What does Building Inspection Mean?
Definition of Building Inspection in Construction
During the course of a project the jurisdiction that has issued the building permit will, in most cases, require inspections throughout the course of the project. These inspections are called building inspections and are specific to what is being inspected. Footings, bottom of excavations, framing, insulation, waterproofing, roofing, ,plumbing, mechanical and electrical are only a few of the building inspections that could be required. Each municipality will have a different set of inspections required, however, the basic ones, such as framing will always be on the list. In some cities and towns, the requirement for a ” third party ” inspector is noted. A third party inspector basically removes the burden of the inspection from the municipality and places it on an independent source, that is usually hired by the owner of the project. In this manner, the municipality saves the cost of needing all the in house inspectors, and does not assume any liability for any failures of the inspector to identify issues. In most circumstances an inspection card is submitted to the contractor from the building department, that specifies each inspection necessary, to ensure that a certificate of occupancy will be issued by the proper authority at the end of the project. Building inspections, not only involve new construction or renovations, but can occur at any time in a buildings life. The building department has the right to become involved in complaints by neighbors or suspected overcrowding issues, etc. In many cases building inspections occur at random to ensure that the occupants of the structure are abiding by all building codes, such as not piling material under stairwells or clogging up exit hallways with material that could cause issues if there was a fire or an evacuation of the building.