Inspectors job

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hardworkingstiff

Senior Member
Location
Wilmington, NC
On another forum I visit, I posted this.
Inspectors are hired to inspect and enforce the code as written. They should not be allowed to enforce their opinion. They should have written documentation to support their enforcement.
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This response was posted.
If you think an inspectors job is to enforce code as written you are mistaken. Like I said, it's up to interpretation, code is the minimum. I deal with this on a daily basis.
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Anyone care to comment?
 
iwire said:
What is there to be said, many of us have run into the 'not in my town' inspectors and they are as bad or worse then the ECs that ignore the rules.
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well said bob, neither one is an asset to the industry
 
You need to lean on your local goverment if you have an inspector like that. Often they land the job and really are not qualified. They might be a fine electrician or EC but that does not mean they have what it takes to be a good inspector. No problem with taking a red tag if its backed up by code. Some violations are gray and that requires them to make the call.
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
They might be a fine electrician or EC but that does not mean they have what it takes to be a good inspector.
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Had an inspector tell me once I USE TO BE AN EC I know what you are trying to pull.

Use to be was the key word, if he was good at it he still would be. He was wrong in this one case but it was a major hassle, had to go to his boss and plans review.
 
I view electrical inspecting as kind of the "court of law" for the electrical trade. I mean, the Code establishes the rules, but of course they can't possibly print a rule for every single scenario that you could potentially come across on the job site. So it's the inspector's job to analyze this and make an interpretation on whether or not your installation complies with the intent of the Code... being an interpretation, it comes with all the attached strings that everyone knows about.

In Oregon, the state Building Codes Division has a resident "Chief Electrical Inspector." If your local inspector fails your job for some reason and you disagree, you can appeal his decision and your claim can work its way up the system until the Chief Inspector renders a final decision. Kind of like the appelate court system, with the Supreme Court on top deciding if different things legally fit within the framework of the Constitution. Like the court system, the decisions made with Electrical form a kind of "body of law," or maybe "body of interpretations."

The potential for having a jackass inspector is always there of course, but our state at least (I don't know about other states) has a means of following a channel to the top. It's a long and arduous process but it works.
 
ericsherman37 said:
I view electrical inspecting as kind of the "court of law" for the electrical trade.
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I think an inspector should think of themselves more as a police officer and not a judge.

it's the inspector's job to analyze this and make an interpretation on whether or not your installation complies with the intent of the Code...
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I disagree here as well, the job either meets the words in the code or it does not. An inspectors personal beliefs about the intent should not enter into it because really the inspector does not truly know what the CMPs intent was.
 
ericsherman37 said:
I. It's a long and arduous process but it works.
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Then the system DOES NOT WORK, it has a MAJOR FLAW in favor of the inspector, be he right or wrong. If it is a long process what good is it except for resolving upcoming issues past issues right or wrong were corrected to obtain a final.

Here in SOME jurisdictions 2 days and the issue is resolved.
 
brian john said:
Then the system DOES NOT WORK, it has a MAJOR FLAW in favor of the inspector, be he right or wrong. If it is a long process what good is it except for resolving upcoming issues past issues right or wrong were corrected to obtain a final.

Here in SOME jurisdictions 2 days and the issue is resolved.
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And as the EC do you want to make your GC late on getting a final ? Most of us will fix violation to keep the GC happy. Should be a fine for when the inspector is wrong. That might slow that ink pen down.
 
brian john said:
Had an inspector tell me once I USE TO BE AN EC I know what you are trying to pull.

Use to be was the key word, if he was good at it he still would be. He was wrong in this one case but it was a major hassle, had to go to his boss and plans review.
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Don't get me wrong here..... No monetary risk with little physical effort.... Vacation time.... You can get direct deposit of paychecks without having to perfect a lien.... And at least where I am - the starting salary is over $100K with an excellent benny package - I want to be one!
 
e57 said:
Don't get me wrong here..... No monetary risk with little physical effort.... Vacation time.... You can get direct deposit of paychecks without having to perfect a lien.... And at least where I am - the starting salary is over $100K with an excellent benny package - I want to be one!
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In my expierence sucessful contractors do not become inspectors they retire, to some place nice.
 
inspector

inspector

All good comments but as an inspector my self I know that some State inspectors get paid by the inspection so there is incentive to reject a job.
I on the other hand work for City Goverment. Having been a EC and now a Inspector I also know that any Inspector worth his Salt has to Mix the NEC with a bushel of Common Sense to make your judgement calls. If you get your jollies by inspection rejections report your are not using good judgement or common sense but some do. Talk to your Inspector and ask him to show you in the NEC where he is getting his information.
Thanks
David

PS . Where can I find the $100,000 dollar position ?????
 
We often hear, while it depends on how you interpret it.

Can we get some examples where the NEC is not clear and needs field modifications or field interpretations?

I feel the NEC is clear it is US that are not so sure!

I am not for busting inspector chops, I have respect for their job and what the face everyday. But IMO an inspector is there to inspect to the NEC (barring any local amendments).
 
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hardworkingstiff said:
On another forum I visit, I posted this.


This response was posted.

If you think an inspectors job is to enforce code as written you are mistaken. Like I said, it's up to interpretation, code is the minimum. I deal with this on a daily basis.

Anyone care to comment?
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This guy's a loose cannon rolling around the deck. Not suited for the profession.
 
Inspectors job

Brian, I know that our job is to inspect according to the NEC , but we also know that there are a dozen ways to do a job and still meet the NEC. The best we can do is to try and make our Inspection the same on every job even though no to jobs are exactly the same, no matter how it looks on paper.

Maybe I am not the loose cannon Balsam refers to.

Thanks
David
 
pdmtn said:
Brian, I know that our job is to inspect according to the NEC , but we also know that there are a dozen ways to do a job and still meet the NEC. The best we can do is to try and make our Inspection the same on every job even though no to jobs are exactly the same, no matter how it looks on paper.

Maybe I am not the loose cannon Balsam refers to.

Thanks
David
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4 electricians will find 5 ways to do something but the NEC says whether it is code compliant or not. While often misunderstood I do not think there are as many grey areas as people like to think.
 
e57 said:
What better place to do so from - serve a few years, and gain a city pension. Much better than whats available these days or that I could give myself.....
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I gotta be careful what I say here (espically with the market like it is today), BUT a sucessful contractor, who could take the cut in pay?
 
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