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Most Common Errors made by inspectors

Teni | Posted in General Discussion on April 12, 2007 08:06am

Okay,

This has probably been covered, but we have had some real idiots for inspectors.

Just a small example: The concrete blocks under the “concrete that won’t crack” article in a recent Find Homebuilding article. My husband tried that idea years ago. The inspector had a fit and said it would weaken the concrete, and made him take them all out.
 More recently, a top county inspector is trying to force my husband to put fire rated collars on plumbing pipes in a small cabin. Trouble is they don’t even make those. Not even the plumber with 30 years of experience has ever seen them. You use fire rated caulk. But it is going to cost my husband hundreds of dollars to have collars made that are not on any residential building in our whole state. He also insists that we prove our electrical boxes are “fire rated.” Duh.. they don’t make any other kind. Don’t they train these guys?

To be fair, we have had other inspectors that were wonderful and knowledgeable. 

Teni

 

Reply

Replies

  1. User avater
    SamT | Apr 12, 2007 08:11pm | #1

    How did your husband pi$$ off the inspector?

    SamT

    There are three kinds of people: Predaters, Prey, and Paladins. The really strange thing is that Prey feels safer from Predators by disarming and emasculating Paladins.

  2. DanH | Apr 12, 2007 08:21pm | #2

    The most common error made by inspector is ignoring the teacher in class when she says "Jimmy, if you don't pay attention you'll end up being a garbageman or building inspector."

    So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
  3. renosteinke | Apr 12, 2007 08:25pm | #3

    Sounds like it's time to visit city hall, and ask for some clarifications.

    To begin with, an inspector ought to cite the authority of his judgment ... a code, reference materials from a testing agency, manufacturers' instructions, or even the prints you had submitted for approval.

    The short version: inspectors are governed by rules, and can't simply go about enforcing their personal agendas ... however well-intentioned they may be.

    When it comes to a particular building method, it is fair for the inspector to ask for engineering data, or the opinion of a licensed professional, to substantiate the practice.

    Inspectors are, first and foremost, people too. This means that they have the same foibles as anyone else. Indeed, a small story, while a bit off topic, will illustrate the point:

    I was working at a plant, and a small workbench was needed. I decided to follow a design I had seen in a book. My efforts were subject to all manner of second-guessing, skepticism, and head shaking, until I posted the drawings on the wall. "Oh, it's from a book ... what a clever idea!" 180 degree instant turn-about.

    Which bring up one common human response: "if it's new, it must be bad." This is followed closely by "Something you buy must be OK, while something you make must be bad."

    1. Teni | Apr 12, 2007 09:00pm | #4

      "The short version: inspectors are governed by rules, and can't simply go about enforcing their personal agendas ... however well-intentioned they may be."

      In our area they are kings. If you make one mad, it is off with your head. Not that we go out of our way to make them mad.

       I think this one is just wrong, and doesn't have anything personal against us.

       Trouble is he is the top dog in our county.

      1. brownbagg | Apr 12, 2007 09:56pm | #5

        the biggest mistake an inspector had made, was getting fired by wally world

      2. karp | Apr 12, 2007 10:10pm | #6

        Shoot him

        backfill over the body

        Its the only solution.

    2. DougU | Apr 13, 2007 03:56am | #7

      "Oh, it's from a book ... what a clever idea!"

      I have a similar story.

      A few years ago I built a fireplace mantle and legs. I had the HO do the code check because he had availability to it as I was out of state, HO was perfectly capable of doing it.

      When I got the thing done and installed we realized that it would not pass code  per that city.

      HO got on the net and changed a measurment in the instructions to "get us in under the table" - printed them out and handed them to the BI, guy looks at the printout and says everything looks fine!

      When something is in print all of a sudden it has a lot more value.

      And I dont want to hear any crap on how wrong it was to do what we did  because there is no way that we compromised the safety of this house.

      Just illustrating the point about the printed word having a false value is all.

      Doug

       

      1. DanH | Apr 13, 2007 04:44am | #8

        Hmmm ... So what's the statute of limitation on that one?May have mentioned it here before: Was working on an H4H rehab job -- moved house onto a new foundation. I was demoing the area where the old flue had been the basement, to prep for installing the new heating system, while the construction coordinator was standing nearby waiting for the plumbing inspector to show up to inspect the sub-slab rough-in. Pulled off a piece of plywood and there staring us in the face was a big chunk of asbestos fabric that had been missed earlier.We looked at it for maybe fifteen seconds, dug a hole in the sand, pried the fabric off, and buried it.
        So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

  4. User avater
    Troublemaker | Apr 13, 2007 05:38am | #9
    View Image

    Hilti Corporation
     
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    Catalog

    Firestop Systems


    CP 620 Firestop Foam

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    CP 651 Firestop Cushion

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    1. Teni | Apr 13, 2007 07:18am | #12

      Thanks for the links, Troublemaker.

       Have you ever used these on small residential construction before? None of the lumber or plumbing supplies in our area had heard of them. Can you order just one?

      1. IdahoDon | Apr 13, 2007 07:58am | #13

        I hate to even admit this, but, er....

        ...Once upon a time...

        A certain off the wall inspector went on vacation a short time after a very strange red tag.  Without changing anything a reinspection was requested.  Problem solved.

        *grin*

        The wisdom of our electrical insp. leadership is overflowing.  Just this year they have declaired that a peninsula cabinet must have it's outlet on top of the countertop regardless of the surface it butts into beit brick, glass, wood, or whatnot.  We have a great looking kitchen remodel and are being forced into a surface mounted box on the back side of a brick fireplace.  Lord help us all. 

        Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.

        1. User avater
          BruceT999 | Apr 13, 2007 09:18am | #14

          "We have a great looking kitchen remodel and are being forced into a surface mounted box on the back side of a brick fireplace."Would this box be likely to mysteriously disappear soon after final inspection? :)BruceT

          1. IdahoDon | Apr 13, 2007 09:25am | #15

            Would this box be likely to mysteriously disappear soon after final inspection? :)

            We're thinking of making the cabinet freestanding/mobile eliminating the problem completely.  :-) 

            Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.

        2. MisterT | Apr 17, 2007 02:19pm | #18

          BUILDING INSPECTORS were invented so Carpenters would drink beer and thus not rule the world!!!I don't Know what I am doing

          But

          I am VERY good at it!!

          1. brownbagg | Apr 17, 2007 02:23pm | #19

            building inspector, think about it. Its the only program that the government invented to give a service to the public, a way for govenment to partipate in a captism system instead of a socialism system. and then they still screwed that up too.Building inspector was invented to get wally world layoff off unemployment.i do live in Alabama, so my advice might be worthless

      2. User avater
        Troublemaker | Apr 13, 2007 06:15pm | #16

        We use them all the time, on mulit-unit projects. We have never had to use them on single family homes. (maybe if your mech.rm. is behind the area in question?).

        Call your nearest Hiliti dealer, I am sure they will sell one. Maybe $12.00

  5. ponytl | Apr 13, 2007 06:40am | #10

    there was a local inspector here about 4-5 yrs ago... kept giving this old guy a hard time... would go by his car lot alot and find a new reason to mess with him for over a year.... inspector went missing... found truck burned in the next state... never found said inspector...  car lot guy told his GF he'd killed the dude....  took years but the GF left the guy and then ratted him out... they always knew it was him but had zero on him...  this month he made a plea deal... got 15yr in jail...  on the condition he told what happened to the body...  burned... chopped up ... and crushed in cars going to the scrap metal place.... 

    15yrs for killing an inspector.....  a few years ago they let a guy go here who killed his lawyer....   just shows you the pecking order on value of human life...

    we try to never argue with an inspector... we go by the ... tell us what you'd like to see and then we do it that way... most of ours are really good guys and actually know more than we do which is as it should be... i'm amazed when they spot one bad/incorrect fitting ....   but i'm also amazed when one thing passes today... and the same type thing rejected 2 weeks later....   we just change to what they want today... and go on.... 

    like was already said... these guys are people... and everyone has good & bad days...

    good luck with yours

    p

  6. 1muff2muff | Apr 13, 2007 07:10am | #11

    Had an inspector ask me what cross webbing for trusses is.

    Also had one fail an insulation inspection because he couldn't see the printing on the batts (no one on site) .My boss phoned the chief inspector after and asked why the guy was too lazy to check the other side of a batt. We got passed, I think he got fired.

     

     

  7. Bowz | Apr 13, 2007 07:33pm | #17

    I had a sheetrock project for a homeowner doing their own bathroom renovation. I had to wait for the inspection to be done first, and the inspector wanted to see the insulation in the outside wall.

    So I showed up when the inspector did. homeowners had widened the bathroom window and never framed around it, just cut the studs out of the way. So the header is just hanging there. Inspector just looks at the insulation, and signs off on all the rough work.

    Bowz

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