Post Roughing Inspection Flag

W@ttson

W@ttson

Senior Member
Location
USA
Hello,

I was wondering what the general consensus is on what happens if something is found by the electrical inspector after the roughing inspection?

Suppose an inspector comes for roughing and passes it. However, he missed something big. Construction continues, drywall goes up. Time for final inspection. Suppose then at the final inspection the same inspector or even a different inspector finds something and flags the install. Now that the walls are up it is very costly to rectify, can the inspector/town be held liable for the costs? Does the Contractor just eat the costs?

What actually happens in this situation?
 
The contractor is responsible for providing a code compliant installation. If there are contract documents, the contractor is responsible for providing an installation per the plans and specifications. It shouldn't matter when the deviation was discovered. The contractor's responsibility didn't change.
 
d0nut said:
The contractor is responsible for providing a code compliant installation. If there are contract documents, the contractor is responsible for providing an installation per the plans and specifications. It shouldn't matter when the deviation was discovered. The contractor's responsibility didn't change.
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I agree 100 %
 
Yeah I guess the Electrical Contractor is with the install for days upon days, the inspector is there for say an hour or less. Can't possibly catch everything in that time frame compared to the extended duration of actually working on something. I suppose the Inspector is there to try to catch as much as possible but doesn't guarantee they will find everything.
 
AC\DC said:
Hence why inspection are just another tax on the every day American. Cost me money and get nothing out of it
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There is a shared liability unless there is an intentional concealment of non-compliance by contractor.

Seen many times post rough that substantive changes were made, and later discovered at subsequent inspections.
 
TwoBlocked said:
Or you could look at it as an additional service you sub-contract out, mark up, and make a profit on.
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Ya with no benefit. I do a compliant job, I’ll have a good reputation, I do a crappy job I won’t. Either way I responsible for my work and the inspector is just a fly on the wall with no use what so ever.

Now charge more for inspection and actually go around with a fine tooth comb and sign off and now you are just a liable as I am if something gets missed then yes there a benifit, but as it’s sits just a waist of time and money. No one gets anything out of it but the state
 
Fred B said:
There is a shared liability unless there is an intentional concealment of non-compliance by contractor.

Seen many times post rough that substantive changes were made, and later discovered at subsequent inspections.
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Shared with who? There is no liability to the inspection authority unless there is some type of wanton and willful misconduct. Missing some violation is simple negligence and that does not result in liability to the inspection authority, and least not where the inspections are done by a unit of government.
 
W@ttson said:
Hello,

I was wondering what the general consensus is on what happens if something is found by the electrical inspector after the roughing inspection?

Suppose an inspector comes for roughing and passes it. However, he missed something big. Construction continues, drywall goes up. Time for final inspection. Suppose then at the final inspection the same inspector or even a different inspector finds something and flags the install. Now that the walls are up it is very costly to rectify, can the inspector/town be held liable for the costs? Does the Contractor just eat the costs?

What actually happens in this situation?
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When I was working on a multi story remodel down in the city we all got so see my bosses budget in a meeting, he did not share numbers to often. There was a line item for 'inspection walks', one of the guys cracked a joke about envelopes of cash for the inspectors. Turned out he hired the design firm to send out what seemed like a collage bike messenger kid to walk the job and check everything followed the electrical plans. He must have been a electrical engineer in training, he did know his stuff and he did catch a few items one would have been a major issue if caught later. The design firm offers that service to the owners but not normally the EC, my boss had herd the owner declined the service so he made a deal to just get the electrical portion of it.
 
AC\DC said:
Ya with no benefit. I do a compliant job, I’ll have a good reputation, I do a crappy job I won’t. Either way I responsible for my work and the inspector is just a fly on the wall with no use what so ever.

Now charge more for inspection and actually go around with a fine tooth comb and sign off and now you are just a liable as I am if something gets missed then yes there a benifit, but as it’s sits just a waist of time and money. No one gets anything out of it but the state
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I have hundreds of pictures that verify the benefit/ need for inspections.
 
And I have just as many saying the opposite, your point.

If inspector are also held responsible then yes there good
If it’s just a signature with no backing it’s worthless
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
Shared with who? There is no liability to the inspection authority unless there is some type of wanton and willful misconduct. Missing some violation is simple negligence and that does not result in liability to the inspection authority, and least not where the inspections are done by a unit of government.
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Fred and I are in upstate New York where most of the electrical inspections are private third party. I believe they do take on some liability. Most of the utilities call them underwriters.
 
When you hire a home inspector before buying a home, I do not think you can sue them if they don’t find every thing during their inspection. I would say this would be similar.
 
One issue that I've seen is receptacle spacing.

I've seen only one time that an inspector asked for drawings and measured for proper spacing for kitchen countertops on the rough-in. That's always done at finish.

Is it the inspector's fault that a receptacle is 28 inches from the sink?

It's easier for standard wall receptacles in living rooms etc, but still a finish inspection item because they don't always know of built-in cabinets, etc. it's just a waste of time at rough inspection.

And I've seen builders pissed when the have to tear out tile in a kitchen because they made changes along the way without telling me
 
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