How to Choose an Electrician in Idaho

Check the license, and know which one to ask for

Idaho licenses electricians through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, and there are several classes. The distinction matters.

• Apprentice — works under supervision only
• Journeyman — may work unsupervised
• Master — may work unsupervised and supervise others
• Electrical contractor — the business license. Only a contractor may advertise electrical work, contract for it, and pull permits.

So the question is not "are you licensed?" but "what is your contractor license number?" An individual journeyman working for himself on your house, without a contractor license, cannot legally pull the permit.

DOPL maintains a public license lookup. Use it. A contractor who is comfortable giving you the number expects you to check it.

Insurance is part of the license here

Idaho requires an electrical contractor to carry at least $300,000 in general liability insurance to hold the license, plus workers' compensation where applicable.

That is a floor, not a ceiling, and it is worth asking for a certificate rather than a verbal assurance. On commercial work your landlord will almost certainly require one anyway, so ask at bid stage rather than at closeout.

Ask who pulls the permit

In Idaho the electrical permit comes from the state, not the city, and it is purchased online through DOPL. Two answers should worry you:

"You don't need a permit for this." Sometimes true for a like-for-like device swap. Almost never true for anything that adds or alters a circuit.

"You pull the homeowner permit." Idaho does let you permit work you perform yourself on your own home — but not work someone else performs. A contractor asking you to pull a homeowner permit for their work is shifting liability onto you and sidestepping the inspection record. Walk away.

Also worth knowing: a City of Boise or county building permit does not replace the DOPL electrical permit. On a remodel you may need both, and a contractor who does not know that is telling you about their experience level.

What a real quote contains

Compare bids on these, not on the total:

• The scope in enough detail that you could hand it to a second contractor
• Whether the DOPL permit and state inspection are included
• Whether materials are specified by type, not just "wire and boxes"
• What happens to existing wiring — removed, or de-energized in place
• Whether patching and paint are included, or you hold the holes
• The load calculation for any panel or service work, on paper
• Warranty terms on workmanship, in writing
• Payment schedule — a large deposit before materials arrive is a warning

A quote that is $800 cheaper because it omits the permit and the patching is not cheaper. It is smaller.

The code question that reveals experience

Ask which NEC edition your job will be inspected under.

Idaho enforces the 2023 National Electrical Code with Idaho amendments, administered by the Idaho Electrical Board under IDAPA 24.39.10, effective July 1, 2024. A contractor working here should know that without looking it up, and should be able to tell you what it changed — the 2023 edition expanded GFCI requirements and tightened surge protective device specifications.

If they cannot answer, they are either new to Idaho or not following adoption. Either is worth knowing before you hand over a deposit.

Warning signs

• No contractor license number offered, or reluctance when you ask
• Pressure to decide today, or a discount that expires
• A large cash deposit before any materials are ordered
• No written scope, just a total
• Suggesting you skip the permit "to save money"
• Quoting a panel upgrade without asking what appliances you have
• An out-of-state phone number for a local service area

Questions to ask every bidder

1. What is your Idaho contractor license number?
2. Can you send a certificate of insurance?
3. Who pulls the DOPL permit, and is it in the price?
4. Which NEC edition will this be inspected under?
5. Have you done the load calculation, and can I see it?
6. What exactly is not included in this number?
7. Who does the work — you, an employee, or a subcontractor?
8. What is the warranty on workmanship, in writing?

Bottom line

Verify the license, get the insurance certificate, and confirm the permit is theirs to pull. Those three checks take fifteen minutes and remove most of the risk. Call 208-856-4826 if you want a quote to compare against.