06-14-2016, 11:38 AM
Thank you for the kind words, EightFingers. Being a retired Building Inspector with many badges, you are pretty much correct. We appreciate the kindness of welcoming us into your home, but chatty conversation distracts many inspectors, which could lead to a wrong call from distraction, and a possible radar warning that you may be hiding something.
As far as pickiness, each inspector has his strong points of Code education, along with the weak, and what that individual inspector feels is a "gimme", or look over it. If he has a witness, i.e.: a co worker, he may get reprimanded.
I agree on the argument part also. There is a saying within inspectors in that they are "kind of like a pig in the mud. You can wrestle with him all you want, but after a while you will realize the pig kind of likes it!" With that, inspectors are actually your best consumer advocate in the fact that we are keeping the contractor honest in building or modifying one of the largest investments one makes. Inspectors go by the Code which is based on the minimum safety requirements, and I will agree that some make no sense at all.
Also, inspectors can not by law tell you how to fix it, but should be willing to give you Code section numbers are hat relate to the correction, and possibly take the time to show a customer in the Code book if they ask. They can also give you references such as hand outs, websites, manufacturer bulletins on how to correct an item to avoid conflict of interest issues.
I always was courteous in removing my shoes when entering, explained the correction with Code section and resources available, and if I had information available, such as handouts, included them with my final inspection report. At the end of the inspection, I thanked them for the time after I asking them if they had any questions concerning the inspection, and made them feel comfortable that they could call me during my office hours, or leave a message which I always returned within 24 hours on any question they had.
I guess I may be the odd one on this, but made many more acquaintances in my career than enemies.
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As far as pickiness, each inspector has his strong points of Code education, along with the weak, and what that individual inspector feels is a "gimme", or look over it. If he has a witness, i.e.: a co worker, he may get reprimanded.
I agree on the argument part also. There is a saying within inspectors in that they are "kind of like a pig in the mud. You can wrestle with him all you want, but after a while you will realize the pig kind of likes it!" With that, inspectors are actually your best consumer advocate in the fact that we are keeping the contractor honest in building or modifying one of the largest investments one makes. Inspectors go by the Code which is based on the minimum safety requirements, and I will agree that some make no sense at all.
Also, inspectors can not by law tell you how to fix it, but should be willing to give you Code section numbers are hat relate to the correction, and possibly take the time to show a customer in the Code book if they ask. They can also give you references such as hand outs, websites, manufacturer bulletins on how to correct an item to avoid conflict of interest issues.
I always was courteous in removing my shoes when entering, explained the correction with Code section and resources available, and if I had information available, such as handouts, included them with my final inspection report. At the end of the inspection, I thanked them for the time after I asking them if they had any questions concerning the inspection, and made them feel comfortable that they could call me during my office hours, or leave a message which I always returned within 24 hours on any question they had.
I guess I may be the odd one on this, but made many more acquaintances in my career than enemies.
Community begins with Aloha