A failed electrical inspection is a normal part of construction, not a verdict on the job. The inspector found something that does not meet the code or the approved plans, wrote it down, and the work stops at that stage until it is corrected and seen again. What matters is handling it quickly and in the right order: read exactly what was written, fix that, and request the re-inspection the way your building department wants it.
This guide keeps to the procedure. Fees, timing and limits on re-inspections are set by each building department, and the one that has jurisdiction over the address has the final word. The South Florida electrical permits guide links each department.
Step 1: find out exactly what was written
Start with the inspector's comments, not the pass or fail result. Each department records them differently:
- Unincorporated Miami-Dade. The county says all work must be inspected and deficiencies will be noted by the building inspector (Miami-Dade inspections). Results can be tracked through the county's Routes and Results tool (Miami-Dade Routes and Results), and the permit's inspection history is in the county's permit search menu (Miami-Dade ePermitting menu).
- Unincorporated Palm Beach County. For complete details on a failed inspection, the county points to the yellow correction notice posted on site or the inspection history in ePZB. The inspector's phone number is on the correction notice (Palm Beach County inspection scheduling guide).
- Cities. The City of Miami works through iBuild (City of Miami inspections), Miami Beach through Civic Access (Miami Beach inspections), Fort Lauderdale through LauderBuild (Fort Lauderdale LauderBuild) and Boca Raton through its online portal (Boca Raton inspections). Results and comments show on the permit record.
If a comment is unclear, ask before you fix anything. The fastest re-inspection is one that corrects the right thing the first time.
Step 2: talk to the inspector if something is unclear
In Miami-Dade, you can contact your inspector by phone or email between 7 and 8 a.m.; the county says inspectors are unavailable for customer contact after that. To discuss results or resolve inspection issues with an inspection supervisor, the county uses MeetQ, and the Permit Section is at 786-315-2100 (Miami-Dade inspections). In Palm Beach County, the inspector's number is on the correction notice, and the Building Division inspection line is (561) 233-5170 (Palm Beach County inspection scheduling guide).
When you call, have the permit number, the inspection code and the comment in front of you, and ask for the code section or plan note the comment is based on. That gives the electrician something specific to correct and gives both sides a common reference if there is a disagreement.
Step 3: correct the work
The correction is made by the contractor who holds the electrical permit. A few practical points:
- Fix everything on the list, not just the headline item. Miami-Dade's final checklist starts with "Check for correction of any deficiencies noted on previous inspections," and its inspectors are told to read earlier inspection records and notes on the permit before starting (Miami-Dade electrical inspection guidelines).
- Do not cover the work. A failed rough or slab stays open until it is approved. Covering it means exposing it again later.
- Check whether the fix changes the plans. If the correction moves equipment or changes the service, the approved plans may need a revision before the re-inspection. Ask the department.
- Look for the same issue elsewhere. If one box was over-filled or one cable was unprotected, check the rest of the house before the inspector does.
Our rough-in inspection checklist and final electrical inspection checklist are built from the county's checklist and are useful for that walk-through.
Step 4: request the re-inspection
A re-inspection is requested the same way as the original inspection, using the same permit number and inspection code:
- Miami-Dade: online, or through the Permit Counter at 786-315-2100, one business day ahead and before 4 p.m. (Miami-Dade inspections).
- City of Miami: iBuild, (305) 416-1100 option 2, or 311, using the trade sub-permit number (City of Miami inspections).
- Miami Beach: Civic Access or 305-673-7610 (Miami Beach inspections).
- Palm Beach County: online through ePZB, or the automated line at (561) 355-2222 with the 7-digit contractor ID number, which is not the license number (Palm Beach County inspection scheduling guide).
- Boca Raton: online, by text at 833-821-0601, or by IVR at 561-393-7914 (Boca Raton inspections).
Florida law requires local permit offices to accept inspection requests electronically (section 553.79, Florida Statutes).
What about re-inspection fees?
They exist and they are local. Miami-Dade's inspections page, for example, says a permit holder must pay a fee for each additional inspection needed to reach compliance beyond the initial inspection and one follow-up, and that partially complete work is inspected on the completed portions where the code can be applied (Miami-Dade inspections). Other departments set their own rules. Ask yours before scheduling the re-inspection.
Keep the permit active
A string of failed inspections can leave a permit without an approved inspection for a long stretch. Under the 8th Edition building code's permit conditions, a permit can become invalid if work is suspended or abandoned for six months, and active progress is shown by an approved inspection (FBC 105.4.1 on UpCodes; confirm with your department). For single-family work, Florida law now keeps a permit valid for one year from issuance or until the next code edition takes effect, whichever is later (section 553.79, Florida Statutes). Our guides to Florida permit expiration rules and open and expired permits go further.
When the work was done by someone else
Sometimes a failed inspection lands on a GC or owner whose original electrician is gone. The permit holder is responsible for the corrections, so the first question is who holds the electrical permit. Florida law lets a property owner hire a different licensed contractor to close a permit, and that contractor is liable only for the work it performs, not for the original contractor's defects (section 553.79, Florida Statutes). Ask the building department how it records the change of contractor on the permit. Our code violation correction page covers that kind of work.
Questions builders ask
Can we keep working on other parts of the house after a failed rough?
Work that does not cover the failed item can usually continue. What cannot happen is closing in the area that still needs approval. When in doubt, ask the inspector.
Does a failed inspection go on the property's record?
The inspection history is part of the permit record, which the public can search. What matters for the final record is that each required inspection is eventually approved and the permit is closed.
What if we disagree with the inspector?
Ask for the code section behind the comment and discuss it. In Miami-Dade, the county offers MeetQ for discussing results with inspection supervisors (Miami-Dade inspections). Keep it about the code text and the approved plans.
Is a correction notice the same as a stop-work order?
No. A correction notice holds that stage until the work is corrected and re-inspected. A stop-work order is a separate enforcement action from the building department.
Need a correction handled?
KRW Electric (EC13012832) handles the permit and inspections on our jobs across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, from rough-in through final. For new homes, see residential new construction electrical. Send us the inspection comments or call (305) 359-7312.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
