Bathroom Rough In Inspection Problems

[mattgoo]

I recently had a 30x40x12 pole barn shop built. I had a plumber come in and put small bathroom rough in with no intentions of finishing it anytime soon since I do not have water or septic to the building yet. The problem is the inspector won't sign off fully on it because my plumbing stub ins are a "trip hazard". While I agree they are there their out of the way and not in the dead center of the building. Since I don't plan on finishing it this year and can't get the "final" inspection and actually move stuff in. Any ideas on how to best handle the trip hazards? He said I should set everything and make it functional but that's probably another $10 - 15k since I need a sewage pump to my septic and a 300ft water run.



I suggested to him that I just frame in the bathroom and he is supposed to check if that is enough.



The most annoying part of all of this is the fact there are much worse things done without a permit and I feel like I'm getting punished for following rules.



Edited^

 

[lowrollin70gmc]

Could build a large table over the stubs, using the wall to support one side so it can’t move. That would allow extra storage over the stubs as well.

 

[The Cobbler]

If you can swing it, I would frame the walls . no trip hazard then

 

[mattgoo]

If you can swing it, I would frame the walls . no trip hazard then

That is what I would like to do, he left around noon today and said he would check with his boss and get back to me. It will be around $500 in lumber and I will learn how to frame.

 

[mattgoo]

If you can swing it, I would frame the walls . no trip hazard then

I also considered doing that or building some cabinets. Framing makes the most sense but I'm not sure that will be enough.

 

[rburke65]

That was my first thought…frame the bathroom in…

 

[The Cobbler]

well, if it's a trip hazard as it is, with walls ( and maybe drywall on one side) I don;t see a trip hazard... but I get it, you're at the inspectors mercy

 

[rayra]

Sounds like that inspector is an idiot. It's not a domicile, it's a SHOP. Shops are LOADED with 'tripping hazards'. Need to get the senior inspector in there to sign it off, this guy's a clown or worse.

Just box it all in with a waist high work table, if you absolutely have to do something about it. Expect that any steps you take towards wall framing will likewise be mischaracterized as 'unfinished' work and signoff will be refused.

 

[mattgoo]

Sounds like that inspector is an idiot. It's not a domicile, it's a SHOP. Shops are LOADED with 'tripping hazards'. Need to get the senior inspector in there to sign it off, this guy's a clown or worse.

Just box it all in with a waist high work table, if you absolutely have to do something about it. Expect that any steps you take towards wall framing will likewise be mischaracterized as 'unfinished' work and signoff will be refused.

The wild part about it is I am in a fairly rural county in North East Oklahoma and not in city limits. I was warned by my electrician that the young guy was like this but the older inspector for the county was in and out 99% of the time.

He initially failed me because my doors weren't in and my outlets interior outlets aren't rated for moisture. We wanted to burry the trench for the power then since a large storm was coming.

He mentioned the trip hazard but said it wasn't a violation then called back a few hours later and said i would have to fix it.

Fast forward to today doors are in and I called in electric only. He verbally said electric was good but never left a sticker so I still can't fill the 100ft trench.

I'm not sure who the even escalate to. They only give a number on the site to call in an inspection on a voicemail.

 

[nadogail]

It appears that there is a communication difficulty between you and the inspector. Perhaps you should find a way to have a meeting with the senior inspector.

It would not hurt to bring a dozen doughnuts and a pot of coffee.

 

[liliysdad]

The wild part about it is I am in a fairly rural county in North East Oklahoma and not in city limits. I was warned by my electrician that the young guy was like this but the older inspector for the county was in and out 99% of the time.

He initially failed me because my doors weren't in and my outlets interior outlets aren't rated for moisture. We wanted to burry the trench for the power then since a large storm was coming.

He mentioned the trip hazard but said it wasn't a violation then called back a few hours later and said i would have to fix it.

Fast forward to today doors are in and I called in electric only. He verbally said electric was good but never left a sticker so I still can't fill the 100ft trench.

I'm not sure who the even escalate to. They only give a number on the site to call in an inspection on a voicemail.

Hold up...you are in the county, in Oklahoma, and you have to get a SHOP inspected? Your county makes you pull permits? What county is this?

I am in city limits in SW Oklahoma, and nothing like this happens. In the county, there are no permits, no inspections, nothing. Its yours, build it. I can only imagine the look on the county clerk's face if you were to ask for a building permit. Even in my city, I pull a permit, provide a sketch with footprint and setbacks, and I build a shop. No inspections, no nada......

 

[yeldogt]

Hold up...you are in the county, in Oklahoma, and you have to get a SHOP inspected? Your county makes you pull permits? What county is this?

I am in city limits in SW Oklahoma, and nothing like this happens. In the county, there are no permits, no inspections, nothing. Its yours, build it. I can only imagine the look on the county clerk's face if you were to ask for a building permit. Even in my city, I pull a permit, provide a sketch with footprint and setbacks, and I build a shop. No inspections, no nada......

If he is getting inspections -- and there are at least two of them working .... must have inspections somewhere

 

[yeldogt]

I recently had a 30x40x12 pole barn shop built. I had a plumber come in and put small bathroom rough in with no intentions of finishing it anytime soon since I do not have water or septic to the building yet. The problem is the inspector won't sign off fully on it because my plumbing stub ins are a "trip hazard". While I agree they are there their out of the way and not in the dead center of the building. Since I don't plan on finishing it this year and can't get the "final" inspection and actually move stuff in. Any ideas on how to best handle the trip hazards? He said I should set everything and make it functional but that's probably another $10 - 15k since I need a sewage pump to my septic and a 300ft water run.



I suggested to him that I just frame in the bathroom and he is supposed to check if that is enough.



The most annoying part of all of this is the fact there are much worse things done without a permit and I feel like I'm getting punished for following rules.



Edited^

Sometimes you jsut have to ask .. what can I do ? Obviously, if you plan on doing the bath and some simple framing is the solution -- that is the most logical way since it will not be wasting anything.

Young inspectors can be a problem. All the gray areas become problems as they don't really know what to do .. I have stories.

 

[liliysdad]

If he is getting inspections -- and there are at least two of them working .... must have inspections somewhere

Thank you for restating the obvious.

I am truly curious about this, as this is the very first I have heard of an inspections, permits, code requirements, etc outside of incorporated municipalities in this state.

 

[yeldogt]

Sometimes you jsut have to ask .. what can I do ? Obviously, if you plan on doing the bath and some simple framing is the solution -- that is the most logical way since it will not be wasting anything.

Young inspectors can be a problem. All the gray areas become issuse as they don't really know what to do .. I have stories.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

IMO teh inspector is doing you a favor. Plumbing sticking out of the floor is very likely to get damaged (accidents happen). Reading your post I was thinking it was in a corner or against a wall where it could easily be boxed in. Where that is close to the overhead door and away from the wall how many times will it get walked or driven by with various tool equipment until you get it finished?

 

[mattgoo]

Hold up...you are in the county, in Oklahoma, and you have to get a SHOP inspected? Your county makes you pull permits? What county is this?

I am in city limits in SW Oklahoma, and nothing like this happens. In the county, there are no permits, no inspections, nothing. Its yours, build it. I can only imagine the look on the county clerk's face if you were to ask for a building permit. Even in my city, I pull a permit, provide a sketch with footprint and setbacks, and I build a shop. No inspections, no nada......

It is Rogers county north of Tulsa.

 

[liliysdad]

It is Rogers county north of Tulsa.

I literally had no idea this was a thing anywhere in the state in unincorporated areas. How rigid is there enforcement? I mean, I can imagine there are some pretty rural parts of the county, how would they ever know if you built without a permit? I suppose the assessor could rat you out.........

What a bunch of nonsense. I feel for you, man.

 

[mattgoo]

I literally had no idea this was a thing anywhere in the state in unincorporated areas. How rigid is there enforcement? I mean, I can imagine there are some pretty rural parts of the county, how would they ever know if you built without a permit? I suppose the assessor could rat you out.........

What a bunch of nonsense. I feel for you, man.

They are expensive too. What a money grab.

 

[mattgoo]

IMO teh inspector is doing you a favor. Plumbing sticking out of the floor is very likely to get damaged (accidents happen). Reading your post I was thinking it was in a corner or against a wall where it could easily be boxed in. Where that is close to the overhead door and away from the wall how many times will it get walked or driven by with various tool equipment until you get it finished?

I agree we had planned on putting some storage there to protect it. We have some storage racks and such and I planned on blocking it in since I'm sure a hit wound mess any of it up.

 

[Toolfool]

Exactly why I have always placed any "future" plumbing, electrical, etc. in boxes slightly below the finished surface of the slab. Draw a map where it's located, break out the concrete after all inspections have been completed. What they can't see, they can't complain about.

 

[no704]

Get some parking lot cones to place over the stubs!

 

[PoorUB]

Build a platform over all of it with a railing and put some deck chairs on it!

Seriously, I would ask the inspector if you can frame it out and put a door on it an close it with intentions of finishing it later.

 

[yeldogt]

Build a platform over all of it with a railing and put some deck chairs on it!

Seriously, I would ask the inspector if you can frame it out and put a door on it an close it with intentions of finishing it later.

I had a friend do that with a ..Mother in law addition .... that he really was building for his MIL. Having a kitchen was not allowed as it could be used for an apartment. Inspector never noticed anything ... funny he sold it in the summer of 2020 and had no issues. MIL is dead

 

[FredWanaker]

I'd ask him if you can cage it off either with lumber or chain link fencing. You may be able to buy a used pre-made dog run, chainlink fencing or something like that, and set it around the area as a caged off area for now. I do agree that you have a tripping hazard.

 

[Dagny]

What a ****

 

[mattgoo]

I decided I'm going to make a nice u shaped work bench and screw it to the walls. That should satisfy the tripping Hazzard and I can most likely do it for a few hundred dollars. That back door is more of a work area anyways and it can stay like that until I'm ready to do the bathroom in a year or two. Then the bench can just shift to the right of that in the corner.

 

[dcg9381]

Could build a large table over the stubs, using the wall to support one side so it can’t move. That would allow extra storage over the stubs as well.

That's exactly what I'd do. Just build a counter space over it.

 

[mattgoo]

That's exactly what I'd do. Just build a counter space over it.

This is the basic layout. On the back way I may not do a rear counter and put my toolbox in the middle.

 

[duneslider]

I have stubs for 2 bathrooms in my basement. I can't imagine the inspectors around here saying anything about that, literally every house has this in the basement here. I can sort of see it being a concern in an open shop but there has to be a solution besides building a bathroom.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

IMO teh inspector is doing you a favor. Plumbing sticking out of the floor is very likely to get damaged (accidents happen). Reading your post I was thinking it was in a corner or against a wall where it could easily be boxed in. Where that is close to the overhead door and away from the wall how many times will it get walked or driven by with various tool equipment until you get it finished?

I can’t recall any code that specifically calls out “trip hazard” (as it would apply here) in the middle of a floor. And just to be a smartass, I’d ask the little snot nose to quote the code.

But I can certainly see a stub getting damaged/broke right at the slab- and you just created another few hundred dollars of plumbing and concrete work.

As was previously stated- framing the bath now is something that won’t go to waste- and will protect the stubs until such time as needed.

 

[Skooterj]

I'm really confused by the layout here. Looks like a shower/tub drain in the bottom right corner with no water line, then a toilet drain with cold and HOT? water lines in the top right. The a hot and cold line in the bottom left with no drain, then the sink drain without water supply in the top left? But anyway, I would just go ahead and frame the bathroom, cut down the toilet drain and install the flange, put the sink drain and water supplies in the walls and call it done. No need to even drywall it right now since the pipes would all be within the stud walls.

 

[ycgoat]

Thanks for the heads up my garage is in the exact same state, even worse because I used sono tubes and left a 12" hole around my drain stub ups to allow for minor adjustments when setting the fixtures (the metal building was not installed) and I am finishing up the electrical rough in now.

I have found that finding what personnel interests the inspector has and getting him to talk about them helps loosen their rigidity when they inspect.

 

[mattgoo]

I'm really confused by the layout here. Looks like a shower/tub drain in the bottom right corner with no water line, then a toilet drain with cold and HOT? water lines in the top right. The a hot and cold line in the bottom left with no drain, then the sink drain without water supply in the top left? But anyway, I would just go ahead and frame the bathroom, cut down the toilet drain and install the flange, put the sink drain and water supplies in the walls and call it done. No need to even drywall it right now since the pipes would all be within the stud walls.

This was supposed to be the original layout. The hotwater would go on the wall behind the Toilet and the water to the shower and toilet would be supplied right there. The diagram is opposite from the direction of the pictures above.

 

[Skooterj]

6 x 6 bathroom, you are only looking at about 30 studs. Even at today prices, that only about $200. Frame the thing. At least the walls.

 

[mattgoo]

Inspector finally got back to me and said I either have to burry it or finish it no other options period.

 

[PoorUB]

What an ***!

Di you bang this guy's wife or something to piss him off?

You could cut out around the pipes, dig down a few inches, cap everything, then pour a thin layer of concrete over the pipes. When the time comes, knock out the concrete, dig it up and reconnect.

 

[mattgoo]

I called my plumber that did the rough in after I posted that and he suggested I reach out to the state plumbing investigator from the Construction Industries Boad so I have a call out to them so hopefully they can mediate and give a solution that isn't so intrusive.

I planned on explaining to him the fact that it was first a trip hazard to now having to fully finish it.

 

[mattgoo]

What an ***!

Di you bang this guy's wife or something to piss him off?

You could cut out around the pipes, dig down a few inches, cap everything, then pour a thin layer of concrete over the pipes. When the time comes, knock out the concrete, dig it up and reconnect.

No not at all. I've only lived in this state for like 5 months which I wonder if that's some of it.

 

[paulsomlo]

Sounds like he's waiting for you to open your wallet.