A good reason to not become a legitimate contractor...
- Thread starter emahler
- Start date
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cadpoint said:
Interesting...but what would stop a malcontent desk jockey from just tossing the whole thing in the trash?
where is your proof you sent it?
where is your proof it was ever recieved?
Consider those questions and you will understand why USPS is not so "legally binding" and with the leg work invovled (and extra fees) is it really worth it?
charlie tuna
Senior Member
- Location
- Florida
in the words of mike holt "win the battle, but loose the war"! times changed for contractors in south florida due to the hurricanes, concerning inspectors! there was a time that an issue like the one listed above would be overlooked "next permit add three bucks" they might say.... if i needed a rough inspection on a particular job in a hurry i could call and get it over the phone -- now the job would be inspected the same day, but they could begin covering up before the inspector arrived! i could call and ask the inspector what time to expect him on a job and they could tell you + or - 30 minutes! back then i could go to the city on the way back from the supply house and get a permit in ten minutes, longest 30 minutes.... i went to a dinner meeting one night and the electrical chief sat across the table from me, i asked him "in your estimation, how much electrical work is accomplished without permits?" he told me "over fifty per cent!".
all this changed with time and hurricane issues. basically(from what i observed) there more inspectors with less knowledge of the trade, they had no respect for a contractor's time and and were uncontrolable. after the hurricanes, issues were raised due to improperly(or not) inspected buildings caused severe damage that they could be personnaly held responsible for work they inspected! that issue gave them a independence. their bosses could not rush them or pressure them in any way!!! what was the end result---- 80 per cent of the work was done without permits.
i once was sent back to a plans processor's office to get plans reviewed, when i got to his office ---- he was asleep----- with a coke in his hand. well, it wasn't a big job but i needed the permit to get the fire inspection! i sat there and waited for him to wake up. this happened at 2:00pm. as he woke up he got very upset that i was in his office!!! i explained " i was sent back!". he didn't want to hear that and took the plans and through them out the door as he slamed the door!! he did not know i was about to retire and wasn't worried about future problems with the inspection department!!! and the person who sent me back explained that he is in a "bad mood"! i went to the electrical chief and he immeadiately backed his inspector and told me "he was on lunch break"! i asked him to accompany me to the city manager's office and if necessary the mayor's office! he then explained "he was having problems with this guy". i told him "no problem, this plans processor is gonna get fired and your goning to back him?" at that point he got real serious and offered to approve anything i had come there for!!! i went out and got the person who sent me back to get the plans reviewed to confirm what had happened. the chief promised to look into the matter and take action!!! the plans processor was suspended for a week and returned to the field as an inspector!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! guess who inspected the same work that was on "those plans" --- you guessed it!!! but he didn't give me any problems.......... boy i was glad i was getting ready to retire!!!!
like mike holt says "win the battle, but loose the war".....
all this changed with time and hurricane issues. basically(from what i observed) there more inspectors with less knowledge of the trade, they had no respect for a contractor's time and and were uncontrolable. after the hurricanes, issues were raised due to improperly(or not) inspected buildings caused severe damage that they could be personnaly held responsible for work they inspected! that issue gave them a independence. their bosses could not rush them or pressure them in any way!!! what was the end result---- 80 per cent of the work was done without permits.
i once was sent back to a plans processor's office to get plans reviewed, when i got to his office ---- he was asleep----- with a coke in his hand. well, it wasn't a big job but i needed the permit to get the fire inspection! i sat there and waited for him to wake up. this happened at 2:00pm. as he woke up he got very upset that i was in his office!!! i explained " i was sent back!". he didn't want to hear that and took the plans and through them out the door as he slamed the door!! he did not know i was about to retire and wasn't worried about future problems with the inspection department!!! and the person who sent me back explained that he is in a "bad mood"! i went to the electrical chief and he immeadiately backed his inspector and told me "he was on lunch break"! i asked him to accompany me to the city manager's office and if necessary the mayor's office! he then explained "he was having problems with this guy". i told him "no problem, this plans processor is gonna get fired and your goning to back him?" at that point he got real serious and offered to approve anything i had come there for!!! i went out and got the person who sent me back to get the plans reviewed to confirm what had happened. the chief promised to look into the matter and take action!!! the plans processor was suspended for a week and returned to the field as an inspector!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! guess who inspected the same work that was on "those plans" --- you guessed it!!! but he didn't give me any problems.......... boy i was glad i was getting ready to retire!!!!
like mike holt says "win the battle, but loose the war".....
As an X City worker I know our inspectors didn't get paid much. In WV I remember the Foreman having to drive to the inspectors house, Pick him up take him to the job, have a good bill of health take inspector back home. Inspectors car was broke. You would figure an inspector would make top dollar. I am sure some do.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
OK enough bashing the inspector.
As an inspector, I don't issue permits or set the prices or take the money. I don't even really know the cost of a minimum fee permit. It's not my job. I don't care how much it costs and I'm not even sure how they come up with those costs. Yes the counter techs work for the same guy I do, so if you have a problem talk to the Building Official.
It's not my job to make sure you have a permit, that's your job.
It's not my job to issue you a permit, that's the counter techs job.
It's not my job to issue the inspection slip, that's the call centers job. (I don't call in the inspection requests, I don't take the inspection requests off the machine, I don't hand out the inpection requests in the morning. I don't have a little white sheet with your address on it, you don't have an inspection. Not my fault.)
My job is to inspect the work that you did to make sure that it complys to the code. Oh, wait, that's your job too.
By the way, we would eat the $3.00 here.
As an inspector, I don't issue permits or set the prices or take the money. I don't even really know the cost of a minimum fee permit. It's not my job. I don't care how much it costs and I'm not even sure how they come up with those costs. Yes the counter techs work for the same guy I do, so if you have a problem talk to the Building Official.
It's not my job to make sure you have a permit, that's your job.
It's not my job to issue you a permit, that's the counter techs job.
It's not my job to issue the inspection slip, that's the call centers job. (I don't call in the inspection requests, I don't take the inspection requests off the machine, I don't hand out the inpection requests in the morning. I don't have a little white sheet with your address on it, you don't have an inspection. Not my fault.)
My job is to inspect the work that you did to make sure that it complys to the code. Oh, wait, that's your job too.
By the way, we would eat the $3.00 here.
i don't think anyone was bashing inspectors...i know that I really wasn't trying to....my original point exactly what your post said, the pervasive attitude with construction departments around here (from construction official, to inspector, to girl in the window) is simply:
"That's not my job...that's not my problem...don't blame me"
I wish I could run my business that way and still keep customers.
"That's not my job...that's not my problem...don't blame me"
I wish I could run my business that way and still keep customers.
- Location
- Massachusetts
I don't think he was bashing inspectors.
But I think you proved his point....
The 'it's not my job' 'I don't give a rats behind', 'you ECs are all a pain in my rear' attitude gets old fast.
Your right, it's not your job, but it would be nice if you did not make my job more difficult if I have done noting wrong.
I have very few problems with the inspectors in my area, but the workers in the offices are often brutal to deal with. I go in to try to do the right thing and get treated like I have leprosy. No matter what the issue is (say they cashed my check but have no record of it) I am treated like a jerk.
cowboyjwc said:
But I think you proved his point....
The 'it's not my job' 'I don't give a rats behind', 'you ECs are all a pain in my rear' attitude gets old fast.
Your right, it's not your job, but it would be nice if you did not make my job more difficult if I have done noting wrong.
I have very few problems with the inspectors in my area, but the workers in the offices are often brutal to deal with. I go in to try to do the right thing and get treated like I have leprosy. No matter what the issue is (say they cashed my check but have no record of it) I am treated like a jerk.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
emahler said:
If you had a monopoly on electrical service you could. It's not like there is a lot of competition when it comes to issueing permits.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
emahler said:well, I'm just an EC, not a township, I can't afford that
I have always wanted to be like Marlon Brando and buy my own island but I don't think that's going to happen unless I get one of the discount models that was previously used for nuclear testing. One the positive side I wouldn't need electricity because everything glows in the dark.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
Actually a guy at the counter one day was getting a little out of hand, about this and that and the other and the Building Official finally told him that if he didn't like it he could go pull his permit somewhere else. The look on the guys face was priceless when he finally realized that wasn't going to happen.growler said:
And how many times do you guys think I've heard a contractor say "that's not in my contract"? But E is also right about one thing, one of our inspectors used to have a great line, he used to say that "we only beat up on the willing", we don't normally see the guys who don't pull permits.
Can't we all just get along?
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growler said:I have always wanted to be like Marlon Brando and buy my own island but I don't think that's going to happen unless I get one of the discount models that was previously used for nuclear testing. One the positive side I wouldn't need electricity because everything glows in the dark.
nah, what you do is declare war on a small 3rd world island that only has a small population of peaceful people. Then you simply torture a few and wait for the US to come and buy you off, send you whereever you want and pay for you to live the rest of your life.
then you can buy a better island.
Hey, worked for the dictators in Haiti
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
And I do.
No matter how I come across here in the posts, I am the one guy that most of the local contractors want to see on their jobs. I've had guys hold off finals until I come back.
I have acutally borrowed homeowners tools so that I could fix a problem rather than write a correction notice.
We are just over the hill from Los Angeles and we get many, many compliments on our staff and customer service, sure we have our problems, but usually when they are looked into it turns out not to be the big deal that it was made out to be. Oh and they are looked into our top brass is all about "customer service". :grin:
And OW, it's only $85 here for a service and I want to hunt Montana or did you mean to go hunting bad contractors?.
No matter how I come across here in the posts, I am the one guy that most of the local contractors want to see on their jobs. I've had guys hold off finals until I come back.
I have acutally borrowed homeowners tools so that I could fix a problem rather than write a correction notice.
We are just over the hill from Los Angeles and we get many, many compliments on our staff and customer service, sure we have our problems, but usually when they are looked into it turns out not to be the big deal that it was made out to be. Oh and they are looked into our top brass is all about "customer service". :grin:
And OW, it's only $85 here for a service and I want to hunt Montana or did you mean to go hunting bad contractors?.
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