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| Subject - Inspections | |
| cs409 |
This question is directed at Ryan and any other inspectors on site. all other input from the non inspectors or ex inspectors is welcome also. Would you please go thu the process of inspection for a large outlet store such as Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Lowes, and simular size , type stores,,,,how does the process start? how many inspections? what are some of the top 10 or 20 no nos that your looking for? just how detailed do yall get? do yall ever use a team of inspectors to site check, etc....thanks. any input please for the past 20 or so years my work has been residential repair/remodel and light commercial maintance with some remodel. so 75percent of my work has no inspections...so you see the reason for the question. My past experience was Marine(new build and major repair, maintance)and off shore. then move to commercial and industrial and residential(doing the residential was only contact one on one with inspectors) but did not have major one on one with inspectors. thanks. |
| iwire | That is a very regional question. In MA & RI where I spend most of my time each town or city has it's own inspector with their own ways of doing things. We do Home Depots, Walmarts, Targets, etc. my comments are only based on the inspections I see at the job, I do not know anything about the plan approval process. I have never seen more than one electrical inspector on the job, some things that always need to happen for us, usually in this order. 1)Inspection of the temporary service. One Trip 2)Inspections of underground runs before backfilling. Many Trips 3)Inspections of service before POCO can energize. One Trip 4)Inspections of walls and / or ceilings before closing up. Many Trips 5)Inspection of the finished product. Many trips 6)Everything 100% complete, sign off of electrical inspector for occupancy permit. How many times the inspector is out is really up to the inspector. Once we call 5 times for wall inspections in different areas of the same job there is a good chance that they do not come out. They may trust us to continue with the same quality they have already seen. IMO the best arrangement is the inspectors that just stop by when they have the time, unannounced. This may be every other day or once a week etc. When they do this they see the guys at work and see the true picture of the work we are doing. All that said many times we know the codes for this type of work more then the inspectors. If say Target drops a store in a town that is mostly houses, the inspector may know house inspections like the back of their hand but can be out of their element in these buildings. |
| iwire | One more thing the permit fees for these jobs can reach 5 digits so we do not feel to bad having the inspector out 20 times for a 200,000 sq ft store.
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| Dave Nix | My experience as an electrician has been the same as Bob's. The little jobs are pretty much the same with the exception of fewer wall or ceiling roughs. As an inspector, the routine has been the same. Some of the larger jobs we currently have going requires as many as 3 visits a day and some as few as one a week, depending on the stage of construction.As Bob said also, we often stop in unannounced to check the quality and some particular areas of interests. Sometimes we just stop in to say "Hi"! From both sides of the process, each wants to have a professional and trusting relationship. The contractors that are doing the code welcome the visits and the ones that are trying to cheat or cut corners are the ones that require more attention. They usually receive it. All in all, I have enjoyed my career as a sparky and am now enjoying the other side of the process! |
| Ryan_J | Hi Guys. I think Bob and Dave summed it up quite well. The only thing that I would add is what goes on before you as the installer even get to the job, and that is the plan review. For a building of much size, there are typically 10-30 code violations on the drawings that I want addressed before the plans are to be issued. Many times this includes undersized conductors, GFCI requirements, calculation issues, IAC/AIR issues (110.9/110.10), and so on. Once the plans are issued and the review process done, we have a pre-construction meeting. The electrical engineer and I talk, while the architect and some of the other plans examiners talk. The general and sometimes subs show up as well. We require this meeting before giving a permit so that we can have common issues addressed, such as what needs inspection and what doesn't. As far as common violations go, it really just depends on the installer...sorry, I know that is kind of a cop-out, but I really don't know how else to answer it. |
| cs409 | cop out or no cops LOL.... sounds like a lot of inspecting before the first trench/hole/pole is set/placed, etc.....sorta set the ground rules as to what will and what want......so,,,after yall clear the air and fix all the wrongs on paper, what gives on the job site?? does Ryan make un anounced visits beside the sch. visits? just sort of hit and miss to see if code is followed? hope all the BBQs are going goood |
| veganfan | What does it take to become an electrical inspector? Does it pay about same as an electrician? I have always thought it might be something I would like to try. 
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| Ryan_J | quote: The pay is about sixes, depending on where you're at. The qualifications also depend where you are at. At the minimum you will have to be certified as an inspector by either IAEI or ICC. |
| cs409 | you have to drink beer |
| JimmyDee | quote: Is that a question or a statement?   Jim |
| Richard | <<<<Richard drinks beer too...pass a bud this way |
| cs409 | statement jimmy :) |