ToH - what can the inspector do and no do (house, contractor)
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Is there a guideline e on what they can inspect or not? Even if it is not in relation to your original permit request? Can they just be a pick and hold hostage to your CO like that? How is that even legal?
It's not holding you hostage... The inspectors are meant to make sure you comply to code and plans. If you have a open c/c or c/o on your house they can force you to close them before moving forward with new project.. They also can make you comply to the other code violations such as illegal sheds, pools, kitchens, baths, lack of egress windows, smoke/carbon detectors and more..
For example: I had a retaining wall for my cellar egress redone, to avoid collapse or more danger from it. Why would he need to go in to the basement or the house at all? If the blueprints and permit is to only go over the wall work.
For example: I had a retaining wall for my cellar egress redone, to avoid collapse or more danger from it. Why would he need to go in to the basement or the house at all? If the blueprints and permit is to only go over the wall work.
Put differently, "I have done some illegal work and don't want to get nabbed by the inspector."
It would seem to me that an inspector has no right to look at the interior of your house at any time unless there is a well-founded suspicion of illegal work. That said, once you invite an inspector into your house, I would think he has a license to look at the interior in its entirety. An updated C/O allows occupancy of the entire structure, not merely the updated area.
For example: I had a retaining wall for my cellar egress redone, to avoid collapse or more danger from it. Why would he need to go in to the basement or the house at all? If the blueprints and permit is to only go over the wall work.
ok.......
why did you get that inspected?
IMHO if you have that inspected, they will assume the basement is finished. If you don't have a permit for that, then.............
Typically, if the inspection is for an outdoor item - fence, deck, etc. - the inspector can only inspect the outside. They have no "right" to go inside unless you invite them in.
For an indoor inspection, it would depend. If they are inspecting a 2nd floor bathroom, for example, I would imagine you could deny them access to the basement or a first floor bedroom.
A few problems... If you deny access, the inspector may not like it. While they can't ding you for things they can't see, they could find reasons to deny approval for what they are there for.
In the OPs case, the wall involves egress. It might be a gray area where the inspector has a legit reason to access the other side of the door.
When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. That concept often applies to inspectors. As a rule you want to avoid them and show them as little as possible.
"I have done some illegal work and don't want to get nabbed by the inspector" may be true in some cases. My experience has been different. I have seen inspectors come in to find dozens of minor violations. After those are corrected per the inspector's instructions, a new inspector comes in and calls the fixes a violation - his fix is to put everything back to what the first inspector flagged as a violation.
There are actual violations. Then there are inspectors who invent problems which aren't there. If you have a finished basement that should have had a permit, you are rolling the dice. Doing additional work with a permit is a great way to get caught. That's why it is better to do it right the first time.
His reasoning is to see if I have smoke/CO detector. Then says if I see something then I will further inspect. Then if I need to inspect the rest, I will. His words on the phone.
It is either one of two things, either you have already ticked him off or it is his stock answer and you are reading too much into it. Tough to say not knowing he back story.
Yea, they use the smoke/co detector as a way to snoop but honestly if you filed for a cellar egress then obviously they are going to come inside... Can't really deny them access. If you were doing a fence or deck then they have no right to come inside but an egress entrance is a warranted reason to come inside.
Basically, the town considers a cellar an unfinished space. If you finished it then it is not a cellar but actually a finished basement..
If you know you are going to get caught, which it sounds like this inspector wants to nab you, then be proactive and file a maintain for your basement before scheduling the inspection..
You are in hempstead?I probabaly know the inspector? What town/hamlet are you in?
Agree with above - cellar egress allows them into the basement.
If it makes you feel better they even use the old smoke detector ruse down here in NC. When we finished off our third floor our contractor warned us the inspector was going to make us put a smoke detector in every bedroom, and he was right.
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