Originally Posted by
Richard Jones
Ask your inspectors which section of the code they are citing. As the Building Official, I get that question asked every day, and it doesn't bother me, unless it's asked in a hostile manner. Regardless, it keeps me honest and keeps me on my toes to verify that I am indeed enforcing the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, which is my only job. I don't get to enforce my own personal code.
It's news to me about the 1/3 ration-post-thingy you cite, where are you finding that in the residential code about a pool barrier? At least your inspector had the common sense to call someone and ask them if he was right, a lot of them won't do that, due to pomposity issues. And remember, some inspectors are not allowed to use common sense. Everything must come from the book, in their world. In the real world, everything doesn't fit in a box. It's a shame that some departments don't allow for some individual thinking.
I DO feel like I am there to help folks, they DO pay my salary. But put yourself in the code enforcers' shoes for a moment: Joe Shmoe waltzes into your office and declares as how he once hooked up a Lionel train set for Junior Joe Shmoe and now he is an authority on All Things Electrical. He doesn't know neutral from ground or arc fault from her fault. I WILL ask this type of person to hire a qualified electrician. This isn't like driving a 16d finish nail in a piece of shoe molding, this is electricity, and it can kill. On the other hand, I will attempt to suggest different ways to get the to the end result, and then let them decide how they want to proceed. Much easier scenario, which is what I see most of the time, is folks call, tell me what they want to do and if I will approve it like that.
Not all us code guys are jerks. Most of the people that I see live in the community. They are my neighbors and my customers and I treat them as such, politely.
Rich
For Ray, "I live in a mobile home and one GFCI only cover the plug-in in both bathrooms and the weather-proof rep. outside" Manufactured Housing (singlewides and doublewides), are regulated by Federal code, not state. Sitework, like piers, elec. hookup, etc., is governed by local/state code, but the home is built under Fed code.
Reply With Quote