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SCBO1 said:
I recently overheard my inspector tell a friend of his that's applying for his job, that "he didn't need to know the code, just where to find the code!"

I hope this is not what we're telling future inspectors.
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Yeah....there is a lot more customer service teaching than technical....
 
Knowing the code verbatim is nearly to impossible, know that the code covers the partiture topic is required of both inspectors and contactors, know where to find it in the code and the exceptions with the additional related requirements is golden.

I have been a BO for over 20 years and the number of things it though knew, compare to the correct version of the code is a daunting task to keep tack of.
 
Commish,

Earlier when I wore swaddling clothes I could remember sections and code numbers in the "Book of Code", (UBC), like nobody's business. We use to calculate spans using a formula, and all the surrounding sheep would say "Hey, can I get ahold of one of the span chart sheets, you made? Even the lumberyard wanted a copy.

Then the "Book of Codes" switched to the ICC, and the book got bigger and thicker, hurting my widdle wist when I had to tote em to the codes car. We would skip a code year and the numbers and chapters would get moved around a bit making it harder to remember. Remember when you had to list the code you were laying down on someone, cuz his cousin new a councilman or the mayor, remember those days?

Sonny, I forget where I was going with this. oh ya.. it helps to be able to read a tape measure, talk to people, repeat yourself five times without getting mad keeping your hands down to your sides, re-inspecting, re-inspecting, re-inspecting and makin punch lists for the little feller's that drive trucks that cost more than your first house.

I've always been a multi-code inspector, when you add the current 11 code books together it measures approximately10-inches (254.0mm).

I give up trying to know the whole code.
 
mtlogcabin said:
A two part certification test. One part open book and One part closed book
and no schools available that taught you how to pass the test like todays market.
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I attended Butte College for 58 semester units worth of nothing but code training. The ICBO came to the college to administer exams. I remember seeing a lot of people that were not classmates at the exams. My feeling at the time was that If I can just remember where to look in a code book I'll have a good start.

There are "schools" now that will guarantee that you will pass the exams if you give therm a large sum of money and can read and write. You can also become any contractor classification. When I was in school, it was four days a week, all day, with Friday being in the field, or maybe not. It was an intense year. There were people in the class that could tell you chapter and verse about code things and could not identify those if they were sitting on them. By the same token, a female former UPS driver became an important player at San Mateo Ca. County B/S
 
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There's a salient point in the recent discussions about "knowing the code," versus "knowing where to find the code" that is instructive.

I agree we can't know everything. We just can't. But we should know what it is we're looking for in the field - or on a plans review, and more importantly, how the heck we get there.
 
I took my first Certified Building Inspector under the UBC and remember the open/closed book testing format. I felt that I accomplished something when I passed the test on the first try with a 92%. I later certified under the NCPCCI program for all the residential modules. I feel the certification requirements back then made an inspector have good basic knowledge and the ability to find it in the code when needed. Now it seems that re-certification with ICC is just about paying the renewal fee. Additionally, when I took my UBC test, I was just diagnosed diabetic and my blood sugar was over 400 that day. Also had to drive 3 hours to test site for proctored exam. I actually miss those days.
 
A little off topic but here it goes:

Took a high school shop class and the school put a gym teacher in charge:
First day of school, teacher was sitting in his chair playing with a retractable tape measure, pulling it out and letting go. Bell sounds and he asked" is there anybody here that can read a tape measure?" Out of about 20 dudes, three hands went up including mine. Ok, show us how he said? Guy next to me sez, he's looking at you! So I get up grab the chalk and drew two big lines on the board and said "that's and inch!"

Everybody including the teacher laughed, though I was an idiot! I said wait!

I drew another line on the board but not quite as long between the two other lines, and wrote 1/2-inch twice, not so many laughing now then more lines, that's a 1/4-inch. Then I turned to the gym teacher and said how far do you want this to go? He had quit playing with the tape measure and I noticed he was looking at the tape.

I can't recall if he said "Good job or Not!"

Grandpa gave me that education on a fold-old ruler that came out of a pocket on his overalls, and I'm forever grateful!

Never mastered the slide rule.
 
<sigh>
Apartment building.
Electrical outlets in the exit shaft, which ain't permitted.
And a roof drain - combustible - run through the exit shaft. Also not permitted.

I've written that violation up so many times I can recite the damn thing by memory.
 
"all penetrations of walls required to have a fire-resistance rating will require fire-stopping systems. These systems must be approved by the building official prior to installation."

IMG_20251103_110424_062.jpg
 
SCBO1 said:
A little off topic but here it goes:

Took a high school shop class and the school put a gym teacher in charge:
First day of school, teacher was sitting in his chair playing with a retractable tape measure, pulling it out and letting go. Bell sounds and he asked" is there anybody here that can read a tape measure?" Out of about 20 dudes, three hands went up including mine. Ok, show us how he said? Guy next to me sez, he's looking at you! So I get up grab the chalk and drew two big lines on the board and said "that's and inch!"

Everybody including the teacher laughed, though I was an idiot! I said wait!

I drew another line on the board but not quite as long between the two other lines, and wrote 1/2-inch twice, not so many laughing now then more lines, that's a 1/4-inch. Then I turned to the gym teacher and said how far do you want this to go? He had quit playing with the tape measure and I noticed he was looking at the tape.

I can't recall if he said "Good job or Not!"

Grandpa gave me that education on a fold-old ruler that came out of a pocket on his overalls, and I'm forever grateful!

Never mastered the slide rule.
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I have an acquaintance that teaches at a well-known fashion college. The vast majority of students do not know how to read fractions on a ruler or tape measure, even though that is basic to actually drawing a pattern.

There are some foreign students who can do imperial fractional measurements better than the American students, even though in their own country they use metric / decimals.
 
"We're ready for our occupancy inspection!"
We don't have such things.
Client hasn't given us any of the required documents (like alarm system report)
Show up on site per request
Crews working all over;
lower floor not done
No grading
No sealant on any exterior cladding
Found 23 violations on the third floor alone and stopped... Told the client that continued evaluation at this time would be irrelevant .... . Mostly fire-stopping issues.

Should have found one more violation: 23 is my all-time record.
 
"Fire stoppin' be done, mistah inspectah, sahr."

The plumber's idea of fire stopping included running a messy bead of firecaulk around the plastic, covering the insulation covering a metal pipe.
Then glued the plates against the cabinets like ... like I wouldn't pop them off to find that nothing had been done behind?

IMG_20251117_133045_125.jpg


Last week I was called for a pre-occupancy inspection. Multi-storey building. I left the third floor with 22 violations, most of them missing fire stops. Figured it was a waste of time to do the second. Found a 23rd on my way out.
Called back in, they had fixed three of 20 issues. Walked back out, found two more violations.
Meeting Wednesday... wish me luck.

(In a related note, I am no longer accepting deferred submittals for fire stops.)
 
Inspector Gadget said:
"Fire stoppin' be done, mistah inspectah, sahr."

The plumber's idea of fire stopping included running a messy bead of firecaulk around the plastic, covering the insulation covering a metal pipe.
Then glued the plates against the cabinets like ... like I wouldn't pop them off to find that nothing had been done behind?

View attachment 17119


Last week I was called for a pre-occupancy inspection. Multi-storey building. I left the third floor with 22 violations, most of them missing fire stops. Figured it was a waste of time to do the second. Found a 23rd on my way out.
Called back in, they had fixed three of 20 issues. Walked back out, found two more violations.
Meeting Wednesday... wish me luck.

(In a related note, I am no longer accepting deferred submittals for fire stops.)
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Is that even a fire rated assembly?
 
Inspector Gadget said:
Yeah, it is.
1) The metal pipe penetrates a fire-rated assembly that consists of fire-rated drywall with metal cladding.
2) The vanity is attached to a fire-rated wall; the plumbers ran the pipes through the concrete into the wall space, then through the fire-rated drywall....
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With the corrugated metal cladding I would think the firestopping would be at the drywall, not the cladding....Seems like the rate of rise would be severely increased through the metal without the drywall being sealed, but maybe it was?
 
steveray said:
With the corrugated metal cladding I would think the firestopping would be at the drywall, not the cladding....Seems like the rate of rise would be severely increased through the metal without the drywall being sealed, but maybe it was?
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That's exactly the issue. Buddy used a suitable product incorrectly.

I see that a lot. Folks figure if they smear enough Hilti FS-1 somewhere near the penetration, it's good to go....

What I see too often is that the FS-1 will be applied after the drywallers have mudded the annular space.... AUGH... no, the intumescent material is supposed to go INTO the annular space. I grow tired of people who have no clue what they are doing trying to argue that they did things correctly. Take a freaking course, already.
 
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