Any time you apply for a construction permit for a new house or remodel, you must submit a set of plans to your city municipality for approval. The plans are stamped with the plans examiner's valid stamp once they're approved. Then, as work progresses, the construction inspector conducts inspections at required intervals to ensure that the construction matches those approved plans and all the new work conforms to the International Residential Code.
The inspections ordinarily occur at the construction process intervals listed below. To ensure passing, do your own pre-inspection before the construction inspector arrives to do his. Check off the items under each inspection - these are the areas ordinarily of many concern to the inspector.
Basic Stamp Code
Footings or foundation:(before the concrete is poured)
Do the forms have the adequate depth, width, and thickness required for the foundation law in the plans? Is the rebar properly located and connected? Is the bottom surface for the footing level? Are the required anchor bolts laid out and ready to be located in the concrete? Does the distance from the footings to any ascending or descending slope comply with setback requirements? Is the foundation height at least 12 inches plus 2 percent above the elevation of the gutter?
Groundwork plumbing:
Are the piping materials identified by the manufacturer as third-party tested? Are the plumbing vents at least one-half the diameter of the drain pipe diameter? Are there adequate pipe supports? Is Dwv pipe installed in a trench backfilled with earth, sand or gravel, but not rock? Has the law been checked for leaks at the joints?
Pre-slab inspection:
Is the soil properly compacted? Is there a 4-inch base of sand, crushed stone, or gravel on top of the compacted soil? Is there 3-1/2 inches from the top of your forms to the baseline? Check by running a taut string line over the top of the forms to make sure you have the required depth at all locations. Is any piping that extends above your concrete protected with sheathing or wrapping? Does the vapor barrier overlap 6 inches at the joints?
Framing inspection:(This is where a lot of corrections are typically noted - and fixing a framing mistake isn't easy or cheap.)
Are your wood studs identified by a code-approved grade stamp? Are your shear wall holddowns anchored and nailed per the manufacturer's specs? Is your shear wall nailed correctly? Are preserve columns and posts installed per the plans and anchored to the foundations and beams? Are your studs on center? Are your anchor bolts spaced correctly? Is the fireblocking installed correctly in every wood frame, including concealed spaces, interconnections, and in openings for vents, ducts, cables, and wires?
Floor and roof framing inspection:(This is someone else base area for code violations.)
Have you used the grade of lumber specified in the plans? If the species, grade, or size of a wood member is separate from what the plans show, the compel won't match that approved in the plans. Is blocking installed at all points of preserve to keep joists from rotating? Do joists from opposite sides of a span lap over a beam? Is that lap at least 3 inches and are the joints nailed by at least three 10d nails? Are any holes or notches cut into any engineered-wood products, such as glulam, laminated veneer lumber or I-joists? Are roof trusses braced per the fabricator's instructions?
Floor and roof decking inspection:
Are your sheathing panels stamped with the accurate grade for the span you're covering? Are the end joints in your subflooring over supports? Are the joints staggered on your roof sheathing? Without unbelievable the joints of the roof sheathing, the loads can't replacement over the roof diaphragm. Are all structural panels related to framing using the code-required nail size?
Intermediate plumbing inspection:(before drywall is hung)
Is the Dwv piping supported every 4 feet horizontally or 10 feet vertically, as required by code? Is the hygienic pipe leak-free? Are the cleanouts installed as indicated on the plans? Do the vents increase at least 6 inches above the windows, plus the midpoint snow-accumulation depth? Has the water furnish law been pressure-tested at 50 psi for 15 minutes? Are shield plates installed over areas where supporting members have been notched or bored for plumbing runs? Are there kinks or bends in the Hvac ductwork?
Intermediate electrical inspection:(before drywall is hung)
Does the electrical layout match the layout in the plans? If changes are needed during construction, they can sometimes force an electrician to improvise. Make sure all changes supervene code requirements. Are there at least 6 inches of free conductor wire at outlet boxes? Do the ceiling fans have an approved fan box? Is wire entering each outlet or switch fastened to the box? Are shield plates installed where electric cable runs straight through a stud or joist? Are the outlets spaced along the wall as indicated on the approved plans?
Gypsum board inspection: (after drywall is hung)
Are Type W or Type S screws used for attachment to wood framing? Do the screws drill the wood by at least 5/8 inch? Is 1/2-inch-thick drywall used to the originate the wall separating the residence from the carport to preclude the spread of fire?
The final inspection:
Does the grading slope away from the building? Is there a solid-core door between the house and the garage? Is the construction ordinarily faultless in appearance? Have you installed security glass in risky locations? Are the handrails on the decking stairways 34 to 38 inches above the nosing on each stair tread? Do all the rooms have a 7-foot ceiling height? Is the electrical disconnect clearly identified? Are all bathroom fixtures operable? Is water pressure between 40 and 80 psi?
When the final inspection is complete, the inspector will furnish you with a signed certificate of occupancy and call to have utilities turned on. The house should then be ready for years of safe occupancy.
Residential building Code Inspection