial.
• Rough wall inspection. All electrical conduits, cables, boxes installed and properly supported, wall left open on at least one side, no insulation installed that would hinder the inspector from seeing all wiring methods installed.
• Above ceiling inspection. All electrical conduits, cables, boxes installed, all disconnect switches for above ceiling HVAC or other equipment installed, all wires pulled and terminated in each enclosure, boxes and enclosures closed. During the inspection, the inspector may ask for a few select boxes to be opened to verify box fill, grounding, or conductor identification.
• Temporary power. Temporary power application filled out if required, service equipment installed, all service conductors and feeders pulled into the service equipment and terminated at each end, all grounding terminations made, utility company approval on the service equipment, any installed GFPE service disconnects or feeder overcurrent devices rated 1000 amps or larger on 480/277V WYE systems to be third party tested and paperwork present showing an approved test result, downstream panelboards and equipment fed from the service to be installed with feeders terminated, at least one downstream panelboard 100% complete and ready to energize including all branch circuits and the equipment they supply installed and all wires terminated at each end, lockout devices present for any service overcurrent devices that supply downstream equipment that is installed with feeders terminated at each end but not yet ready to be energized.

As an inspector, be sure to communicate as much information as possible to the permit holder so the electrical contractor knows what must be ready before each inspection is scheduled.