Hobby_Man22
Well-known member
I waited all day for this guy, because they don't give you a heads up before they show up. Why do they schedule you for a certain day of they don't show?
Building inspector never showed.
- Thread starter Hobby_Man22
- Start date
rsparks64
Well-known member
Bigger bribe from someone else.
OP
Hobby_Man22
Well-known member
And they wonder why people don't pull permits.
bigdav160
Well-known member
Your County has inspectors?
I'd say that is Un-Texas
I'd say that is Un-Texas
OP
Hobby_Man22
Well-known member
I call it un American
engineer2
Well-known member
Our town hires an outside company to do inspections. If it's a minor outdoor project, the owner doesn't have to be there. I got my shed inspected and passed while I was at work.
The Tool Tyrant
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Back in my framing daze, we were framing on a commercial job in which the developer and inspector despised each other, so about 50% of the inspections the inspector would show up after everyone left (most trades quit at 3:30) and leave a note "No one on jobsite, recall inspection" which would screwup scheduling. I honestly think he watched until we all left just to piss off the developer. I must say though, the developer WAS a real *** hat, but we all had to suffer for it.
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Toolfool
Well-known member
I have had inspectors run behind schedule because they took extra time to educate a newb. 
freudianfloyd
Well-known member
We are in the process of getting our septic system inspected and have been waiting several weeks for the inspector to come out. He actually complained that we were on the opposite side of the county. We can't continue work until he inspects what is currently there but he will not show up. He keeps saying he will be out, but never shows. His name is ****, go figure. I've been told he is the only one that can do it, and most contractors can't stand him. We were told if we push too hard, he would just be a bigger **** about it.
Garcky
Well-known member
Depending on where you live, it can be a real problem. Even in a city like St. Paul, MN, getting an inspector to show up is always a crapshoot. After getting a new gas furnace installed, it took like three months to get the three inspectors to show up. HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical. When they did show up, I took them down to the basement and then hung out there. As far as I could see, there was no actual inspecting going on. Just chatting between the three of them. After about 20 minutes, they signed off on the installation and left. I think they just gave it a cursory look-see and trusted the HVAC contractor to have done it right. By then, the heating season was over.
Weird.
Weird.
engineer2
Well-known member
And I've run behind schedule because it took extra time to educate a newb inspector.
Jim greengo
Well-known member
What kind of inspection?
Around here if they don't show withing 48 hrs you can cover it.
Around here if they don't show withing 48 hrs you can cover it.
OP
Hobby_Man22
Well-known member
I'd call the mayor.
The Tool Tyrant
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Don't let **** **** with you...bang his wife.
finn
Well-known member
Pretty sure that’s what the inspector told me, too.
OP
Hobby_Man22
Well-known member
So is the inspector going to randomly show up one day now or do I need to re schedule another inspection? It's the final inspection for my building. I guess I'll call everyday until someone shows up. 
squeaky wheel gets the grease
squeaky wheel gets the greaseJim greengo
Well-known member
Keep him in the nuts,that'll deflate him! Hahaha
OP
Hobby_Man22
Well-known member
Is this a common thing?
Rusted Nut
Well-known member
Most building depts have a time in the morning when you can call the inspector. Call inspector in the morning and ask approx. eta for today. Yes, very common for inspectors not to show.
OP
Hobby_Man22
Well-known member
Even out in the county needs inspections I believe.
thunderalley3
Well-known member
I would check to see if the final was signed off. I have had more than one instance that they just drove by and it looked good at 55 mph and they signed off on the final at their extra long lunch because their work went fast that day.
Bill them @ $500 an hour for you lost time.
OP
Hobby_Man22
Well-known member
I still fail to see what applying for a permit even does other than take my money. I'm hoping one day we will sway back the other direction and do away with this nonsense. It wasn't that long ago most things didn't need a permit
Jim_No_Garage
Well-known member
In a sort of related manner, we were staying at a hotel in PA that we booked specifically for the indoor pool and hot tub. We arrive and check in and they tell us the pool and hot tub are closed. In the end it turns out that they have been waiting for 6 months for the Pool/Spa inspector to come and renew their license/permit.
I would think that the state would auto renew the permit in cases like that, but you are guilty until proven innocent I guess in matters of public safety.
Many years ago we were having a deck built and a sliding door put in to access the deck from the dining room. For some reason they were holding the deck permit but approved the permit for the sliding door. The inspector approved the framing for the slider at 6AM without coming into the house - so basically NOTHING was visible from his vantage point. The approval was totally based on the reputation of the contractor - who was top notch.
Cheers
Jim
I would think that the state would auto renew the permit in cases like that, but you are guilty until proven innocent I guess in matters of public safety.
Many years ago we were having a deck built and a sliding door put in to access the deck from the dining room. For some reason they were holding the deck permit but approved the permit for the sliding door. The inspector approved the framing for the slider at 6AM without coming into the house - so basically NOTHING was visible from his vantage point. The approval was totally based on the reputation of the contractor - who was top notch.
Cheers
Jim
nadogail
Well-known member
Sounds like the A-Hat came by that name honestly.
nadogail
Well-known member
My inspectors provide you with an Estimated Time of Arrival , ETA, sometimes they get delayed because what should be a quick easy inspection can take longer because there are either problems with the work, or the workers, that need to be corrected to pass inspection on the scheduled visit.
56Mark
Well-known member
Most permits around here are just a tax. Had an electrical inspector supposed to come by after changing a panel during a remodel. No one showed. Called and he said, Yeah I stopped by and it looks good. We were there all day.....he must be invisible.
When I was building my house 4 years ago, we passed the framing inspection, but then on the next inspection with a different inspector he wanted more bracing added in the trusses and we had added all that were called for by the truss company and I know the civil engineer there. We had to add it anyway to pass that inspection. Also had that same inspector request insulation in a dividing wall in the basement and I argued with him and he gave in and admitted it wasn't required, just a good idea. The next inspection, they didn't show so we took some pics and moved on.
I have flipped a few houses, remodeled my own and for friends and family. I never pull a permit if they can't see what I am doing and even if they can I usually chance it. All they do is make you go pay the fee. It's a tax.
I understand the reasoning. There are a lot of hacks out there, but for people doing it right, it's and annoyance.
When I was building my house 4 years ago, we passed the framing inspection, but then on the next inspection with a different inspector he wanted more bracing added in the trusses and we had added all that were called for by the truss company and I know the civil engineer there. We had to add it anyway to pass that inspection. Also had that same inspector request insulation in a dividing wall in the basement and I argued with him and he gave in and admitted it wasn't required, just a good idea. The next inspection, they didn't show so we took some pics and moved on.
I have flipped a few houses, remodeled my own and for friends and family. I never pull a permit if they can't see what I am doing and even if they can I usually chance it. All they do is make you go pay the fee. It's a tax.
I understand the reasoning. There are a lot of hacks out there, but for people doing it right, it's and annoyance.
OP
Hobby_Man22
Well-known member
I agree. I don't care about the little stuff, but when you can't close out a permit on a whole structure, now all you did is make it so a future buyer isn't going to pay for the value it would normally add to the property
juddspaintballs
Well-known member
Any inspection I've ever been a part of, the contractors knew the inspectors already and the inspections wound up being essentially two buddies catching up.
I had the weather head and incoming wires to the meter box, the meter box, and my whole electrical panel replaced at my last house. The electrician pulled the meter, cut the service line, clamped on temporary power, and did all of the work with just a phone call to the inspector. The inspector came out near the end of the day and popped the meter back in without looking at any of the work.
The most inspecting I've seen done was when I was helping a retired builder in my church build a 3-story 60x100 building that joined the main school building to the gym. The framing inspection was actually looked at pretty carefully because it involved a lot of things like structural steel columns from the ground to the attic trusses, glue-lam beams, I-joists, open web joists, a flat roof at the bottom of a pitched roof (extra snow load), etc. The inspector spray painted a couple spots where we missed a couple supporting studs, mentioned adding some fire blocking in a couple areas, and then had an hour long buddy conversation with the builder.
I had the weather head and incoming wires to the meter box, the meter box, and my whole electrical panel replaced at my last house. The electrician pulled the meter, cut the service line, clamped on temporary power, and did all of the work with just a phone call to the inspector. The inspector came out near the end of the day and popped the meter back in without looking at any of the work.
The most inspecting I've seen done was when I was helping a retired builder in my church build a 3-story 60x100 building that joined the main school building to the gym. The framing inspection was actually looked at pretty carefully because it involved a lot of things like structural steel columns from the ground to the attic trusses, glue-lam beams, I-joists, open web joists, a flat roof at the bottom of a pitched roof (extra snow load), etc. The inspector spray painted a couple spots where we missed a couple supporting studs, mentioned adding some fire blocking in a couple areas, and then had an hour long buddy conversation with the builder.
MushCreek
Well-known member
Our county has an on-line system to schedule inspections. They always came out on the day scheduled, although you never knew when they would be out. They did miss once, though. I had the electrical final scheduled for my shop. I waited all day for the guy, but he never showed. I went on the website to check my status, and he had passed it! Talk about phoning it in. All of my inspections were very brief. On my house, the next inspection after the basement slab was rough framing, rough electric, and rough plumbing. I built an entire house, and the inspector was only there for a few minutes. He didn't even shut his truck off. Good thing I do all of my work to exceed code.
paredown
Well-known member
They're needed because people try to get away with stupid and unsafe stuff while they build. Your work and my work might be fine, but for a window into the lack of intelligence and integrity on the part of some, just watch a show like Holmes on Homes.
I've certainly seen doozies -- one of my favorites was a large deck where not a single lag on the ledger board hit solid material. They guys taking it down were able to basically push it over. Or the rat's nest we recently had to redo on the basement bathroom and its connection to the main waste line -- on an unpermitted basement remodel. I've generally had good relations with inspectors (and yes, I've had to wait for them to show up when I would rather be doing something else) -- and I have had them ask for re-dos on things that were not quite right.
Last one was on a NYS electric inspection on a remodeled kitchen--the electricians put the box in the wrong place, I moved it once to where they said it would be fine and patched the drywall. Then the inspector told me it was in the wrong spot to meet code -- I got a lecture about a peninsula not being the same as an island -- and then he just says, 'you look like you're competent to move the box; text me a picture when it's done and we're good.'
Toolfool
Well-known member
Exactly. The permit and inspection system needs to be in place. Unfortunately, not all inspectors take their job seriously, some too seriously. 35 years in construction, I have seen a LOT of what made me wonder "WTF were they thinking".
I always tried to get along with inspectors and calmly discuss anything that we saw differently. Most of them are just people trying to do their job.
nadogail
Well-known member
Be nice to the Inspector, don't fight over petty ****; the Inspector can shut your job down and make life miserable for you.
The Inspector may not be 100% right, but the Inspector has the authority to pass or fail you.
The Inspector may not be 100% right, but the Inspector has the authority to pass or fail you.
Where I used to work my manager would get into screaming arguments with him. Any job he ran the inspector rode his **** hard! Any job I did I got an easy pass, just a quick look, often he never looked at much of anything.
I asked him why I get a pass and my boss gets ridden like and old *****. He told me my boss was a **** and made his job difficult, so he just pushes back. He added that I may question a decision he makes, but I can discuss it and abide by his decision and not be a **** about it. Alsso I didn't try sneak some **** work by him.
He asked me which situation worked better?
Yep, you don't want to piss off an inspector,
or the person that cooks your food!
Zeke
Well-known member
I can't disagree but making life miserable for the inspector is one method of moving things along. It's who you know and what you know. I'd pay the money to have the inspector's life researched. Knowledge is power. A call to the senior official at the AJH with a logical and legitimate complaint is not what the official wants. A call to someone above him is warranted. I'd join the inspector's church if he goes. I'd eat where he eats. IOW, I'd make my presence known, time permitting. If he is divorced, call his ex, you never know what she may tell you. I'd want to know about arrests and other public records. I like to intimidate like a J.R. Ewing.
There's nothing more satisfying than calling code enforcement on a issue at an inspector's house.
If you can get things done friendly like, that's the easy way. Life isn't easy so I take preemptive action and am ready. Drop a hint. Also, if you can afford to build anything, you can afford to donate some money in the name of the person you want to have on your side. Could be their political fund, could be their church. $500 is a reasonable amount and gets attention. There can be limits so know what you are doing.
If you are **** like **** is ****, expect this to take forever.
billconner
Well-known member
Some of the comments make me smile. Here the building and zoning departments for 2 villages and 2 towns is one guy. Luckily he's a nice and very reasonable guy, and pragmatic. Also pretty good at scheduling inspections and showing up. Once he got stuck and called and apologized and rescheduled for next day.
Out here building permits are all about fees…
they wanted over 800 bucks for moving 3 outlets in a kitchen remodel. That was just for the electric inspection of those 3 things!
I happened to be friends with the guy that ran the department that the inspectors were in and asked him how the hell the fee was that high. He say he didn’t know but he would look in to it.
About a week later he has a complete detail breakdown of the fee. The debt service for the new city hall was in there (135), the prorated rent for the area in the city hall the department was (200), the inspector (175), employee benefits (240) and then a bunch of other ****.
Remember that out here a building permit for a new homes can easily be close to 200,000. Some places are even more.
we also have affordable housing that must be built/fees paid in addition to this. That alone can be 110K or more
they wanted over 800 bucks for moving 3 outlets in a kitchen remodel. That was just for the electric inspection of those 3 things!
I happened to be friends with the guy that ran the department that the inspectors were in and asked him how the hell the fee was that high. He say he didn’t know but he would look in to it.
About a week later he has a complete detail breakdown of the fee. The debt service for the new city hall was in there (135), the prorated rent for the area in the city hall the department was (200), the inspector (175), employee benefits (240) and then a bunch of other ****.
Remember that out here a building permit for a new homes can easily be close to 200,000. Some places are even more.
we also have affordable housing that must be built/fees paid in addition to this. That alone can be 110K or more