Electrical inspector

Geo-TH,In · Mar 5, 2021

I learned a guy got promoted to Electrical inspector. Scary to think he
has no experience, no training.

So much for inspectors.
george

paul · Mar 5, 2021

When I had the whole place rewired about 9 years ago, the inspector came almost a year later. County seat is on the far side of the county.

He said yea, the main county road was getting rebuilt, and he didnt want to have to drive around the detour last year.

He looked at the house box, and two of the 8 outbuilding boxes, and left again. All inspected and easy driving, I guess.

Paul

MarkB_MI · Mar 5, 2021

George, are you saying someone who doesn't hold a master electrician license has been appointed as an electrical inspector for a building department somewhere?

Dennis Minn · Mar 5, 2021

GEO,
I am unsure of your state's laws, etc. I do recognize that MN allows home owners some allowances. That being said, these inspectors I ran into were top-notch, and not nasty.

These folks inspected what they needed to, red-tagged it if necessary, and was friendly, but stern.

I will welcome all the MN electrical inspectors that MN wants to send here. I perform work that is inspect-able, passable, and at or above the current NEC minimum, even if it is not required. Workmanship is a slippery adjective. I would like to have all that I do be compliant and pleasing to the eye.

D.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 5, 2021

YES, that is what his friend told me.

JMOR · Mar 5, 2021

(quoted from post at 18:27:17 03/05/21) YES, that is what his friend told me.

earsay.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 5, 2021

could be hearsay.
I know a union electrician.
I'll send electrician a text and see what he says.
Its scary if this story is true.
geo.

Billy Shafer · Mar 5, 2021

I have over the years. Met a few that were good. But most should find another job.

tomturkey · Mar 5, 2021

Please come back with some FACTS. He said, she said , my brother in laws in laws said. But yeah I'll bite any way. Should at minimum be a certified journeyman electrician with credentials. gobble

Geo-TH,In · Mar 5, 2021

Electrician said there is a new
inspector, the other two got fired.
I asked when he learns his name let me
know.
I know all parties, the electrician,
the guy who told me the story and the
new inspector. May be
Some truth to the hearsay.
geo.

Phil Tibbetts · Mar 5, 2021

Probably a political appointment, do I need to say any more?

grizz02 · Mar 5, 2021

Yesterdays Twitter I mean tractor

BRSnKY · Mar 5, 2021

My father is still waiting on electrical inspector to show up for the first house I was in after being born. I'm 44.

DoubleO7 · Mar 5, 2021

That might not mean he is a full fledged inspector.
Maybe has an electrical engineering degree
And fresh out of college.
Maybe will be shadowing a long time inspector and be trained on the job.

Many teachers have never done what they teach to make a living.

Bruce(OR) · Mar 5, 2021

Oh! Your talking about Oregon. I understand. Yes, it did happen to the wife years ago, before we got hitched when the inspector came out. He didn't even open the cover and just signed off.
She was dumbstruck. She made him look at the electrical with the cover removed. He said it looked okay. Then years later I found the missing Neutral bar lug.

i r snot lectran.
i r wrench.
Ok. usta~be.

John T · Mar 5, 2021

George, having spent much of my professional career in electrical power distribution thereby dealing with more inspectors then the average Joe out there, I will only say, just as in other occupations, there are the good and well qualified as well as the incompetent grrrrrrrrrrrrr. The best I found were ones who came up through the electrician and/or engineering ranks while some that were younger even if knee deep in theory (but lacked practical experience) really SUCKED LOL. That being said I learned a thing or two from a few of them and likewise taught (those willing to LISTEN) some of them a few things.

In their defense having studied and worked with the NEC extensively back in my day, it can be confusing and hard to interpret. Its hard to read one paragraph without it referring back to 10 more other sections and subsections and all the exceptions, worse then when I have to read and interpret legal statutes lol

I do not know or have any comment on what if any qualifications or training or experience may be required of an inspector in your area...

Best wishes yall

John T Live in the RV dry camped using AT&T or Verizon Mobile Hotspots at Hardee County Pioneer Days in Zolfo Springs Florida (been in the eighties) where Im an exhibitor. Life is good

Russ from MN · Mar 5, 2021

Most inspectors I've met are good guys, but not all! One was just interested in how many circuits and how much to collect, never shut his van off! The first one I ever dealt with was exceptional, we were building a new home ourselves, and he said, "when you get ready to wire it I'll come out and help you lay it out, so you do it right the first time"!

Dune Country · Mar 5, 2021

Little OT but I was involved in a condo project on the other side of the county from the county seat.
Permit stated "inspection within 24 hours". Called in for an inspection They said we will be there within the week!

We had subs scheduled and waited the 24 hours then the sheet rockers started.

Inspector shows' up and goes off, started ripping sheet rock off to see the wiring, we ran him off, contacted the county planning commissioner and told him "no more".

We started using an inspector from a county just north and all was good!

Geo-TH,In · Mar 6, 2021

John,
This it a true story. Not only is he incharge of electrical, he is the building inspector, electrical, plumbing, building construction.

I'm trying to figure out how he got this job. I know the guy.

The previous inspector lost an election and somehow became head building inspector. Now he and his assistant got prementally retired, fired.

About a year ago I got a permit for pole barn. They gave me a 4 page list of everything that needs a permit, the cost(tax), and it included a $300 fine it I failed to get a permit.

I think I was required to pay $120 for my permit. If I remember it was cash too. I'll have to check my computer records.

This all started about 30 years ago when Area Planning was passed.
That put a stop to building in a flood plane. Put a stop to putting a house trailer in your back yard for your kids or mother in law.
Permits is a cash cow for collecting a hidden tax.

This is scary. I always thougth an inspection was to insure things were done according to code. No longer.

george

Geo-TH,In · Mar 6, 2021

In 91 I called my electrical inspector and said I'm ready for inspection. He asked if I knew what I was doing? YES. OK you get a green sticker.
I'm heading to the hospital for heart bypass.

So I got a phone inspection before video phones were invented.
geo.

miangus · Mar 6, 2021

When I built my house in 1974 the inspector came took a look at the 200 amp 40 breaker SQ D QO panel. Noticed that all the 120 circuits were 12/2 with ground and proceed to ask me who did such a nice job pouring the basement floor. My wife's family at that time would come and frame the house for young family members starting out. I had the deck on and they framed it in a day including the roof sheeting. One uncle who was a contractor had a fit about that 40 breaker box, too expensive and no need for that many spaces. One of my wife's other uncles owned an electric supply business so the electric was all whole sale. I think the difference in price between a 20 beaker box and a 40 breaker box was like $20.00. It would be nice if local governments could afford to hire master electricians as inspectors but I expect its just not in the budget.

DoubleO7 · Mar 6, 2021

House insurance rates are calculated in a good part based upon quality of the local codes and the office in charge of enforcement.
The insurance company wants assurances that things are done right.
And that the inspectors are trained and licensed via classes and certifications.

So if your building codes department is run on the good ol boy, do it my way or no way unless you pay me off way....

Everyone pays more property insurance.

1948CaseVAI · Mar 6, 2021

Why surprised? If the guy was a licensed electrician he would work the trade and make more money. Where I am there is nothing at all that says the inspector has to have any kind of license. They are like the home inspectors that realtors send out - they have watched some videos and that is about it. Just the way it works and you cannot cause it to change.

JMOR · Mar 6, 2021

(quoted from post at 13:46:10 03/06/21) Why surprised? If the guy was a licensed electrician he would work the trade and make more money. Where I am there is nothing at all that says the inspector has to have any kind of license. They are like the home inspectors that realtors send out - they have watched some videos and that is about it. Just the way it works and you cannot cause it to change.

ot the first observation of, "he couldn't make it as an electrician, so became 'electrical inspector'."

bc · Mar 7, 2021

(quoted from post at 10:37:45 03/06/21)
House insurance rates are calculated in a good part based upon quality of the local codes and the office in charge of enforcement.
The insurance company wants assurances that things are done right.
And that the inspectors are trained and licensed via classes and certifications.

So if your building codes department is run on the good ol boy, do it my way or no way unless you pay me off way....

Everyone pays more property insurance.

A lot of factors go into insurance rates. For over a hundred years each city is rated for fire protection. Number of fire houses, number and types of trucks, response times, water tower storage, water main size, number and spacing of hydrants, full time or volunteer firefighters, etc. I've seen more than one city have on their agenda building another fire station in the new end of town to lower insurance rates. If you have tall buildings then you are rated on having ladder trucks. A very good source of information about a city can be found in those old books. ISO (insurance services office) gives a PPC (property protection classification) of 1 to 10 based on various factors with one being the best. Also give an FSRS (fire suppression rating schedule).

From the interweb:
According to the ISO's Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS), there are four main criteria to a fire rating score:

50% comes from the quality of your local fire department including staffing levels, training and proximity of the firehouse.
40% comes from availability of water supply, including the prevalence of fire hydrants and how much water is available for putting out fires.
10% comes from the quality of the area's emergency communications systems (911).
An extra 5.5% comes from community outreach, including fire prevention and safety courses.
Any area that is more than 5 driving miles from the nearest fire station is automatically rated a 10.

dr sportster · Mar 7, 2021

That is the fault of your state licensing board .

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