There are many reasons an electrical inspection can fail or be denied by the electrical inspector, and not all of them are always related to installation practices of the electrician.

Below are a few examples:

• A permit not being posted
• A unique city policy regarding certain items that must be present or done in a specific order before an inspection can be requested
• The general contractor requesting an electrical inspection before the electrician is ready to get the electrician to hurry up
• A new code change or city amendment that modifies the code language the electrician is using to justify an installation method
• Not having the carton or package available for cable ties or other small electrical products so that the electrical inspector can verify that the product is certified (listed) by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory such as UL

There are however times that the electricians work, or readiness will be the cause of a failed inspection.

Most electrical inspectors have a specific routine or route which includes organizing their inspections for the day based on location. Some inspectors perform their first inspection at the job site farthest from the office and gradually work their way back so that they are near the office as they finish up their day.

Many inspectors charge a fee and lock the permit so that no inspections can be scheduled for up to 48 hours to deter workers from scheduling an inspection before the work has been completed. Electricians who are not quite ready for the inspection will commonly schedule an inspection the night before with the hopes that that they can finish their work the next morning before the inspector arrives. A change in the inspector’s schedule, or a different inspector covering for another can result in the inspector showing up first thing and issuing a red tag for the electrical work not being ready for inspection. When an electrician realizes that they will not be ready for the scheduled inspection, its best that they try and call the inspector and cancel rather than risking having the inspector show up when work is not ready and assign a fee or place a temporary hold on scheduling additional inspections. Inspectors deal with “work not ready” every day and often get to a point where their entire day is wasted with these types of inspections.

All day long the inspector will deal with electricians who just need to fix one or two items for their inspection to pass and they will ask the inspector to approve the inspection and “trust them” that they will fix those items after the inspector leaves and before the wall or ceiling is covered or closed up. Most inspectors will refuse such requests. If the inspector says yes every time this occurs, over the inspectors career, there is potential to be thousands of code violations that were present when the inspector approved the inspection that may have never actually been fixed.

The NEC^® doesn’t say much about phases of construction or when inspections should be scheduled, but in Oregon, the below language from Chapter 918 of the Oregon Building Codes Division has specific language regarding inspections:

918-271-0010 Calls for Inspection.

(1) All persons who take out an electrical permit, homeowners as well as electrical contractors, shall request an inspection within three working days of:

(a) The completion of any electrical installation intended to be covered or concealed or that is intended to be placed into service before the final electrical inspection; and

(b) The completion of all electrical installations for the job site covered by a particular permit.

(2) Transactions under a master inspection permit are covered by separate requirements..

918-271-0020 Requests for Inspection and Notice of Results.

(1) Except as provided in section (2) of this rule, an inspecting jurisdiction, shall inspect within 48 hours of a written request for inspection unless the time for inspection is extended to a set date by mutual agreement. The 48 hours excludes Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

(2) The inspecting jurisdiction shall inspect an installation at a remote location within a reasonable time of the request.

(a) For the purpose of this section a "remote location" is:

(A) An inspection location that is more than 60 miles one way using the most direct route, measured from the closest of the inspector's station, inspection office or the inspecting jurisdiction's primary offices; or

(B) An inspection location that requires more than one hour of normal driving, one way, using the most direct route from the closest point mentioned in paragraph (A) of this subsection.

(b) For the purposes of this section "within a reasonable time" means a response time that takes into account the time, distance and number of inspection requests, but shall not exceed seven consecutive calendar days including the date the request was received unless the time for inspection is extended to a set date by mutual agreement. If the seventh calendar day falls on a weekend or holiday this is extended to include the next business day.

(3) Reasonable procedures designed to provide actual notice of inspection results shall be used by all inspecting jurisdictions to notify the person requesting inspections, of the results of electrical inspection. "Reasonable procedures designed to provide actual notice" shall include posting at the job site and:

(a) Nothing more, when the installation is by an owner;

(b) Nothing more, when the installation is approved;

(c) Notification of any deficiencies on a specific permit by:

(A) Personal delivery to the electrical contractor or signing supervisor;

(B) Written notification by mailing,  electronic mail, or fax; or

(C) Telephone followed by written notification.

(d) By written confirmation of inspection approval if a permit holder requests confirmation.

(4) If the inspection mentioned in sections (1) and (2) of this rule involved a cover inspection, the work cannot be covered unless:

(a) Inspection clearance is given; or

(b) The request for inspection is in writing communicated to the inspecting jurisdiction, with notice that a cover inspection is involved, no extensions are agreed to, and the maximum time for making the required inspection under sections (1) and (2) of this rule are exceeded. For the purposes of this subsection:

(A) Written request includes a letter, email, or fax transmittal; and

(B) The burden of proof is on the person requesting the electrical inspection to prove that a written request was communicated..

918-271-0030 Correction of Defects.

(1) Defects in electrical installations noted by the electrical inspector shall be corrected and an inspection request made within 20 calendar days of the date of actual notice of deficiency. For the purpose of this rule, actual notice is given when the inspecting jurisdiction does everything required in OAR 918-271-0020.

(2) If corrections cannot reasonably be made within the specified time in section (1) of this rule, or an interpretation or written appeal has been requested, the permit holder shall contact the inspecting jurisdiction and request an extension of time to a specified date or until deficiency is resolved.

(3) Requests for inspection and requests for extension may be communicated in any way. However, if challenged, the burden of proof is on the requester to document the request was in fact communicated. Responses may also be communicated in any way, but if challenged, the burden of proof is on the inspecting jurisdiction.

918-271-0040 Mandatory Inspection Practices.

(1) Electrical inspectors shall inspect and verify the appropriateness of the size, placement, protection and termination of the following electrical installations. Inspectors shall note discrepancies and require correction of code violations pursuant to OAR 918-098-1900. Physical contact is not required to inspect the electrical installations listed below.

(a) Service entrance conductors;

(b) Service equipment;

(c) Grounding electrode and grounding electrode conductor;

(d) Bonding;

(e) Overcurrent protection;

(f) Branch circuits;

(g) Feeders; and

(h) Underground installations.

(2) Electrical inspectors shall test ground-fault circuit interrupter devices (GFCI) and arc-fault circuit interrupter devices (AFCI) for functionality. Ground fault protection services (GFP) shall be performance tested in accordance with the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code.

(3) A final inspection shall be requested and provided to verify all mandatory items in sections (1) and (2) of this rule are in compliance.

(4) A final inspection shall be performed by the inspecting jurisdiction as soon as practicable, but not later than five working days following the date on which it is requested. Subject to the approval of the building official, the permit holder may schedule a final inspection prior to completion of the electrical installation in order to allow the permit holder to be present at the time of inspection and facilitate access to energized installations.