Published
Who inspects your wiring and pipes? Names, days, and the cost of calling ready too soon
The county does not send these inspectors
Two different governments touch a corridor build. Fremont County enforces the building permit for the structure itself; the State of Idaho inspects the trades — the wiring and the pipes — through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. That split is why the electrical permit and the plumbing permit are state files, and it means the people who sign off your wiring have Boise-issued credentials, not county ones. The obligation to call them is written into the rule:
“Each installation made by a permit holder or his authorized representative shall request an inspection from the Division.”
— IDAPA 24.39.10 §500.01.b, rules of the Idaho Electrical Board (rule text dated 3-28-23). Retrieved 5 October 2026
Who actually covers Ashton and Chester
The Division publishes a coverage list naming the inspector for each town and trade. The current list is dated August 5, 2026, and the Ashton and Chester entries read:
| Trade | Inspector | Phone | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | Anthony Parker | 208-351-6908 | M, T, W, R, F |
| HVAC | Greg Hokanson | 208-221-2888 | T, R |
| Plumbing | Cade Clark | 208-258-0046 | T, R |
The day codes are the list’s own:
“Inspection Days M=Monday, T=Tuesday, W=Wednesday, R=Thursday, F=Friday”
— Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, inspector coverage list, created 05-Aug-2026. Retrieved 5 October 2026
Read the pattern: electrical inspections can happen any weekday, but plumbing and HVAC run Tuesdays and Thursdays only. A two-trade week has two windows, and a schedule that ignores them pays for it in idle days. The list is reissued periodically, so confirm coverage before relying on a name.
What an inspection request costs
Inspections under an open new-construction permit are part of the permit you already bought. But a requested inspection permit — the standalone kind an owner or contractor orders outside a new-dwelling permit — carries its own fee: $65 per inspection under the electrical board’s rule. There is also a remote option at a discount: a virtual inspection request is a $45 fee for contractors requesting a virtual inspection of qualified installations. Both figures come from the same rule chapter, dated 3-28-23.
What calling ready too early costs
The rules charge for wasted trips, and the electrical board words it like a billable event:
“A fee of sixty-five dollars ($65) per reinspection will be assessed for work not being ready for inspection, inaccurate description of jobsite locations or directions, or failure to respond to notice of correction.”
— IDAPA 24.39.10 §500.04, reinspection fees (rule text dated 3-28-23). Retrieved 5 October 2026
The plumbing board prices the same mistake hourly:
“A fee of sixty-five dollars ($65) per hour or portion thereof shall apply to trips to inspect when the permit holder has given notice to Division that the work is ready for inspection and it is not”
— IDAPA 24.39.20 §500.02.d, additional fees (rule text dated 3-28-23). Retrieved 5 October 2026
Notice the shared clause: the person who gave notice owns the fee. That is the permit holder — usually your trade contractor, which is one more reason the who-pulls-the-permit question in the permit responsibility page matters.
Run the trades calendar like a builder
- Write the Tuesday/Thursday plumbing and HVAC windows into the rough-in schedule before framing inspections are booked.
- Confirm current inspector coverage with the Division when permits are pulled — names and days change with reissued lists.
- Call ready only when the work truly is: not-ready trips bill $65, and the tab follows the permit holder.
- Keep the electrical, plumbing and county inspections in one file so no cover goes on before its sign-off.
- Want the calendar managed for you? (208) 656-1516.
The county side of the inspection story — who examines the structure itself — starts at the Fremont County building permit, and the trades side starts with the state permit pages above. Verify any contractor you hire through the free state lookup before their name goes on a permit.
Common questions
Who inspects electrical work in Ashton, Idaho?
The state, not the county. The Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses' coverage list dated August 5, 2026 assigns electrical inspections for Ashton and Chester to Anthony Parker at 208-351-6908, with inspection days Monday through Friday. The list is reissued periodically, so confirm before scheduling.
Who is the plumbing inspector for Ashton?
Per the Division's August 5, 2026 coverage list, plumbing inspections for Ashton and Chester are handled by Cade Clark at 208-258-0046, with inspection days Tuesday and Thursday only. The same two-day window applies to Greg Hokanson for HVAC at 208-221-2888.
Can a homeowner request a state inspection directly?
The rule says each installation made by a permit holder or his authorized representative shall request an inspection from the Division - so whoever holds the permit requests the inspection. A homeowner who pulled their own plumbing permit under 54-2602(1)(a) is that permit holder and makes the request.
How much does a requested inspection cost in Idaho?
A requested inspection permit under the electrical board's rule is a $65 fee per inspection. A virtual inspection request is a $45 fee for contractors requesting a virtual inspection of qualified installations. Inspections under an open new-construction permit are covered by the permit fee already paid.
What happens if the inspector shows up and the work is not ready?
The electrical board assesses a $65 fee per reinspection for work not being ready, inaccurate jobsite locations or directions, or failure to respond to a notice of correction. The plumbing board charges $65 per hour or portion thereof for trips to inspect when the permit holder gave notice the work was ready and it was not - and the fee follows the permit holder.
What days can I get an inspection in Ashton or Chester?
Per the coverage list's legend - M=Monday, T=Tuesday, W=Wednesday, R=Thursday, F=Friday - electrical inspections for Ashton and Chester run all five weekdays, while plumbing and HVAC run Tuesday and Thursday only. Build the rough-in schedule around those windows.