Electrical Inspection
We are going to ask our electricial to schedule our electrical inspection soon. I wanted to get peoples’ input on whether a DOB electrical inspector will check out other elements of the house during the inspection and hand out violations. I’ve heard that they generally focus on what they’re there to inspect unless there is…
We are going to ask our electricial to schedule our electrical inspection soon. I wanted to get peoples’ input on whether a DOB electrical inspector will check out other elements of the house during the inspection and hand out violations.
I’ve heard that they generally focus on what they’re there to inspect unless there is obvious unpermitted work going on. The problem is that we have a lot of supplies and tools in our basement that we had used for the renovation, which was primarily cosmetic. I am concerned, for example, because there is a shed on the back of the house that was there and there was no permit for it, but I’m not even sure it needs a permit. It’s clearly newish construction – at least build post-1980s, is my guess. There is also a leak in our water supply line coming in from the street that is very slow. I’m tempted to get a plumber to fix it before we schedule the inspection. We have been trying to finish as many of the things on our worklist as possible before the inspection (like finishing restaining all of our wood panels/moulding), but I’m wondering if we’re not going overboard on being too worried about getting all this stuff done before we go ahead and schedule the inspection. Should we just schedule the inspection? All walls are closed and painted (some paint touch ups are needed), all bathrooms have been retiled, both kitchen renos are completed. The only things remaining are small things that take forever like fixing moulding, built-in drawers, paint touch ups, etc. How worried do I have to be about the inspection? Has anyone had one done recently?
Thanks!
Sometimes inspecors don’t have to be drunk to walk around with plans upside down
WOW, I didn’t know that they do not inspect rough-in work here. That’s just the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard.
I’ve done two gut rehabs myself in other parts of the country where they allowed the homeowner of a single family do the work. Always a rough inspection and a final. In one case the inal included continuity check of each and every outlet.
I pass all the inspections with flying colors of course. In one case we had a fairly complex system with a kitchen, a bath and a W/D room all back-to-back and the inspector sketched out for me exactly how he wanted to see the DWV configuration. I guess things here are different, less reasonable.
Years ago in Chicago we had an inspector who came drunk and walked around the house with the plans upside down.
There is only really one MC! As long as the work filed was done to the code you filed the job under you will be fine. Just make sure the license holder is present for the inspection and have everyone one else stay clear of the inspection process. You can look, but I wouldn’t ask any questions.
If he (or anyone else) has issue with something legit you will have to fix it and get a re-inspection by the same inspector or someone else. That’s random. If you get violations for things not in the code or for minor unrelated electrical work hope for a different, more reasonable person next time around. There is really not much you can do. Go ahead and schedule the inspection.
BKrupt – In NYC we have different inspectors for each area of work. They also don’t do rough inspections of electrical work here. In fact, to schedule/pass an electrical inspection you need to have all the walls fully closed and all finish fixtures in place.
I think it’s totally idiotic, however if you were to take a look at the majority of electrical work hidden in the walls here you would understand why we have no rough inspections. If I could ever bring myself do that the kind of crap work that is acceptable here in NYC I would also want to hide it from the electrical inspector and everyone else for that matter with drywall ASAP.
-AlexSPK
If you used a licensed electrician to do the work there shouldn’t be any issues. I’m not experienced with Bklyn inspectors, but please consider: I was renovating upstate NY and the inspector wanted to see first an initial “rough in” inspection before the walls were closed up, and then a final inspection once walls were closed up. This inspection was for electrical, plumbing, and sheetrock fire rating, all at once (by one inspector– again, not Bklyn but upstate NY). Maybe it works differently in Bklyn?
Alex – have you seen a lot of them? What is the best way to proceed at an inspection if you get “MC”?
You can go to the DOB BIS site and search for closed electrical filings. The inspectors are listed there.
Your description is very accurate. Only one other possibility matches, but horrendous attitude has to be MC. Among many other things he pulls made-up code rules directly out of his a**.
Chiming in to agree that they probably won’t care about the other stuff, but it does depend on who the inspector is. We just had an electrical inspection done for our kitchen, and they had zero interest in everything else that was going on.
Don’t recall Alex, sorry. Older chap. Heavy set. Beer belly. Kinda slobby.
Essentially what happened was prior owner was supposed to close it 10 years ago – and forgot. My title search turned it up and then seller forgot again. My lawyer escrowed money to take care of it but because it was so old, regs had changed and I should’ve been inspected on regs at the time of the permit, not current.
Errors, oversights and such would have been tolerable, but his attitude was just horrendous. All ended well but was a process.
As stated they will usually not check for things not related.
However, you should be made aware that it takes a very very long time from when you schedule till you get a date so plan well in advance. It may take 6-8 weeks like nothing for electrical inspections in Brooklyn. The only way to push for earlier appts. is if there are cancellationms on which you must be pu on a list in case and they call you.
These days when an electrical inspection os not complete it hinders significantly the timeline for sognoffs.