jar546
Forum Coordinator
Where I started working, each and every violation and plan review deficiency must be referenced to a specific code section. Is this standard practice for your jurisdiction?
No, never. That is insane and a waste of everyone's time and resources. I can't believe someone would come up with that idea. We are professionals in the job because we understand the code and it's provisions, not the organization of multiple books. We should not spend our time or memory to memorize the location in a book. We are professionals at interpreting the intent and purpose of the provisions. We are not book memorizers and monologue performers. If we are challenged or if questions are asked, we should then be able to provide validation of our interpretation and the words we are interpreting. In doing so we should have the time to sit down, open the book and find it. I have been pulled over for speeding, and I trust the officer knows the speed limit or infraction I made. Never has it been presented to me by ordinance number. If I doubt him, it is challenged and researched in court...where time can be had to look up the exact ordinance number.
When the government imposes an obligation on an individual the individual has a right to know what he is compelled to do. If instead we believe that the building official is not required to justify his demands we have said that the building official is a law unto himself.
When the plan checker references the code section it allows the applicant to know what needs to be done. It also allows the applicant to decide whether he agrees with the comment or whether he wants to appeal the demand.
You could require the applicant to request the code provision but it is so much cleaner if it is provided with the original comment.
The request for code sections is most often coming from an angry recipient of my best work...as if they have a code book to reference. I’m not a savant. I offer to look up the sections for them when I have the time and get back to them.
I’m not a savant.
Back when we had to remember numbers we could because our brains didn't have to worry about where the phone was since it had a handy string attached to it. Now, I can't remember any numbers but I use my memory to figure out where I left my phone. One big trade off!I'm sure some inspectors come across the same violation many times and probably have those section numbers memorized. If I was doing that job, I would make up a cheat sheet with the common violations that I find over time and reference each of those to the section number. Remember when we used to memorize dozen of telephone number because we called them often? Now that your phone does that for you, what are you using your memory for?
what are you using your memory for?
Now, I can't remember any numbers but I use my memory to figure out where I left my phone. One big trade off!