Decks are an on-going frustration for me. One thing I have noticed in multiple AHJ's is the desire to provide a "rapid review" (call it whatever you want), for things like decks and basements. I get it, they are a homeowner driven permit, homeowners vote, the frenzy to provide customer service, I get all of that. Because of that I am currently not involved with them much. Here is the problem; the plans are awful. I am not saying the contractors, or even the homeowners aren't capable of building them well, but they certainly could use help with plan prep. I have seen countless checklists, most of which are awesome, but RARELY adhered to. Instead I see chicken scratch, no dimensions, complete lack of understanding of tributary areas, beam spans, ledgers...the list could go on. So what I see is the poor SOB who is doing the review, under pressure to issue a "rapid" permit, ends up doing the bulk of the design work to "help out the customer". I like helping customers, but every time it happens, the bar for good design and construction practices goes down a little more. And if the plans examiner doesn't understand these things???
We do dozens of deck permits a week. They never stop! Just for giggles I opened up 3 or 4 of them to see what is being submitted. Not one would have made it off my desk (see why I don't have to do them?). Most get passed and sent to the field with few if any comments. So what is the result? Is the inspector catching all the issues in the field? Is that the way it should work? In my opinion, a deck review should take great pains to eliminate inspection issues for both the inspector and poor customer. I saw several missing beam sizes, caisson sizes, spans, not to mention all the silly details like beam bearing, guard and stair details. IF the inspector sees this, and poor customer now has to spend more time and money to fix them, have we provide the coveted customer service? If that is the situation, just remove the review altogether and stop with the illusion that we are trying to provide a better product.
Decks, like most other aspects of construction, are a team endeavor. The builder needs to have skill, the inspector needs to be interested and knowledgeable, and the plans examiner needs to spend time on it and be willing to "hold it up". If the builder doesn't do their job, the plans examiner should point that out. If the builder and the plans examiner don't do their job, the inspector should point it out. I rarely see all three parties do an adequate job.
So what is the solution? Better code-yes. Better plan examination-yes, Better inspections-yes. But I think we can all benefit the most if we stopped treating decks as an after-thought. They are on a vast majority of homes, they are places where people gather. They are exposed to the worst weather imaginable. They are often built by people with little knowledge. I don't believe it is a customer service to produce a bad product in the name of expediency.
Better code will have little effect on the product if better education and enforcement don't take place. And none of it will matter if the AHJ doesn't take them seriously.
Just my humble opinion. Keep up the never-ending and sometimes thankless work Glen. It is appreciated.