jar546
Forum Coordinator
I am rather confident that I will rattle some cages but I honestly have to open up and be honest with my opinion on this, especially as a multi-discipline inspector with 17 certifications.
First of all, I am going to clarify something. In my opinion, this does not apply to residential only and by residential I mean 1 & 2 family dwellings, townhouses and their associated structures. I am talking about commercial buildings and multi-tenant buildings or basically anything that is not residential as initially stated. I think there can be an improvement in the residential arena but most of that is easily handled by qualified, experienced, certified multi-discipline inspectors. On the other hand........
Commercial and industrial building inspection and plan review is at a whole other level. Just look at not only the size of the IBC, IEBC, etc but the amount of referred to codes and standards. I have an entire new level of appreciation for those that have direct, long term experience in the field that they inspect in. There is just way, way, way too much to know and comprehend in all disciplines for one person to master or be extremely competent in. I honestly believe that we are asking too much of ourselves when it comes time to work where we are inspecting 3,4 or more disciplines.
With that being said, some do go together such as plumbing and mechanical although mechanical can also be a very complicated stand alone discipline. I also believe that all disciplines should also have the energy code certification. An example of this is when an electrical inspector passes a final inspection on lighting that then gets failed for energy. It happens all the time. There should be a separate IECC Section 505 certification for electrical inspectors. Along those lines building inspectors and accessibility go hand in hand since they are both part of the framing inspection among other things.
Much of commercial building spins off into accessibility, multiple other NFPAs, standards on steel, concrete, etc so the ability to master and grasp all of the requirements can be quite the challenge and made even worse when you are at a job and have other inspections too.
It has been my personal experience that when you are a multi-discipline inspector you really don't get alloted the time you need to complete all inspections thoroughly and often get distracted, especially when you are concentrating on one discipline and see a violation in another. Even if you write it down to go back to it, the distraction has already taken place. I feel as though commercial building and electrical are the most complex of all codes due to the sheer amount of information and situations you encounter.
Just look at what happens on this forum when someone asks a commercial code question. As expected, we often get multiple answers from multiple inspectors who interpret the code differently. These opinions make for some challenging situations in the real world. I don't believe the code has as many "gray" areas as is often stated but that it is often more complicated and we need to take the time to review definitions and go to other related areas of the code that may affect what we are looking at.
Electrical, well that is just a whole other ballgame unto itself. Between high voltage transformers, switchgear, grounding and bonding, Class 1,2 3 wiring, communication wiring, conduit, amp ratings, motor controls, generators, emergency systems, etc, etc etc, there is always something to learn or relearn. As a residential electrical inspector my biggest concerns are remembering the new AFCI rules but as a commercial electrical inspector, the vastness of the field can be overwhelming. The variety of what you are exposed to changes on a daily basis and having the NEC nearby is a must.
For me, with a strong electrical background I slowly felt myself getting watered down with commercial electrical as I was expected to handle so many other disciplines. When you have the luxury to concentrate on just one field, you are stronger in it and the world is a bit safer.
So overall, some can do one or two disciplines competently but as soon as you get to 3 or more disciplines I think a lot is lost. It is just too difficult for anyone to be at the top of their game in any single discipline when they are expected to know multiple. You either know a little about a lot or you know a lot about a little.
First of all, I am going to clarify something. In my opinion, this does not apply to residential only and by residential I mean 1 & 2 family dwellings, townhouses and their associated structures. I am talking about commercial buildings and multi-tenant buildings or basically anything that is not residential as initially stated. I think there can be an improvement in the residential arena but most of that is easily handled by qualified, experienced, certified multi-discipline inspectors. On the other hand........
Commercial and industrial building inspection and plan review is at a whole other level. Just look at not only the size of the IBC, IEBC, etc but the amount of referred to codes and standards. I have an entire new level of appreciation for those that have direct, long term experience in the field that they inspect in. There is just way, way, way too much to know and comprehend in all disciplines for one person to master or be extremely competent in. I honestly believe that we are asking too much of ourselves when it comes time to work where we are inspecting 3,4 or more disciplines.
With that being said, some do go together such as plumbing and mechanical although mechanical can also be a very complicated stand alone discipline. I also believe that all disciplines should also have the energy code certification. An example of this is when an electrical inspector passes a final inspection on lighting that then gets failed for energy. It happens all the time. There should be a separate IECC Section 505 certification for electrical inspectors. Along those lines building inspectors and accessibility go hand in hand since they are both part of the framing inspection among other things.
Much of commercial building spins off into accessibility, multiple other NFPAs, standards on steel, concrete, etc so the ability to master and grasp all of the requirements can be quite the challenge and made even worse when you are at a job and have other inspections too.
It has been my personal experience that when you are a multi-discipline inspector you really don't get alloted the time you need to complete all inspections thoroughly and often get distracted, especially when you are concentrating on one discipline and see a violation in another. Even if you write it down to go back to it, the distraction has already taken place. I feel as though commercial building and electrical are the most complex of all codes due to the sheer amount of information and situations you encounter.
Just look at what happens on this forum when someone asks a commercial code question. As expected, we often get multiple answers from multiple inspectors who interpret the code differently. These opinions make for some challenging situations in the real world. I don't believe the code has as many "gray" areas as is often stated but that it is often more complicated and we need to take the time to review definitions and go to other related areas of the code that may affect what we are looking at.
Electrical, well that is just a whole other ballgame unto itself. Between high voltage transformers, switchgear, grounding and bonding, Class 1,2 3 wiring, communication wiring, conduit, amp ratings, motor controls, generators, emergency systems, etc, etc etc, there is always something to learn or relearn. As a residential electrical inspector my biggest concerns are remembering the new AFCI rules but as a commercial electrical inspector, the vastness of the field can be overwhelming. The variety of what you are exposed to changes on a daily basis and having the NEC nearby is a must.
For me, with a strong electrical background I slowly felt myself getting watered down with commercial electrical as I was expected to handle so many other disciplines. When you have the luxury to concentrate on just one field, you are stronger in it and the world is a bit safer.
So overall, some can do one or two disciplines competently but as soon as you get to 3 or more disciplines I think a lot is lost. It is just too difficult for anyone to be at the top of their game in any single discipline when they are expected to know multiple. You either know a little about a lot or you know a lot about a little.
