Preparing for a building inspection so it passes the first time
The building inspector arrives at 9:10 for the framing inspection of a three-storey walk-up and leaves at 9:25. The permit drawings were locked in the site office, the ladder to the third floor had been moved, and the firestopping in two suites was unfinished. The next available inspection is three business days away, and the insulation crew is booked for tomorrow.
An inspection can be lost before anyone looks at the work: the stage is not complete, the documents are not on site, or the area cannot be reached safely. Many authorities treat these as the builder's problem. Toronto requires the permit drawings and other permit documents to be available on site for each inspection; Calgary may charge a re-inspection fee when the site is inaccessible or not ready, earlier deficiencies have not been corrected, requested documents are not provided or the site cannot be inspected safely.
The day before
- Confirm the scope and the rules: the stage, the areas, how to book, and approvals that must come first. Surrey, for example, needs plumbing and electrical approvals no later than the day before the building inspection.
- Walk the stage with the foremen against its scope and your own checklist, and finish what you find.
- Close the last inspection's orders and photograph each correction.
- Put the documents where the inspector will stand: the permit, the approved drawings and specifications with authorized changes, and the engineering letters or test reports the stage needs.
- Make access safe and open: unlocked areas, lighting, a secure ladder or stair, the work visible.
- Send someone who knows the work to meet the inspector and write down any orders.
- Record the result the same day: who, when, the result and any orders, with next steps assigned.
Common mistakes
- Booking for the day the work should be finished rather than the day it is.
- Leaving the drawings in a locked office or a truck.
- Sending someone who cannot answer questions about the work.
- Covering part of the stage before the result is known.
Checklist
The day before an inspection
- Scope, areas and prior approvals confirmed
- Stage walked with the foremen and open items closed
- Previous orders corrected and photographed
- Permit, approved drawings and reports on site
- Safe, unlocked access and the work visible
- A person who knows the work named to attend
Check your understanding
The inspector passes the framing but writes one order about a missing fire block. Can the insulation start?
