Building Code Inspectors

Posted by Norminn on November 17, 2005, 7:29 am

My new mission in life is to agitate with city gov't to force the city
govt to do something more useful than pass the buck. They have elevated
passing the buck to an art form, so I figure that there should be new
challenges. They may also have killed three or four people through
incompetence.

Question: It is logigal to me that in-process inspections should serve
a purpose. I'm tired of reading about lousy roofs and dippy concrete
pours. Is it reality, anyplace, that inspectors care what kind of work
is done and actually force corrections for bad work before the job is
done? Does anyone know of citizen groups that have banded together to
get their municipality to do better?

Posted by Goedjn on November 17, 2005, 1:13 pm

>Question: It is logigal to me that in-process inspections should serve
>a purpose. I'm tired of reading about lousy roofs and dippy concrete
>pours. Is it reality, anyplace, that inspectors care what kind of work
>is done and actually force corrections for bad work before the job is
>done? Does anyone know of citizen groups that have banded together to
>get their municipality to do better?

You're far better off agitating to get the city inspectors abolished
entirely, and hiring a private inspector.

Posted by Joshua Putnam on November 17, 2005, 2:05 pm

norminn@earthlink.net says...

> Question: It is logigal to me that in-process inspections should serve
> a purpose. I'm tired of reading about lousy roofs and dippy concrete
> pours. Is it reality, anyplace, that inspectors care what kind of work
> is done and actually force corrections for bad work before the job is
> done?

It certainly does happen here (Pacific, Washington, a small town
south of Seattle, east of Tacoma.) But there are limits. Permit
fees don't nearly cover the cost of a detailed inspection, and
citizens are loathe to raise taxes for any reason. There's only one
inspector for a workload that could easily keep two working full
time.

So if you really want to be sure your work is being done to spec, you
can't rely on the building inspector alone. Get your own expert to
supervise and/or inspect.

Also, the city's inspector may not even see a job if it's being done
without permits, and you can bet a lot of jobs get done without
permits that they should have had -- how many people really get
permits to replace a water heater? (How many people realize that an
improperly-installed water heater can destroy their house?)

--
josh@phred.org is Joshua Putnam

<http://www.phred.org/~josh/>

Updated Infrared Photography Gallery:

<http://www.phred.org/~josh/photo/ir.html>

Posted by on November 17, 2005, 10:25 pm

wrote:

The problem is money. Inspectors may be doing 40 a day, they won't see
much. In SW Florida a new home will probably cost you a half million.
In that price will be about $8,000 in various fees and taxes.
TWO HUNDRED bucks goes to the building department. For that you get
administration, zoning review, plan review and 21 inspections
(minimum).
Pay a guy $9 for an inspection (and all that other stuff), you get a 9
buck inspecton.

Posted by SQLit on November 18, 2005, 11:28 am

> wrote:

> >Question: It is logigal to me that in-process inspections should serve
> >a purpose. I'm tired of reading about lousy roofs and dippy concrete
> >pours. Is it reality, anyplace, that inspectors care what kind of work
> >is done and actually force corrections for bad work before the job is
> >done? Does anyone know of citizen groups that have banded together to
> >get their municipality to do better?

> The problem is money. Inspectors may be doing 40 a day, they won't see
> much. In SW Florida a new home will probably cost you a half million.
> In that price will be about $8,000 in various fees and taxes.
> TWO HUNDRED bucks goes to the building department. For that you get
> administration, zoning review, plan review and 21 inspections
> (minimum).
> Pay a guy $9 for an inspection (and all that other stuff), you get a 9
> buck inspecton.

Not only money and time is the problem, but what are they actually looking
at?
Where I live the only things that get "inspected" is the structure.
Basically if it don't fall down it is fine by them. I have a friend that is
an electrical commercial inspector supervisor, due to vacations and sick
leave he ended up inspecting some million dollar semi custom homes. The very
first one he found 7 electrical code violations and 2 mechanical violations.
He was politely told "we do not look at that stuff in residential."
Nothing was changed or repaired.

If you want the inspection process to change then you need to go to city
hall. Dog the managers until they bark. Then and only then the process
will change.

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 > last >>

Similar Threads	Posted
Advice on dealing with building inspectors	July 20, 2006, 10:54 am
office building bathroom tile building code	October 18, 2005, 1:56 pm
Massachusetts Building Code	November 4, 2007, 3:10 pm
Building Code, Michigan	November 1, 2007, 6:08 pm
Florida Building Code - T&G Ceilings?????	July 16, 2008, 1:08 pm
Building code for Decks - Newfoundland	May 14, 2007, 2:25 pm
new york state building code faq	February 22, 2008, 9:36 pm
Question about building code and walls in basement...	January 30, 2006, 9:16 am
Is there a building code for use of Backerboard in shower installations for new constructions?	February 26, 2006, 6:48 pm
Building code - mechanical door/utlity room	December 16, 2008, 9:42 pm

Building Code Inspectors - Survey