A few inspections, resulting in correction notices, will often yield a good result with a willing party. If the guy is mentally competent, (hard to tell by the pictures), and if one is willing to invest a little more time than usual, it can be rewarding to help a guy out. Building inspection departments should not take the position that they cater exclusively to the industry, but not the citizentry.
Still, if you have to start out explaining the concept of gravity, and deem the person totally incompetent, I would not hesitate to tell him to consult a professional. I have, in a couple of extreme cases of incompetence involving multiple inspections, used citations, disconnection of utilities, and even the implementation of condemnation proceedings to force the issue that it is sometimes cheaper to hire a professional and get the help needed than to exasperate the building inspection process.
