It seems a bit odd to call designer and ask for a code section for a mistake that they made.
I spent a few years doing double duty as plan checker and inspector. Plan checkers have it way better than inspectors. Usually they only have one discipline to deal with because they only know the code for that one discipline. Each job comes with a voluminous checklist, complete with section numbers. The corrections that were not on the checklist weren't that difficult to find.
To be fair I must say that I plan checked residential and commercial tenant improvements. Somebody else did stadiums.
Inspectors do not have a checklist to go with the five disciplines they are tasked with knowing. Inspectors do not work in an air conditioned office and take a coffe break when the mood hits them. Inspectors have contractors barking and baying like sled dogs. Inspectors have 4000 pages with section numbers.
The conversation is more general. Something like "I am trying to understand what you are thinking?" or "what is your code basis for the condition?" The dialogue is the important part, and is very revealing and helpful.
There are difficulties in both jobs. Much of my time is spent making sure the inspector (and contractor) have what they need to be successful. Inspectors certainly do not have the luxury of milling through six code books, researching other resources (like this forum), and in general, thinking about a problem for a day or two. They also don't typically have access to the myriad of supporting documents that are used to verify compliance. So I try to do that for them. Having been an inspector for many years, I tend to be able to anticipate what they will need, I also realize that a good job on my end makes theirs easier, and helps them avoid the failed inspection in some cases.
Plan review is almost entirely a courtesy, it helps avoid lost treasure (time and money) for AHJ's and owner/contractors. If I can identify issues before they are constructed I have added value. But I understand some don't see the value, and more and more they just want plan stampers instead. Those AHJ's don't care about the position it places the inspectors, owners and public in, as long as it gets pushed through, they are willing to play the odds that there will be no consequences.
I spend hours on the front end, and much of that goes unnoticed. Which is exactly the way it should be. It may have taken me two resubmittals and a couple of phone conversations to get the information needed for an inspector to do a 20-minute inspection. But if I didn't it could mean the inspector had to spend an hour looking for the information and arguing with the contractor, and making a return trips while the applicant submits and waits on revisions. Or, the inspector and contractor would never have noticed either way, but since the plans were good, the installation was too, and nobody knows the difference. I think that is the more likely scenario.
