As a former inspector, I'll throw my 2 cents in. On an average day, I had approx. 25 inspections to do over a 6 hour period. There is no way in hell you can look at everything. You can ***** about inspectors, but it comes down to who is doing the shoddy work in the first place. Home owners are usually fed up with all the disruption to their everyday life, due to the construction process. Then an inspector shows up and fails the install. This extends the project, if only for a day. Who's the bad guy?
Ever been told by your superiors to look the other way? Happens every day. I'll give one example. I was called to do an inspection on a new service for an existing home. Outside looked fine. Went down to the basement and the new 200 amp panel was mounted horizontally. The cover was off and the electrician was not on site. The general contractor and homeowner were present. I asked if there was a reason the panel was mounted this way and was told it was the easiest way to do it, due to the number of pipes. When I failed the install, I got an earful. They had done it this way before and passed, I was told. They wanted to know where, in the codebook, it called for a vertical installation. I was polite and courteous the entire time, but all business. I pointed out the embossing in the back of the panel that said TOP. Manufacturer requirement. Homeowner complained to village department head. I got called in to defend my actions. Get called in enough times and you have a choice to make. Look the other way or find another job.
So, before you point fingers at who's to blame, the electrician you hired is supposed to be competent. There are boatloads of licensed electricians that I wouldn't trust with Christmas lighting. Remember, if it works, then it's got to be right. I DON'T THINK SO.