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Looking for NJ residential construction inspector to review shoddy work

Jay

Jay

SAWHORSE
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
87
Location
NJ, USA
Good day! I could use some advice and a recommendation. I prepared a very comprehensive set of plans for an old Victorian home at the Jersey Shore. It is a gutt renovation with some additions with probably about a 2 million dollar project cost. The owners hired their "friend" as the contractor and I have never seen such poor craftsmanship and a disorganized project. we are 8 months in and he still has masonry and rough framing to do. They asked me to keep an eye on the project and all I keep giving them is bad news about the quality. I do not have a construction inspection contract and really want nothing to do with this builder. I have been going by the project and providing them punch lists and observations and nothing gets done, the builder is right about everything and the correction lists get longer.

Here is one of numerous examples.....he is about to install cedar siding and there are still areas where I can see daylight around the windows from inside the house. There are actually areas where I can insert my finger in and past the sheathing. This goes on and on. My Tyvec rep just came out and agreed the product is not installed correctly and there will be no warranty. The blueskin on the roof looks like a child installed it. I brought out my Grace rep and he agreed the install was unacceptable. Seams not right, bubbles everywhere, etc. I informed the owners. They listened to builders word salad hot air and the roofing went on. I see the same thing unfolding now with the siding. The whole job has been a mess. My clients are wonderful easy going people. Too easy going to let their "friend" build this. I do not want to leave them hanging but this is causing me stress that is unacceptable.

Builder broke ground 8 months ago and in the first week he rips off, not only the asbestos siding, but the original decorative cedar underneath. The plans are pretty emphatic with bold notes in a box all over the place about leaving the original siding for documentation. This guy has no attention to detail he is used to building track homes. See photos of his work....

I am thinking about asking the owner to draft up a hold harmless type thing for me. I have been trying to find a third party inspector to handle this from here on out. Unfortunately there are not a lot of construction inspectors around here. Plenty for real estate. But no one to come out and inspect while work is going on. Years ago there was a fellow but he retired. Project is in Monmouth County, NJ. Any help is appreciated and thanks for reading..
 

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You don’t have CA in your contract scope? I would advise the HO in writing that I have no further involvement in the process, and go away, do something else.
 
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Where is the inspector's position for the AHJ on the house wrap issue in question?

As to both manufactures stating no warranty coverage, and the client is not listening.

Simple, does not matter how much you like the client, unless they are someone that has been providing you with other work, I would just write a letter stating that you hired us to provide you with oversight of the contractor's work. The work being done, does not meet or follow the specifications that we prepared for you in the documentation.

We have had (2) manufactures do a sight inspection of their products after installation, and both confirmed my concerns that it has not been done per manufactures specifications and will not be covered by their warranty, if claimed at a future date and time.

As thus, with the sub-level of workmanship your current contractor is doing on the basic building envelope, we need you to understand that we believe you are going to have issues with the home not preforming as specified and designed.

Be blunt and if they won't listen, best to tell them if they won't listen to you, maybe they need to find someone else.
 
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tbz said:
Where is the inspector's position for the AHJ on the house wrap issue in question?

As to both manufactures stating no warranty coverage, and the client is not listening.

Simple, does not matter how much you like the client, unless they are someone that has been providing you with other work, I would just write a letter stating that you hired us to provide you with oversight of the contractor's work. The work being done, does not meet or follow the specifications that we prepared for you in the documentation.

We have had (2) manufactures do a sight inspection of their products after installation, and both confirmed my concerns that it has not been done per manufactures specifications and will not be covered by their warranty, if claimed at a future date and time.

As thus, with the sub-level of workmanship your current contractor is doing on the basic building envelope, we need you to understand that we believe you are going to have issues with the home not preforming as specified and designed.

Be blunt and if they won't listen, best to tell them if they won't listen to you, maybe they need to find someone else.
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Thanks. I think you have 3/4 of my letter written :)
 
e hilton said:
You don’t have CA in your contract scope? I would advise the HO in writing that I have no further involvement in the process, and go away, do something else.
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I do not. I have a sentence stating that CA can be performed under separate contract but never got around to doing that. At this point I will be backing away, not getting further involved. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
Obviously state law varies so I don't know how it works there. Here if you have stamped the plans you would have the authority to withdraw the plans from the AHJ and the contractor, essentially stating that you're no longer willing to vouch for and/or be responsible for the project. Intellectual property right, or something like that? Also depending on how the AHJ handles things, and/or state law, something like this:

[A] 107.3.4 Design Professional in Responsible Charge
Where it is required that documents be prepared by a registered design professional, the building official shall be authorized to require the owner or the owner's authorized agent to engage and designate on the building permit application a registered design professional who shall act as the registered design professional in responsible charge. If the circumstances require, the owner or the owner's authorized agent shall designate a substitute registered design professional in responsible charge who shall perform the duties required of the original registered design professional in responsible charge. The building official shall be notified in writing by the owner or the owner's authorized agent if the registered design professional in responsible charge is changed or is unable to continue to perform the duties.
The registered design professional in responsible charge shall be responsible for reviewing and coordinating submittal documents prepared by others, including phased and deferred submittal items, for compatibility with the design of the building.

I haven't had to deal with anything like this, so I'm not 100% sure I'm on the right track.
 
on the flip side you could always email them the link to the Incompetent building Inspector news feed on the other post

Incompetent building inspector costs family it’s new home

A building inspector allowed numerous violations during construction of a house, and the result is so shoddy, that the home is being recommended for removal rather than repair. https://www.wral.com/story/chatham-county-will-not-recheck-buildings-ok-d-by-disciplined-inspector/20898125/...
www.thebuildingcodeforum.com

Explaining this just might be in their future.......
 
Joe.B said:
Obviously state law varies so I don't know how it works there. Here if you have stamped the plans you would have the authority to withdraw the plans from the AHJ and the contractor, essentially stating that you're no longer willing to vouch for and/or be responsible for the project. Intellectual property right, or something like that? Also depending on how the AHJ handles things, and/or state law, something like this:

[A] 107.3.4 Design Professional in Responsible Charge
Where it is required that documents be prepared by a registered design professional, the building official shall be authorized to require the owner or the owner's authorized agent to engage and designate on the building permit application a registered design professional who shall act as the registered design professional in responsible charge. If the circumstances require, the owner or the owner's authorized agent shall designate a substitute registered design professional in responsible charge who shall perform the duties required of the original registered design professional in responsible charge. The building official shall be notified in writing by the owner or the owner's authorized agent if the registered design professional in responsible charge is changed or is unable to continue to perform the duties.
The registered design professional in responsible charge shall be responsible for reviewing and coordinating submittal documents prepared by others, including phased and deferred submittal items, for compatibility with the design of the building.

I haven't had to deal with anything like this, so I'm not 100% sure I'm on the right track.
Click to expand...
Joe. B:,

NJ does not adopted Chapter 1 of the IRC, it is deleted.

2018 INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE, NEW JERSEY EDITION | ICC DIGITAL CODES

ICC Digital Codes is the largest provider of model codes, custom codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
codes.iccsafe.org codes.iccsafe.org
 
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[A] 107.3.4 Design Professional in Responsible Charge
Where it is required that documents be prepared by a registered design professional, the building official shall be authorized to require the owner or the owner's authorized agent to engage and designate on the building permit application a registered design professional

Joe … if you read that it says the RDP is responsible for the design and submittals. It doesn’t say anything about CA or quality control.
 
Talk to an attorney and extricate yourself from the project.. Document what you have seen and notify your client.
 
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e hilton said:
[A] 107.3.4 Design Professional in Responsible Charge
Where it is required that documents be prepared by a registered design professional, the building official shall be authorized to require the owner or the owner's authorized agent to engage and designate on the building permit application a registered design professional

Joe … if you read that it says the RDP is responsible for the design and submittals. It doesn’t say anything about CA or quality control.
Click to expand...
I agree, I was looking at ways the RDP could consider to either a withdrawal of his intellectual property, or at least clearly remove himself from the project.
 
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