# Stopping an Inspection.



## Keystone (Jan 5, 2022)

If you walk onto a job and you see the inspection isn’t ready, how do you handle that? 



Do you stop the inspection at a certain number of items?



If your certified in multiple trades and onsite to inspect multiple trades, do you stop inspecting that one trade and continue with the others or not perform the entire inspection.    



I understand this can be very subjective if given the latitude, does your jurisdiction have a policy or leave it up to the inspectors discretion?


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## fatboy (Jan 5, 2022)

When we hand wrote corrections, I would stop at one page, maybe 10 deficiencies, or if just could tell it wasn't ready. As in, trades still working. 

Yes, fully certified for all trades, but would stop the visit there.


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## Joe.B (Jan 5, 2022)

Where I work it's up to me as the inspector and I make that judgement based on the project, my knowledge of (or lack there of) the contractor, and how busy my schedule is. For example if I show up for small remodel project with a contractor I know I'll typically just come back later to allow them time to finish, provided I have time. If it's somebody I don't know I will make a preliminary assessment and talk to them about what they are expecting. If they really need a portion signed off in order to keep the project moving I'll try to work with them, but if they just called it in thinking I'm going to gloss over everything I will ask them to reschedule. When looking at my schedule I try to be really transparent with them, I might say "My afternoons pretty open just call me when you're ready," or "I'll come back at 2:00." If I'm super busy I'll tell them that and reschedule for the following day.


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## Pcinspector1 (Jan 5, 2022)

We'll I'll walk up and say "Do you feel lucky, punk?" in all of the excitement I can't remember if I had wrote you up for eighty five or eighty six corrections? 

Falla, lets start with having an address on the building and that missing carriage light, what's up with that? A handrail, that would be nice, kinda important! You sure you're ready for inspection?

Is that your new F-250, sweeeet!


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## ICE (Jan 5, 2022)

It depends on the job and just how “not ready” the work is.  For example, a reroof with only half of the existing covering torn off.  You find the sheathing to be in good shape.  Do you fail the inspection?

How about that same reroof calling for final with a quarter of it still bare?  That I won’t sign off.  Even If I have every confidence that the contractor will finish with no mistakes, there is the owner’s perception to consider.

The availability of the next inspection can impact decisions.  When we are a week behind, some inspections can be overlooked or documented with pictures.

Experience with the contractor can make a difference.  Some contractors are never ready and some I can trust to finish without a mistake.  I’ve had drywall inspections that were three quarters done and what I could see was fine so I signed it off.

fatboy said that they pull off at ten corrections.  Our management has said that I should stop at twelve.  I keep going until I run out of corrections…..well now and then there’s a dozen that are so in your face weird that I call it.

I have found jobs that are so littered with crap that I said no you are not ready.  I have found jobs where I would have to walk through ankle deep mud and said no you are not ready.

I know inspectors that look for any reason to not do the inspection.

Like keystone stated, it’s subjective.   I usually try to make headway and it’s always possible to write a few corrections.  It is important to note in writing that the work was not ready so that another inspector is not misled to believe that a few corrections was all there was.


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## Keystone (Jan 6, 2022)

For us, it’s up to the discretion of each inspector but if we do stop an inspection we must be able to clearly valid the why to the bldr and municipality. Although we try to use a general rule of six or more items. 


If the job is for a homeowner, homeowner actually completing the work not just pulling the permit for a contractor, the job would have to be horrendous for us to stop. It’s more about educating at this point. 



Bldrs, depends on the the bldr (do we have working relationship) size, scope and ability for bldr to foresee the violations of the project. The overall motto I use is “get along & move along”.


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## tmurray (Jan 6, 2022)

Normally, the only thing that will full on stop an inspection is an unsafe site.

Other than that, I feel like it depends on your objective with the contractor. A contractor that called a little early, but is otherwise always on top of stuff might get treated a little different than the one who calls every single time looking for a punch list. 

Typically, we will do a quick walkthrough when they call a little early just to make sure that there is not something glaringly obvious. We already need to stop by again, I don't want to end up going a third time if I can avoid it. Now this is not a full on inspection and we are always sure to tell the contractor that. I'm not going to tell you the handrail is missing because I assume you are going to put it on. I'll tell you if it is mounted at the wrong height though.

We have a contractor who notoriously calls early on finals hoping for punch lists. The last time he did this, my assistant inspector told him to stop wasting her time and walked out in the middle of the inspection.


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## steveray (Jan 6, 2022)

I have occasionally written "violations too numerous to list, not ready, inspection terminated"....If they just fell short a bit, we will normally do an inspection of what we see and give them a heads up on what we see wrong as we are already there, but let them know it is not a full/ official inspection as work was still ongoing...


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## Pcinspector1 (Jan 6, 2022)

Where's the ladder or access? That's an automatic NO inspection.


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## Beniah Naylor (Jan 6, 2022)

If they aren't ready, usually I will take a cursory walk around the site without saying anything, then I go to whoever is in charge, tell them they aren't ready and ask if they want to reschedule, or have me write up a ton of corrections that they were probably gonna fix anyway... If they want me to stay and write everything up, I will do that if I have time, but usually they just reschedule. Obviously, if that is going to be too onerous for me to do, I will just have them reschedule.

In some cases, it is better to document what you can when you are already there, often the people who don't have their act together are also more inclined to cover stuff without inspection, and then you know better what is going on if you have been there and taken good notes.


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## e hilton (Jan 7, 2022)

Pcinspector1 said:


> Where's the ladder or access? That's an automatic NO inspection.


Would you use a drone if they have one?


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## Pcinspector1 (Jan 7, 2022)

e hilton said:


> Would you use a drone if they have one?


If it can place a level on a ground rough plumbing pipe and I can see a 1/4-inch bubble, I'mopen to new ideas. 

The inspection is only as good as the drone operator, would that be a third party geek? or the contractor?


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## Rick18071 (Jan 7, 2022)

It depends. Lots of times on a footing or framing inspection the footing or framing for the deck is not ready but I will inspect the footing or framing for the house.
Insulation inspection. Walls are done before drywall but ceiling an basement is not done till the final.
For a rough plumbing inspection the underground is done before the framing is started.


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