Give me a hand folks, help me out

[ICE]

ICE, I was not offended at all. I have a hide tougher than boot leather. Jobsaver got it. My point was that it comes with the job. Here we give them am or pm plus nothing. When pouring concrete we do our very best to accommodate the contractor. On occasion a contractor will need an inspection right away and we do our best to get there as long as the contractor isn't calling for an emergency every day, week, or month. It comes with the job.

Hey JP,

I hear you. I have been out as the result of a car wreck for a week so far. Well last Friday I got a call from an Edison planner that wanted to energize a transformer to feed a gas station. The contractor was a jerk. The same workman did every trade. They had to do 90% of the copper plumbing twice. They had no clue what series rating is. They were never ready for inspection and forgot to request more often than not. They installed wrong Benjamen panels and wondered why they were all labeled B. They used left over weep screed for t-bar struts. There is more but you get the idea. All the while, the business is up and running.

Well they were ready to do a cut-over after they installed new, series rated, Cutler Hammer panels that weren't all labeled B. I told the contr. to pull the meter at 4:00 am, get his work done and I would meet Edison there at 8:00 am. On Monday I drove the 26 miles and got there to find that they shut down at 7:00 and had 3 hrs. work to do. Short handed to boot. Edison was only going to stay just so long and when they got done removing the old drop they wanted to stick the transformer and leave, so they did. There I am with my thumb up my.. for 3 hrs. They got it done and I stood way back when they hit the switch. Everybody was all smiles and to them it was another typical day. I went home.

 

[ICE]

Providing a code reference is the proper way but may not be the practicle. A lot of time I will reference just the Section number such as . Directional signage does not comply with IBC section 1007 and leave it at that. In a plan review I will be specific Directional signage does not comply with IBC Section 1007.10 and copy and paste the actual wording in the review comments. But then again I have the time and resources at my finger tips to provide the information. Not possible in the field. Some use a check list to accomplish this in the field but I personally do not like them

I hadn't thought of a check list for code sections. So seldom does anyone ask for them. We will be getting IPADS with a search-able code app. Imagine that.

 

[Jobsaver]

But it seems that a large percentage of the corrections that I recieve without a code reference are not based on code at all, but rather "shooting from the hip."

Correction notices should always be based on the code or local amendments backed by ordinance. Failure to do so is a stand-alone problem that can be corrected by the requirement that a code section be cited on every correction notice.

But, this is not to say the cumbersome prospect of citing a code section each individual time a framer misses a piece of deadwood is a good idea. I gravitate toward an informal notification process that helps facilitate the timely completion of code-compliant buildings. On a busy day, the number of inspections I am able to perform would likely be reduced by the bureacracy of the requirement of a formal documentation process.

 

[TimNY]

Providing a code reference is the proper way but may not be the practicle. A lot of time I will reference just the Section number such as . Directional signage does not comply with IBC section 1007 and leave it at that. In a plan review I will be specific Directional signage does not comply with IBC Section 1007.10 and copy and paste the actual wording in the review comments. But then again I have the time and resources at my finger tips to provide the information. Not possible in the field. Some use a check list to accomplish this in the field but I personally do not like them

I am kind of the opposite. On a plan review I usually note the code section, and that's it. If it's a set of plans with a few minor issues I may circle a window and label it "R308.4 Safety Glazing Req'd".. But some of the plans have so many errors I just circle the issue and write the code section.

We just started using a laptop in the car that is connected to our permit database. When I cite a violation I can select the code section from a list and it says "1. Window at tub must have safety glazing | R308.4 | ". Of course not every section is in there so some on-site violations do not have a code section.

I try to make a point of telling every contractor they can call me at any time if they think I'm wrong, need an explanation or want a copy of the page from the book.

I have made my share of mistakes..

 

[jpranch]

Check lists are for those who don't know the codes or are just trying to get a better score from the ISO. By the way the ISO dosen't have any impact on anything these days. They are not a player.

 

[Daddy-0-]

I had 24 inspections today. We sometimes have as many as 30-35. We average around 16-20 per day. We are mostly combination inspectors so you may have 20 inspections but only be in 4 neighborhoods with 6 stops. It can be difficult to be thorough when you have a lot of single inspections. You learn to adjust to the workload and keep moving. Some days you skip lunch. We do AM or PM and we will call you 30 min. ahead if you request it. We only do timed inspections for sewer lines because we don't like leaving a huge hole open overnight. If you get a sewer call you go there next in line. All other inspections are done when you get there. I love the concrete companies. The ones that call and are obnoxious are usually the ones that don't have it right. They always say it is ready now when it is not. The pumper truck is waiting. We have concrete on will call for 9 am. You rush over and they are still setting forms, don't have plans on site and don't have a ladder. ICE....it is all part of the job. We have all been there. I commend you for taking the time to actually do a thorough inspection and list the items that are wrong. After awhile you notice the inspectors that never list any defects in the crawl space....ever. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that they are not looking. You are obviously passionate about your job and I look forward to more of your posts. Keep you thick skin on though or you will be easily angered and sometimes louded out.

 

[Jobsaver]

Ice: I reread the opening and subsequent posts in this thread this morning . . . and realize I may have misunderstood the direction and purposes of your laments.

My purpose was more to say this, and is reinforced by many of the comments made in this thread. Often, Inspectors are too busy, and the problem has grown worse with "budget cuts" resulting from the "economy". Still, Builders are paying historically high permit fees and impact fees of all descriptions, and do rely on and expect timely inspections, information, and good customer service they are paying to receive.

My solution: I accept the calls. On good days, I let my yes be yes and my no be no, meaning I give matter-of-fact answers in a polite and businesslike fashion. On bad days, I become overwhelmed, and often, instead of simply fulfilling the purpose of my employment, and answering an inquiry made by my "customers", I delve into the complicated process of trying to explain my job to someone who doesn't have it.

Like Daddy-O, I do commend you for answering the calls in the first place, giving exemplary service. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.

 

[ICE]

Good morning Jobsaver,

Thanks for your understanding. Yes we do get too busy sometimes and I learned a long time ago that I can only do what I can do. I spent many years working in construction prior to becoming an inspector. I also owned several businesses. I learned what it is all about the hard way from the bottom up.

Most of my extended family work in construction as well as most of my friends. My father, uncles and cousins were or still are contractors. When i was a kid, my father would take me to work on the weekends and we would wire houses. His was a union shop so he couldn't use the tools as the owner during the week but we could make hay on the weekends. We would race each other. He would mark the studs and I would drill. Dad would fall in pulling wire darn near as fast as I could drill. At 12 years old, I was paid according to how much work we completed at union scale. I made a lot of money. I spent a lot of money and I learned that hard work has it's own reward beyond money. My mother was furious; she was expecting a doctor, not an electrician.

At the end of the day I need to be tired. There have been days that I returned to the office in the afternoon, looked through the next days requests and started calling contractors to see if I could do the inspection that afternoon. I share their sense of urgency. I get it. I know that a crew may be sitting idle, waiting to pass an inspection. I know that roofers have the toughest job out there, baking in the sun, so I do my best to put them first. I know that a lot of crews are not getting paid if they are not working so if I see a way to keep them going and meet the demands of the inspection process I change the light to green. I know what they are up against because I climbed the same wall.

One thing that I've learned and struggled with is that as a government employee is that I must bend in ways that are foreign to me. When I was in business and some jerk showed up at my door, I had no obligation to serve the jerk. I could close the door and let him take his business elsewhere. I don't have the option now. I must treat all comers the same. I still am still working on that. I am the type of guy that there's no mistaking where you stand with me. That puts some people off and other people commend that trait. On the positive side, you know where we stand and I don't blind-side folks, they see me coming from a mile away. On the flip side, I can appear authoritarian. I have a take charge personality that can get in my way as an inspector. My wife tells me that I tend to push everyone else as hard as I push myself.

You will see in some of my posts' what sounds like a lament, I see it too. I really don't want it to come off as complaining. I would prefer to see it as commiserating. I try to get the point across in a fashion that succeeds without detracting from my stature as a person but now and then I open up and rant. I have nothing to complain about. The job is great. I am outdoors all day. I learn new stuff every day. It will never get boring because I will never master all of it. It keeps me young at heart. The ethereal reward is there.

Now I still work in construction and life is good but working for the government has turned my work ethic on it's ear. I get paid the same no matter how hard I work so the only thing left is the ethereal reward that comes from hard work. I am too old and set in my ways to slow down and become complacent. Like you, I see way too much complacency. All we can do is work around it.

This forum can teach me about codes and a whole lot more. Hearing from you and the other people who invest their time is worth a great deal to me. What I take away from here will prod me to improve, not only in technical terms but also the humanity of the job. For that I say thanks.

 

[Mr Softy]

Be ready for me. Have the plans and job card. Don't tell me that they are in "contractor's" truck and he can't be more than five miles away so sit tight and you will call him.

he'll be here in 10 minutes? that's great. i won't. let's do it again tomorrow.

 

[SCBO1]

Be like the CABLE GUY, gives you a 9-12 or a 1-4, you need to be home for your service!

Don't forget the guy at the counter, "Can I see the inspector? Can you meet me at the house now, I 've got to catch a plane to Chicago and I'll be gone for two weeks."

pc1