inspections
Comprehensive Rough-In Electrical Inspection Guide
Understanding the requirements for an electrical inspection is essential to ensuring your home or project adheres to the National Electrical Code (NEC) and your local adoption of it. This guide covers what inspectors look for during a rough-in electrical inspection — and what to do if yours was missed.
The two-stage inspection process
Electrical work in most jurisdictions is inspected in two stages:
1. Rough-in inspection
Occurs after the electrical infrastructure is installed but before the walls are closed. This is when the inspector can actually see every wire run, every box, and every splice from the service panel to each fixture.
2. Final inspection
Conducted at project completion once walls are closed and every circuit is energized. The inspector verifies devices, covers, labeling, and functional operation.
If the rough-in inspection is skipped, there is no way to visually verify what was installed behind the wall — which is why jurisdictions typically require either a drywall tear-out or an engineer letter before they’ll approve the final.
What inspectors actually check
During the rough-in, the inspector evaluates:
- Circuit appropriateness and capacity — the right conductor size and breaker for the load
- GFCI and AFCI protection compliance — per NEC 210.8 and 210.12
- Electrical box sizing and positioning — fill calculations and accessibility
- Cable routing and anchoring methods — staple spacing, protection from physical damage
- Wire gauge and labeling standards
- Outlet and switch height consistency
Room-specific requirements
Kitchen. Minimum two 20-amp small-appliance branch circuits, dedicated circuits for the dishwasher and disposal, specific receptacle spacing along countertops (no point more than 24 inches from a receptacle).
Bathrooms. Dedicated 20-amp circuit for receptacles, GFCI protection, wall-switch-controlled lighting at the entrance, no receptacles within the tub/shower zone.
Laundry areas. Dedicated 20-amp circuit per NEC 210.11(C)(2). Specific outlet locations per the code-referenced standards.
Outdoor spaces. GFCI-protected exterior receptacles on the front and back of dwellings, entrance lighting on wall-switched controls.
Service and grounding
The guide references NEC Articles 220, 230, and 250 for service load calculations, disconnect locations, and grounding electrode compliance. These sections govern how the service enters the building, where it can be interrupted, and how the system is bonded to earth.
What happens if you missed the rough-in inspection?
This is the scenario we see constantly. Drywall goes up, permit goes stale, and the owner discovers during a sale or refinance that the rough-in was never signed off. The usual options are:
- Tear out the drywall so the inspector can see the work (expensive, messy, and sometimes impossible).
- Get an engineer letter — a licensed PE reviews documentation, photos, and the visible finish work, then certifies the installation meets code.
Option two is exactly what our missed-inspection engineer letter service is for. We turn most letters around in 24–48 hours.