Pocatello, ID Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Chapter 15.03's contractor duties list, § 15.03.060, requires every licensed construction trades contractor to obtain inspection services promptly and in the proper sequence whenever this or any other city ordinance requires one, and to keep the work accessible and visible until the inspector approves it. The same section requires the contractor to obtain final inspections and a certificate of occupancy, or another form of final inspection approval, before the job is considered complete; failing to meet that duty is grounds for a claim against the contractor's license and permit bond and can lead to suspension or revocation of the license under § 15.03.070.

To make those inspections possible, § 15.04.070 gives the building official or another designated inspector the right to enter any premises to inspect construction work at any time while the work is being done, without requiring advance notice or a scheduled appointment. Section 15.08.050 extends the identical right of entry to the city electrical inspector, building official, or another designated inspector for electrical work specifically, in addition to the enforcement powers Article 80 of the National Electrical Code already gives inspectors. Because both inspection-access sections track the general contractor obligations in Chapter 15.03, a contractor who blocks or delays a required inspection, or who occupies a building before the final inspection and certificate of occupancy are obtained, is exposed both to the misdemeanor penalties tied to unpermitted work and to a bond claim or license suspension proceeding under § 15.03.070.