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Who checks a plumbing inspectors plumbing?

8K views 29 replies 20 participants last post by  Proud Plumber 
#1 ·
No, really, here in VA in the rural areas there is only one inspector for everything, so who checks his plumbing, framing, electrical, and HVAC work??
 
#6 ·
Philadelphia recently layed-off all plumbing inspectors to save money. They had the lowest senority because they were all new hires due to the fact that all the plumbing inspectors were arrested for coruption several years ago. Now building inspectors do interior plumbing inspections but we self certify our own underground water and sewer. (we do have to take a picture).
 
#13 ·
Speaking of rural VA, my county has 3 inspectors. 2 full time, one semi retired. The background for all 3 is framing carpentry. When I had my rough plumbing inspected, 2 of the 3 came out, they walked down in the basement and said, "Looks like you got some fall on it". Yep, sure do. That was the whole inspection. To their credit they know I'm a plumber, but come on, make a little more effort than that. I'm not even going to start on the elec. rough:blink:.
 
#15 ·
Los Angeles plumbers can inspect their own work

Los Angeles has a program where plumbers can pull a permit and inspect their own work. I am not sure how it works because I never bothered to ask.

I did several jobs for inspectors. Usually, the jobs were not in the inspector's jurisdiction and we always got different inspector. We had one inspector who lived in a multi-million dollar home on a bluff over-looking the ocean. Figure that our for yourself. He had an open sump pit underneath his house for all the sewer waste from his four-bathroom house and he argued that it was legal. It had no vent and planks for the lid.

Do you ever give a tip to an inspector after he passes your work? We used to give cases of whiskey to several building departments every year and when we wanted to stop we got several, a few weeks before the holidays, asking when we would be making our delivery. For some reason the good old days are gone. I used to buy 100 to 200 boxes of chocolates every year and pass them out to vendors and customers. Now, I'm cheap. Money is getting harder to hold onto.
 
#16 ·
Los Angeles has a program where plumbers can pull a permit and inspect their own work. I am not sure how it works because I never bothered to ask.

I did several jobs for inspectors. Usually, the jobs were not in the inspector's jurisdiction and we always got different inspector. We had one inspector who lived in a multi-million dollar home on a bluff over-looking the ocean. Figure that our for yourself. He had an open sump pit underneath his house for all the sewer waste from his four-bathroom house and he argued that it was legal. It had no vent and planks for the lid.

Do you ever give a tip to an inspector after he passes your work? We used to give cases of whiskey to several building departments every year and when we wanted to stop we got several, a few weeks before the holidays, asking when we would be making our delivery. For some reason the good old days are gone. I used to buy 100 to 200 boxes of chocolates every year and pass them out to vendors and customers. Now, I'm cheap. Money is getting harder to hold onto.

You have to be a registered Certified Contractor with the City. You still pay the same fees as a permit but you do not have to call for inspections. The program is limited to repair type work though not remodel or new work.

Mark
 
#20 ·
I just got done with a repipe, and while the inspector was there he asked me how to install a shower valve!!! He asked me what kind of pipe he should use to move the location of the valve. I was blown away. This guy is inspecting peoples work? No wonder I see so much jacked up plumbing when there are guys like this inspecting.
 
#22 ·
The township I'm doing a job in has a plumbing inspector who claims to show up on the job "after hours". When I call for an inspection he says he'll stop tonight and I should keep going unless I hear from him. What a job!! The f***er doesn't even have to show up for work. I wonder if the township knows what they're paying for.
 
#24 ·
in the municipality that i work in you need to hold a master license or state certification in the discipline that you will be inspecting in. the state will issue you a license to inspect but the county will not. they also will not cross certify you unless you hold a master for each category. we are not able to work in the county we inspect in either, the way it should be.
 
#25 ·
Hey guys take it is easy on the inspectors
. I am an inspector here in Ontario, Canada. Our policy is if we do a job in our jurisdiction we can't inspect it ourselves.To be honest after looking at plumbing all day the last thing I want to do is to go and do a plumbing job.
Roger
 
#30 ·
The worst plumber I ever worked with became an inspector. He was hired because his brother was an inspector for the county and my boss finally said I do not care how many red tags I get and fired him. Two years he was inspecting our work.
 
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