mtlogcabin
SAWHORSE
Doing commercial plan reviews we usually provide a section number
Residential plan review and inspections never unless asked
Residential plan review and inspections never unless asked
If a formal notice of violation yes, if asked yes, most of the time no.
When a decent explanation or request of professional to another the cite is not needed, if you want me to look it up please get out your code book licensed contractors are required to have in their possession, oh you don't have one or the correct one this is not a confidence builder on my part.
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.
In every state and country that I have received a moving violation while driving, the specific ordinance number has always been on the ticket.
For some reason I am just seeing this. In every state and country that I have received a moving violation while driving, the specific ordinance number has always been on the ticket.
This is not a waste of time and resources. Inspectors can have cheat sheets for common violations on their clipboard. This method is very helpful. If you know a code exists then you should at least know what section and or chapter it is so you can look it up quickly. My cheat sheet has about 3 pages that I am constantly updating for routine, basic codes and a few odd ones that are rare. It helps me to remember them.
This is where the do as I say even though I am too lazy to show you the code problem comes into place. Having a cheat sheet or looking up the code section helps the inspector to remember and sometimes if you read the most recent changes to the code, you just might find out that you are learning something yourself.
Stop the laziness and complacency. Cite the code section.
You make a fair case. However, I still don't often think staffing levels are sufficient for this kind of detail in an inspection report in many cities. Mine was one of them. I definitely agree that many, many inspectors need to crack that book open more often. Definitely agree with that. I probably shouldn't have compared it to a speeding ticket, because a contractor often sees an inspector more regularly and can build a professional relationship with them. Where there can be some level of trust formed between professionals working together, things can be accomplished much more efficiently.For some reason I am just seeing this. In every state and country that I have received a moving violation while driving, the specific ordinance number has always been on the ticket.
This is not a waste of time and resources. Inspectors can have cheat sheets for common violations on their clipboard. This method is very helpful. If you know a code exists then you should at least know what section and or chapter it is so you can look it up quickly. My cheat sheet has about 3 pages that I am constantly updating for routine, basic codes and a few odd ones that are rare. It helps me to remember them.
This is where the do as I say even though I am too lazy to show you the code problem comes into place. Having a cheat sheet or looking up the code section helps the inspector to remember and sometimes if you read the most recent changes to the code, you just might find out that you are learning something yourself.
Stop the laziness and complacency. Cite the code section.
I quote code sections on plan reviews, because it's my experience that architects and engineers don't know what I'm talking about when I don't. .
It should be department policy if not state law that the applicant can ignore any comment where no code section is listed until a proper citation is provided. The applicant should respond to the inspector or plan checker, copying the building official, stating that the comments have not been properly cited and thus the applicant does not need to comply with them.
If a design professional recognizes that a code provision has been violated he knows that he will have to deal with it whether or not it is properly cited but too often the comment is not supported by the code or is based on a flawed interpretation of the code.
I get this and agree with doing this on a plan review with architects, engineers, etc., but on a single family home, or a field inspection, why am I giving them a code section for every violation when the contractor or person building their own home doesn't even own a code book? When questioned, we don't just provide the section number, we provide the section.It should be department policy if not state law that the applicant can ignore any comment where no code section is listed until a proper citation is provided. The applicant should respond to the inspector or plan checker, copying the building official, stating that the comments have not been properly cited and thus the applicant does not need to comply with them.
If a design professional recognizes that a code provision has been violated he knows that he will have to deal with it whether or not it is properly cited but too often the comment is not supported by the code or is based on a flawed interpretation of the code.
A home owner or contractor would have to own 3 different IRC's and the state codes to build a house.
Maybe this discussion should change to home inspectors forcing home sellers to change out FPE panels and adding GFCI so they can sell their home.
The only contractors that have ever produced a code book and asked for clarification are electrical contractors.