C of O inspection

[Chad Fabry]

Today as I was doing a final for a new build, I came across this.

Electrical inspection was done yesterday by an independent third party inspector. The problem is, if the electrical inspector is too harsh, the builders call someone else.

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[Jim Katen]

"I'm not familiar with that kind of clamp. Could you show me the ICBO Report for it?"

[Kyle Kubs]

[:-bigmout

Whadaya mean call somebody else? They have a choice of who does their inspections?

Too harsh...[:-censore &^%##^& [:-censore

[pete moss]

Looks like NY becoming the new south....

lol

too funny......

[Marc]

Third Party code inspectors have become a problem in some coastal parishes of Louisiana because current law allows a builder to hire them and forego the muni guys. One of many conflicts of interests in this state.

Marc

[Nolan Kienitz]

... call someone else ??

And then pay him: "How much?"

I had similar happen to me in "rural county" inspection of a property in East Texas. That was when another Texas state agency controlled such, but was controlled by the big dog home builders.

Builder didn't like what I said and got someone else, whom he paid off.

That Texas agency has since been "sunsetted" (or dis-banded) by the Texas State Legislature.

Now ... "out in the county" there is nobody holding the builders to task. Not that there ever 'was'.

[Richard Moore]

Not totally excusing the inspector, but shouldn't we be giving the electrician a lot more grief? After all, the sparky was the one who actually spent some dedicated time screwing this up just because he didn't, presumably, have the appropriate clamp on hand.

[Jim Katen]

Third Party code inspectors have become a problem in some coastal parishes of Louisiana because current law allows a builder to hire them and forego the muni guys. One of many conflicts of interests in this state.

Marc

Have they progressed to the point of "self inspections" yet? With that program, the builder gets one of his guys certified and they "self inspect" as they go. The munis just conduct the occasional QA inspection.

[Marc]

Third Party code inspectors have become a problem in some coastal parishes of Louisiana because current law allows a builder to hire them and forego the muni guys. One of many conflicts of interests in this state.

Marc

Have they progressed to the point of "self inspections" yet? With that program, the builder gets one of his guys certified and they "self inspect" as they go. The munis just conduct the occasional QA inspection.

Not that I've heard.

Marc

[John Kogel]

Third Party code inspectors have become a problem in some coastal parishes of Louisiana because current law allows a builder to hire them and forego the muni guys. One of many conflicts of interests in this state.

Marc

Have they progressed to the point of "self inspections" yet? With that program, the builder gets one of his guys certified and they "self inspect" as they go. The munis just conduct the occasional QA inspection.

I sometimes see work signed off by the electrician who did the work. It takes the pressure off the town employees, and it gives us HI's something to look for.

Not so much for new construction as for remodeling work, upgrades and such.

I will say that the standards for electrical are pretty stringent here, so I never see stuff like that Mickey Mouse clamp.

We find reverse polarity, 3 way switches that don't switch, neutral bonded in the sub, the more subtle stuff like that.

[pete moss]

not here

Electricians

i work with want the sign off of a third party.

makes good business sense...

but

they have no worries that the work is substandard

i guess there is a difference.......

[Scottpat]

We still have state electrical inspectors that for the most due a pretty good job. I seldom find electrical problems in new construction.

[rjbrown2]

Numerous jurisdictions in Georgia have TPI Programs (Third Party Inspectors) who submit to various regs and restrictions. Most of these jurisdictions allow builders to hire the TPI and some AHJs restrict the inspections from scratching the ground through poured or CMU wall construction while others work TPI all the way through final. It varies. The TPI is a P.E. whose license is on the line if he or she gets caught pencil whipping inspections. It happens and it is rare in my experience. My opinion is that there is no more conflict of interest in the TPI programs than there is in any other service a P.E. offers to the public. This part of the Engineering biz has suffered greatly with the contraction of the residential (and commercial) building as most AHJs can give prompt service for inspections.

[dtontarski]

I inspect in the same area Chad does, and have had similar experiences with third party inspectors. (most likely the same company) At least the electrician that worked on Chad's house made an attempt at grounding. I recently inspected an older home with a recent service upgrade a third party inspector had signed off on, and found no grounding whatsoever.

I contacted their corporate headquarters (even supplied photos), but never heard back from them.

As a matter of fact, one local electrician works for one of the third party inspection companies, and rumor has it that he has indeed signed off on his own work.

Just another outsourcing nightmare.

[Chad Fabry]

As a matter of fact, one local electrician works for one of the third party inspection companies, and rumor has it that he has indeed signed off on his own work.

Just another outsourcing nightmare.

It's not rumor. The house is in my jurisdiction.

If the electrical inspector does his job, then the realtor, uh builder will not call. The business model is broken no matter where one tries to fit it in.