# Onerous requirement



## ICE (Jul 25, 2021)

I will be doing a repipe soon.  I contacted the building department to inquire about a plumbing permit.  I can obtain an owner builder permit but the city that I live in requires an isometric drawing of the entire system.

I was told that this is so that the inspector can determine what fixtures were repiped.  While I can do that, the system is conceptual up to the point of tearing open the walls and ceilings.  I am not sure if I will use PEX with a manifold or branch system….or copper.  The contractor has never encountered such a dumb idea.. but he hasn’t done many recipes. Shouldn’t I be allowed to tell them it is twenty fixtures and you are not coming inside my house anyway so what’s the point of an isometric drawing?

I built a six foot high retaining wall… with a permit.  When the inspector arrived for the footing inspection I was removing loose soil with a shop-vac.  He saw that and commented that anyone that would do that certainly has done a splendid job.  He did not look at the plans or the work.  He signed the card and left.  It was the same performance for the pre-grout inspection.  At the final inspection he noted that the wall is two feet too close to the property line.  He actually wrote a correction to move it.  He still had not looked at the approved plans which had the wall where it was.  It occurred to me that he might have been the person that did the plan check.

Apparently the plumbing inspector is way more anal than the building inspector.


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## cda (Jul 25, 2021)

Using them seven letter words again!!!


Definition of onerous​
1: involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : TROUBLESOME

Get the Napkin out!!!!!


On an existing house ?? Come on ,,,,,      lying dog-faced pony soldier.


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## cda (Jul 25, 2021)

Take pictures as you progress??!   Don’t cover anything opened

Seems simple


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## ICE (Jul 25, 2021)

I have inspected a few hundred repipes and dozens since going strictly virtual.


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## Mark K (Jul 25, 2021)

Why would an individual that takes the position that the inspectors will not be able to enter the house to view the work even attempt to obtain a building permit?

Is this a criticism of plan checkers and inspectors?


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## ICE (Jul 25, 2021)

Mark K said:


> Why would an individual that takes the position that the inspectors will not be able to enter the house to view the work even attempt to obtain a building permit?
> 
> Is this a criticism of plan checkers and inspectors?


There has to be a compelling reason to enter my wife’s house.  The work can be inspected by video or pictures. 

I have criticized inspectors for years.  As to plan checkers....I am a certified plan checker but thankfully, not an engineer.  All of this jurisdictions' plan checkers are engineers.  I lack the education or intellectual capacity to criticize engineers.  So the word criticize is not applicable......nay, nay, understanding my limitations, what I do is observe.


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## e hilton (Jul 26, 2021)

Did you mean onerous, or draconian?  I like throwing that word out in meetings.


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## mtlogcabin (Jul 26, 2021)

ICE said:


> Apparently the plumbing inspector is way more anal than the building inspector


Maybe he worked with you in the past and just wants to make sure it is done right. Especially if the homeowner is pulling the permit


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## Pcinspector1 (Jul 26, 2021)

ICE said:


> Apparently the plumbing inspector is way more anal than the building inspector.


The plumbing inspector's only has about a hundred pages of code to enforce, then they can hit the bars for happy hour.

ICE, I thought you would have your house set up with surveillance cameras by now and false walls like in the movie Willard?


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## cda (Jul 26, 2021)

Ornery ???


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## steveray (Jul 27, 2021)

We typically get no plumbing drawings on residential.....Rarely would that save an inspection from failing......And then I would have to teach them how to plumb and spell isometric.....


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## fatboy (Jul 27, 2021)

We don't, nor would ever, require Iso's on a residential.  

Hell, they can't even keep a set of plans on site.  

We get the deer in the headlights look when we ask for gas pipe calcs!


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