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An average day

ICE, your so clever! That's a pretty little corner installed.

Is that guy in the background actually using a hammer instead of a gun nailer?
 
Now and then a job turns to sh_t.

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The job is solar. The el. service is bootlegged. There's bound to be plenty of corrections. My guess is that not far into this, they will demand a different inspector.

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ICE said:
My guess is that not far into this, they will demand a different inspector.
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I'm always surprised to hear this. We do not allow contractors to dictate which inspector is assigned to their jobs. If we receive a complaint we certainly review the violation and the code to confirm it is in fact a violation.
 
tmurray said:
I'm always surprised to hear this. We do not allow contractors to dictate which inspector is assigned to their jobs. If we receive a complaint we certainly review the violation and the code to confirm it is in fact a violation.
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That's a benefit of being the only guy here - they're stuck with me. They can appeal to my board of adjustment, but unless I really screw up then all that's doing is wasting everybody's time.
 
tmurray said:
I'm always surprised to hear this. We do not allow contractors to dictate which inspector is assigned to their jobs. If we receive a complaint we certainly review the violation and the code to confirm it is in fact a violation.
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It happens to me a lot. They say that I am rude. The office manager tells me that, true or not, she must take them at their word and replace me. I am always assured that the corrections that I've written will be enforced. I have ample proof to the contrary.
 
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ICE said:
It happens to me a lot. They say that I am rude. The office manager tells me that, true or not, she must take them at their word and replace me. I am always assured that the corrections that I've written will be enforced. I have ample proof to the contrary.
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I can understand how they would want you to try to be less rude. But this is not a "customer is always right" environment. Being rude doesn't mean you are not doing your job. It certainly helps get voluntary compliance if you are helpful as an official, but I'd have a hard time taking over when the only complaint is rude. Even complaints to our municipal council do not usually find traction.

Again, your work environment blows me away.
 
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if a contractor seldom gets any corrections he thinks I am rude when I write a bunch of corrections. I understand that. What difference does it make if the corrections are done or not. Knowing that they have made the same mistake a few hundred times convinces them that I am crazy when I write corrections. That's the rude......When they send out a crew that gets 15+ corrections and I want the contractor to explain the corrections to his employees.....That's the rude. I don't shake hands.....now that's rude.
 
Had a plumber and homeowner call me about an inspector that called the plumber on his T&P discharge being >6" off the floor saying that it was unreasonable. The time I took explaining, I could have gone there and fixed it...
 
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ICE said:
It happens to me a lot. They say that I am rude.
Click to expand...
 
ICE said:
They say that I am rude. The office manager tells me that, true or not, she must take them at their word and replace me.
Click to expand...

Office manager doesn't deal with all the aspects of being an inspector, there's a lot of Einsteins out there:

Phase one of my career; I've been called rude, brass, snotty, blunt, a$$hole, buddy, dude, crude and only see things in black & white, no grey. That's when you enforce the code.

Phase two, the Carnegie years, where you learn to keep your hands at your side and listen before you speak, it's not bad but it takes longer to do inspections. Cuz all they do is tell you how smart they are and I can't stop thinking his wife must be a drinker, I'd like to meet her, I bet she's hot! What was that question again sir?

Phase three, I don't really give a crap, I found this so called job when I found it, and according to mmarvel there's more low paying inspector jobs out there now than ever before.

Phase four: Training the new buck. Grab those sky hooks out of the trunk for me, will ya! Hold the dumb end of that tape measure :confused:
 
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ICE, Have you ever been followed by a homeowner with his I-pad and found out he'd been videoing you while doing your inspection.

That's just creepy!

I made sure that I picked my nose and did some "scratchin", Probally on youtube.

Is Videoing a word?
 
tmurray,
Doing nothing I guess? I don't really know, I caught the residents plumbing contractor on a backhoe digging in the right-of-way without a permit, no plumbing permit and no business license. While trying to talk to the contractor he came out into the street where I was discussing the city requirements and then he later told the mayor I ignored him. I first thought his sugar was off?

After I issued the permits he was real nice but followed me around with his I-pad. Kinda gave me a weird feeling like when you do a rough-in inspection and the contractor follows you around with his bibs open and mustard on his beard from lunch.:eek:

It's rough out here, I can't believe ICE gets on roofs without fall protection.
 
Pcinspector1 said:
ICE, Have you ever been followed by a homeowner with his I-pad and found out he'd been videoing you while doing your inspection.
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I tell them that I am in the federal witness protection program. That's the end of that. Me and Whitey hiding in plain sight. it makes them nervous because they don't know what crime I committed to end up as their inspector.
 
you should smile and tell them that the ipad will really help write up and document the unusual long list of code violations the place has - would you mind taking this all down? Also drop the old line of how will you ever sell a place like this when you have first hand knowledge about all of that crappy work done by fly by night contractors. Ask them on camera how it came about that they found and hired those kinds of contractors. Well the Ipad will at least have it documented!

I can bet it would not take long for that Ipad to disappear.
 
You'll be needing bandages before this is over.

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The inspection request said "Lath". I had never been there before. The lath was signed off the previous day. I didn't ask questions.

He looks confident. He must know something that I don't.

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