Has this ever happen to anyone else

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jm1470

Senior Member
I had a very important inspection today on a job ive been on for a while, I did pass, but i was so nervous leading up to it that i couldnt sleep. I been thinking about this inspection all week I went over everything in my head at least a dozen times. I carry the code book around with me like it was my child, and even call other electricians and was asking them questions. I wrote down potentional issues that the inspector may have, I explain in writing my reason for doing something and I also put the code pages down and made sure i had my code book label so I could go right to it. So today at 1130 the inspector shows up on the job, checks a couple of things ask me some general questions and approves the job. I was happy that I pass but felt like I was worried over nothing, guess I need to have more confidence in my work. He said to me that it was a nice clean job and he didnt need to see anything else. I was proud of myself and now I can sleep. :)
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I never lost sleep over an inspection but I did worry every time we energized a house wondering if we forgot a feed somewhere. Those feelings go away with time, at least it did for me. :hug:
 

iMuse97

Senior Member
Location
Chicagoland
We've all been nervous about our work at some point, or we wouldn't care, and probably wouldn't be on this forum. I've been fortunate to meet the inspectors when they've arrived to inspect the work my boss was responsible for. That helped when I was the point man because I was already familiar with the people and the procedure.
 

jumper

Senior Member
Getting knocked on a few things during an inspection never bothered me, usually minor stuff that I can fix right there. A strap or two and a missing knock out seal, easily fixed.

The idea that someone could get hurt or killed if I screw up-- well that just terrifies me and always will. I like to think that this makes me better at my job.
 

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
Inspections can be a little stressful, especially when the GC wants drywall up and you're scheduled for a rough-in inspection the day before. It's out in the boonies so you HAVE TO PASS THE FIRST TIME since the inspector can't be out to look at corrections, if need be, for a few days.

I don't lose sleep over any of it, but I do take my work home with me though. I'm always thinking of ways of running this circuit or mounting this piece of equipment or the best way to pull this wire the next day, it all runs through my head even after I leave the job site. One of my biggest worries is when I have multiple guys on the job site pulling circuits in. I'm always afraid at trim out something got lost in translation and I'll have a few dead boxes with no feed to them.

Trying to keep the guys productive while being efficient, is my constant work in progress.
 

PEDRO ESCOVILLA

Senior Member
Location
south texas
been there, done that.plan your work, work your plan, an master taught me that in supermarket jobs, where its easy to "loose things". i always kept list of things that "need to get caught up on" , wrote the list throughout and checked it at the end of every day. this was first to get done the following day. i've called inspectors and asked them questions about things i was unsure about. i refuse to work with people i cant rely on, cant trust or are unwilling to be as thourou<BR>
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<P><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Task #: TaskRID</SPAN></FONT></P></TD></TR>
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<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><STRONG><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV><BR><BR></DIV><BR><BR><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><STRONG>Notes: </STRONG>IncNotes</SPAN></FONT><BR><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">TaskNotes</SPAN></FONT><BR><BR><STRONG><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Inspection Status:</SPAN></FONT></STRONG><BR><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">No Evidence of Non-Compliance Minor Non-Compliance Comply & Proceed</SPAN></FONT><BR><BR><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Comply/Re-inspection Required Major Non-Compliance - Re-inspection Required</SPAN></FONT><BR><BR><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Re-inspection Fee? Yes No</SPAN></FONT><BR><BR><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><STRONG>Photographs taken: </STRONG>Yes No <STRONG>Saved To</STRONG>: _______________________________</SPAN></FONT><BR><BR>
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K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
I consider an inspection to be help, not a hindrance.

It gives you an extra set of eyes looking from a different perspective. As mentioned, our mistakes are possibly lethal.

I have seen inspectors catch things that were simple oversights, but would have had nasty consequences. Like one contractor I was working for that forgot to tighten the feeder terminals down on a 200 amp service.

If I have a code question, I just call the inspector. It really doesn't matter what your pals think. It's the inspector that will be making the decision. Sometimes it can save money. For instance, I just did a job with a stuffed panel. I asked the EC if it was only the neutral that was limited to one wire per terminal, and could I put two grounds under one screw? (There weren't enough holes in the two bars) EC said no and he would get another bar for me to put in (pain). Inspector (very strict) comes by and I ask him about it. He said I could put as many grounds under a screw as I wanted, but each neutral had to have it's own. Cool. That made my life much easier.

Inspectors are also usually up on the latest stuff. I can't tell you how many times I have heard the 'have you seen the new such and such?' that turned out to be great products.

If you take pride in your work and work in the same area for a while, the inspectors will respect you. That's great, because that makes an inspection an asset. Much less tension.....

Now, energizing a panel for the first time....still gives me the willys. We do it with the cover off in new res. construction. Although we always have, I think I may start putting the panel covers on first. Product quality has really taken a dump lately.
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
OOps it happened again

OOps it happened again

I hate it when the fonts go wacky ... :cry:

As for inspections I dont stay up all night worried but in the middle of a job I get second thoughts as to the best way to proceed. That's what happens when you don't work the plan. Remember the inspector is there to help. Had one show up the other day and said "I'm from the city building department and I am here to help you.... " and chuckled. He really did help. Got the homeowner to start coming clean about what was REALLY going on with the open walls and new wires and new panel and ...

It ended well, got my inspection passed today, which means payday, and can go back and clean up the rest of the mess on a separate permit. It was like pulling teeth on how much and where the wiring was altered. Turns out the ex son in law did the work and abandoned the job and the daughter. Owner is a nice guy though, just not open to family issues. As for the inspector, he found out today his permit reports can be found online. He was surprised. I think maybe they might get into the 21st century soon.

I like my inspectors. They are very helpful. Nobody to fear. Might take an extra day to get it right, but the last perfect person they crucified. Relax, go with the flow and learn from your inspectors. When I first started out I stopped in and introduced myself to the local inspectors. I asked if there was anything he specifically needed or looked for on a job and was there anything I could do differently to help him do his job. I checked back in a year later and did the same thing. It was a good start. All they want to do is there jobs. All you need to do is yours which includes listening to the AHJ. When in doubt look it up if you still have questions give the building department a call. They like to answer questions.
 

satcom

Senior Member
Get a good nights sleep, after a number of years in the trade you will learn to overcome the sleep problem, when I first started the same feelings hit me, then one day returning from a job, we passed a home I worked on that passed an inspection, and smoke was coming out of the eves and we could hear the fire trucks coming in the distance, as we stood there watching the police checking the home, I could not help thinking, was it something I did in the wiring, and a fear of dread came over me, after the fire trucks arrived, and they checked the home, we learned the smoke was from plastic burning in the cloths dryer, not an electrical fire, but I think it is a normal reaction, to worry when you did some work on a home.
 

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I worry about the Roto-Zip Rebel sheet-rockers ripping up my wires and JB's. Then I worry about the tile guys who have never seen an adjustable box and bury the JB 3/4" into the wall while infringing into the space allotted for your devices. And then there's always the prima-donna kitchen cabinet installers who only want to spend one day installing their cabinets so they can make a killing on their end of the install and (if you're not there while they're installing) they bury your dishwasher, microwave and under-cabinet light wiring so you have to use a circuit tracer to find them.

Lots of things to worry about but inspections are not one of them...............unless you have a job in a certain area of Northern New Jersey where the inspector is the south end of a north bound horse:roll:
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
It means you care about your work. We all worry that something got overlooked or crossed up. I always get nervous on cutting floor boxes into a high grade wood floor, like cherry or such. So easy to miss a measurement, hit a joist or not hit one, whichever you need. Same with cutting boxes into cabinets. I never rest easy until done. I tape them well, measure 9 times to cut once. Check again after 1st hole drilled. If someone else helps me, I worry about what they may overlook. 1 really good hand I had did lots of good work but would overlook things like grounding a metal box that didn't already have a screwhole for it. Would never miss one on the 4" or 4 11/16" boxes.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I worry about the Roto-Zip Rebel sheet-rockers ripping up my wires and JB's. Then I worry about the tile guys who have never seen an adjustable box and bury the JB 3/4" into the wall while infringing into the space allotted for your devices. And then there's always the prima-donna kitchen cabinet installers who only want to spend one day installing their cabinets so they can make a killing on their end of the install and (if you're not there while they're installing) they bury your dishwasher, microwave and under-cabinet light wiring so you have to use a circuit tracer to find them.

Lots of things to worry about but inspections are not one of them...............unless you have a job in a certain area of Northern New Jersey where the inspector is the south end of a north bound horse:roll:

Amen to that. Is there any limit to how much damage a rotozip can do?
 

Rick Christopherson

Senior Member
You didn't even need to hand him a fresh cinnamon roll and a Starbucks? Dang.
There was a locally affiliated (but state employed) inspector here that once berated a woman for not offering him a cold coke when he arrived to inspect her house. He chewed her out for several other non-legal issues too.

What the inspector didn't realize is that local law required the permit to be in her name, as the home owner, but was actually pulled by her son, a commercial contractor. He thought he was pushing around an elderly home owner. He was mistaken.

As a State inspector, he didn't immediately lose his job, but the local City banished him from ever inspecting within that city again. He continued to work the state for a couple more years, including my city, but eventually lost his job completely.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
You didn't even need to hand him a fresh cinnamon roll and a Starbucks? Dang.

1 town where I used to work, a roll of wire to the inspector was your ticket to passing a borderline inspection. I was a green helper at the time; glad I was not put in the position to do or not do that. Co. I worked for had no problem with a foreman doing it. I saw it happen on an apt job where we were a few inches over 12 ft on a couple of receptacle placements. That inspector owned a few rental houses. "Donations" like that helped him keep them up cheaply.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
There was a locally affiliated (but state employed) inspector here that once berated a woman for not offering him a cold coke when he arrived to inspect her house. He chewed her out for several other non-legal issues too.

What the inspector didn't realize is that local law required the permit to be in her name, as the home owner, but was actually pulled by her son, a commercial contractor. He thought he was pushing around an elderly home owner. He was mistaken.

As a State inspector, he didn't immediately lose his job, but the local City banished him from ever inspecting within that city again. He continued to work the state for a couple more years, including my city, but eventually lost his job completely.

Glad he lost his job. Sounds like he didn't mend his ways. Anyone to abuse power to that level probably won't mend much. What spot on the map are you in?

I've saw 1 inspector actively take a small bribe, a roll of wire I mentioned elsewhere. that was the 70's. He's only 1 I personally saw. I have heard of a building inspector a few counties away that flunked a GC because he called in a Friday inspection. Told him when he arrived he would flunk; that they did not like Friday inspections. Too bad that wasn't caught on home video.

Electrical inspectors in my area are mostly honest & good. While I don't agree with every call & have a lot of gripes with some code items, I find little or no fault with their honesty & judgment. I can call any of them, including head inspector, for advice on situations or ask for a reading of the law if I'm not clear on something.
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
I worry about the Roto-Zip Rebel sheet-rockers ripping up my wires and JB's. Then I worry about the tile guys who have never seen an adjustable box and bury the JB 3/4" into the wall while infringing into the space allotted for your devices. And then there's always the prima-donna kitchen cabinet installers who only want to spend one day installing their cabinets so they can make a killing on their end of the install and (if you're not there while they're installing) they bury your dishwasher, microwave and under-cabinet light wiring so you have to use a circuit tracer to find them.

Lots of things to worry about but inspections are not one of them...............unless you have a job in a certain area of Northern New Jersey where the inspector is the south end of a north bound horse:roll:

i usually get along pretty well with cabinet guys, i've only had a couple difficulties, and it was in remodels...
so i explained to the homeowner that my work was damaged by their install, and one of two things had
to happen... i either had to locate, repair, or resolve the damage done by the installer, tile setter, etc.
at an additional charge, or THEY needed to contact the person and have it resolved, as they have the
money gun, and i have no legal influence whatsoever.

the one that really annoyed me was the cabinets i had installed in my garage when we bought
the house. i had set with a laser a 2" angle iron sill all around the garage to rest the cabinets on.

the company made excellent cabinets, and sent a moron to install them. the imbecile apparently
was conceived with a roto zip, and it was the only tool he knew how to make a hole with, and
couldn't use a tape measure at all. there were quad outlets in the back of every cabinet to be
cut out, and silly putty brain screwed every one of them up.... the largest jumbo grande mega
oopsie plates covered most of his failures as a human being, but i'd just spent $6k on stuff
to have it installed by a home desperate parking lot reject.

terms were that the check for the balance of the contract was to be delivered upon installation,
and i called the shop, and had the owner drive out to pick up the check. he said to just give
the check to the installer, and i said nope...

and we worked out an adjustment on the spot for the damage done. it cost him $1,000
for hiring someone who had no business doing anything to my house. either that, or he
could remove the cabinets, replace the backs of all of them, and rehang them.
 
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