Re: is a building inspector a cop?

When you get to court, you better be prepared to prove the building
inspector was wrong. Just about the only way to do that is to hire a
Licensed Professional Engineer to design the plans and do the
inspections. If there is a disagreement between the engineer and the
code, the engineer wins.

Wrong! The engineer needs to design the building to meet the code. If
he says it does, he can be forced to prove it. Simple structures don't need
engineers, and large parts of the code are not related to structure, but
rather smoke detectors, exit requirements, light and ventilation, space
requirement, earth/wood separation, smoke control, headroom, stairway
rise/run, railing heights and loctaions, grading around buildings, fire
ratings, the way drywall is installed, and lots of other crap that most
folks never thing about.
The code is actually the law, so think of the engineer/architect as a
lawyer. The degree doesn't allow them to violate or make up their own rules.
The various model codes are designed to stand up in court. The ICC has
as many lawyers as it does design professionals.
Yah, I am an inspector, and have seen more than one engineer waste his
time arguing with the plans examiner.



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