An average day

[ICE]

Second unit?

Not sure as I didn't get that close. Of course the rules have been watered down to accommodate converted garages so if it is a second unit a permit will fix that.

 

[mark handler]

Some jurisdictions accept a document in lieu of inspecting smoke and CO alarms. And by the way, they are not detectors.....don't say smoke detector or Co detector. A detector isn't going to wake you up. Well anyway, I have seen a few of the documents stapled to a job card like I will inspect whatever and not need to go inside. I have said no because I detected dishonesty and found no alarms. I just wanted to use the word detected in a sentence. I would never accept a document. I've even see them with a Notary seal. It's only been a handful of times and each time there was no detectors....or alarms either.

Today was a good example of the level of competence found in the solar industry. The guy handed me this with all the confidence in the world that I would just move on.

2013? codes
Spelling

yes the forms are given to the owners. Yes there is liability.

 

[mark handler]

Not sure as I didn't get that close. Of course the rules have been watered down to accommodate converted garages so if it is a second unit a permit will fix that.

Even with the CA ADU Guidelines, there is still setback requirements, not met. Lateral, Stair construction, stairs in "fire in rated areas", fire rating of construction and openings, zoning. some requirements are not exempt.

 

[ICE]

Even with the CA ADU Guidelines, there is still setback requirements, not met. Lateral, Stair construction, stairs in "fire in rated areas", fire rating of construction and openings, zoning. some requirements are not exempt.

All that and you haven't been inside. If the sheet metal roof is any indication, there's bound to be issues.

 

[mark handler]

All that and you haven't been inside. If the sheet metal roof is any indication, there's bound to be issues.

You can see issues...

 

[ICE]

This is a service entrance conduit. I asked the workman to back off the lock ring in order to see if there was an intact KO. There is not but I did see that the lock ring that is listed for grounding does not penetrate the paint.

It was tight and it took a hammer and screw driver to turn it.

I am considering whether to allow these for grounding in the future.

 

[classicT]

Do-it-yourselfers be warned

Permit pulled for new gas line to service gas cooktop. Downdraft vent has been “capped” and new exhaust run via the microwave unit.



Microwave is set to recirculate air, so no air is being forced through the duct seen below. Although, with duck tape that has fallen off, who knows. Plot thickens, wondering where this duct goes...



....to the garage, above the workbench.



Yeah... your going to need to pull another permit and provide a properly exhausted kitchen fan. Thanks

 

[ICE]

If this was done in a fashion that mimics the Roofing Institute's installation guide, the gap would not be so wide...the cut lines would not be parallel....the gap would be wider at the bottom than it is at the top by about two inches. And it might not be quite so ugly. However, does it meet the intent of the code? Could I pass this work? Would you even if you could?

 

[conarb]

If this was done in a fashion that mimics the Roofing Institute's installation guide, the gap would not be so wide...the cut lines would not be parallel....the gap would be wider at the bottom than it is at the top by about two inches. And it might not be quite so ugly. However, does it meet the intent of the code? Could I pass this work? Would you even if you could.?

Tiger:

I don't know what you are talking about, the valley metal has to be under the shingles, not on top. I guess an argument could be made that the shingles are woven under the metal and the metal is merely redundant, if they want to make that argument they should remove the valley metal so you can inspect the way they are woven.

 

[my250r11]

If this was done in a fashion that mimics the Roofing Institute's installation guide, the gap would not be so wide...the cut lines would not be parallel....the gap would be wider at the bottom than it is at the top by about two inches. And it might not be quite so ugly. However, does it meet the intent of the code? Could I pass this work? Would you even if you could.?

Appears the valley liner is under the shingle, most manu. specs. require a 4" to 6" min. overlap of the valley and sealed edges. If this is the case then it meets code and would have to pass, EVEN THO IT LOOKS LIKE CRAP! We don't have the luxury of what it looks like. In these situation I general inform the owner they have more power than me on the looks as long as they haven't paid them.

 

[linnrg]

I prefer the metal valleys versus the woven thru shingles. Mostly because that is what we used to do way back when. It was not hard to get clean lines out of it. We also used double tar paper in the valleys under the metal. I also used to work with T lock shingles versus the three tab because most of the areas were subject to high winds.

The picture clearly shows bad workmanship. Like Ice says inform the owner and hope they have power over the bad contractor.

 

[SCBO1]

Looks like the valley metal overlaps done right. Hows it attached?

 

[ICE]

The picture clearly shows bad workmanship. Like Ice says inform the owner and hope they have power over the bad contractor.

No ..... that was not me that said that. I wrote a correction to do it over. I get that it meets the code....well sorta meets the code. Just not well enough to suit me.

It might look better next time out.....and it might not.....sooner or later it will look great.

 

[ICE]

This is a California Additional Dwelling Unit. That's code for illegal construction being legalized because it got so far out of hand that the government tossed in the towel.










It is in my area but the contractor calls every time there is an inspection scheduled to find out who the inspector will be. If it is me he stands me up.....five times so far. If it is another inspector he shows up.

 

[ICE]

 

[ICE]

The service entrance conduit is leaning.



I had the meter removed to expose the lock ring. I wanted to verify that it mated correctly. I also find the ring upside down now and then.



It did engage the can. I also found the neutral conductor hard against a sharp edge.

 

[ICE]

"But it's temporary. We'll move it when the addition is built."

 

[MtnArch]

Gotta luv that seismic bracing! (wait .. isn't it supposed to be installed at 1/3 points?!?!)

 

[ICE]

The permits are for replacing all of the duct work and R-30 insulation in the attic.

Here I am directly above a furnace that's in a closet.



There was an upper combustion air opening to the furnace closet. I can see a postage stamp sized portion.



I probably shouldn't remove the obstruction....

 

[ICE]

I tried to explain why this probably won't work. The contractor is a dolt and insisted that he can squeeze 4"x4" framing in the space. He argued every correction. The owner was an observer. I wrote a correction that outlines all the places an anchor bolt or HD is required. I then explained that if the anchors or HDs are wrong at the framing inspection....this correction covers that.

 

[ICE]

The service upgrade was done by a solar contractor. The location is the same as the previous panel. Do you write the correction?




This is a sub-panel associated with the main. None of the breakers at the main are labeled "sub-panel".



I found it in the garage when looking for the jumper (cold to hot to gas pipes) at the water heater. Some make the argument that the scope of work and therefor the corrections is limited to the main service upgrade. I am not one of them.

The main panel enclosure had this Myers hub. It didn't fit. The only way this could be accomplished is to screw the hub into the lock-ring. I wrote a correction that asks it to be replaced. Unless they use a hammer and a chisel, the hub must be unscrewed from the lock-ring. I should be able to tell by the scars or lack thereof.

 

[ICE]

This is at a chain drugstore. And they wonder why they get sued?

 

[SCBO1]

What, cuz the TP's on the tank lid blocking the grab bar or that's there no reading material.

You know George Costanza couldn't return a book because it was in the bathroom, it was flagged!

 

[conarb]

What's worse, that or this?

A state audit of California Department of Motor Vehicles operations has found obscene levels of waste and inefficiency—unfortunately nothing really surprising when dealing with state or federal bureaucracy—however, the level of absurdity in terms of government ineptitude and abuse is aptly demonstrated in a section of the audit report now going viral, which details that DMV supervisors knew an employee slept three hours a day on the job for nearly four years.

The report found that from February 2014 through December 2017, the DMV employee slept through a total of 2,200 hours’ worth of work, costing California taxpayers more than $40,000, and true to form that is the 'high bar' of exceptional performance that is the typical DMV, the employee was never fired or so much as given a formal reprimand.

The unnamed snoozing employee is a data admin clerk that oversees updating address changes and vehicle ownership forms, a job that according the audit averages 560 processed documents per day, but the worker produced only 200 error-filled documents.

While fully aware of the poor performance and daily siestas, supervisors "failed to take disciplinary or medical action against the employee after initial efforts to address her conduct proved unsuccessful," the audit said.

Perhaps most revealing of the innate ineptitude of state bureaucracy is the section that details why disciplinary action was not pursued: DMV officials told the state auditors that they couldn't do anything for lack of a properly documented track record of bad behaviors. So the sleeping employee could ultimately continue taking naps on the California taxpayer's dime with impunity.

The audit recorded other similar instances in parallel agencies, according to the report's highlight summary of findings:

• Four employees at several agencies misused state time and cost the State approximately $160,000.
  • Two employees either took extended breaks or left the premises over a five‑year period.
  • One employee regularly left early from work over two years.
  • One employee slept at her desk for extended periods of time during work hours.

Auditors found the latter example so glaring that they gave the instance its own summary section on the first page of the report:

A key data operator at the Department of Motor Vehicles failed to perform her essential duties over a period of nearly four years because she slept at her desk for extended periods of time during work hours. From February 2014 through December 2017, the employee misused more than 2,200 hours of work time as a result of sleeping on the job, costing the State more than $40,000.

And further according to the report human resources didn't have "appropriate language necessary for such disciplinary action" — meaning nothing could be done because there was no paper trail. ¹

This has been all over the news, a doctor speculated that she has either narcolepsy or sleep apnea, they are not publishing who she is but leaks have said she is an obese black woman disabled by the illness. That makes her at least a "three-fer".

Don't get me wrong, nobody is accusing Tiger of sleeping on the job, but my point is lazy, inept government employees are a thousand times worse than a roll of toilet paper.


¹ https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-26/california-dmv-worker-slept-3-years-job-audit-finds