Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
It should be noted that a certificate of occupancy for a house is equivalent to a
roadworthy certificate for a car. If you don't have one, it is against the law to live in the
house. Furthermore, just as with car insurance and un-roadworthy vehicles, while you
may have paid the premium on the insurance for your house, without a certificate of
occupancy you may not be covered by your insurance policy.
Complaints from building inspectors
Both you and the inspector have the same goal, the construction of a compliant building.
If the inspector is unhappy with the construction, it is more than appropriate to have
them go over the drawings and specifications with you to determine if there is any
variance from the specifications, or if it is simply a matter of the inspector's personal
preference in construction. If you have varied from the specifications, fix it without
complaint. Actually, you should thank the inspector for bringing the error to your
attention.
If it is found that the complaint is based on the personal position of the inspector
rather than the job specifications, you might still choose to alter it if there is not too
much involved. It is often prudent to comply with the inspector's personal preference
rather than to make a 'mountain out of a mole hill'. However, it is best to do this after you
have both reviewed the drawings, whereupon it is established that this is a matter of the
inspector's personal preference rather than a requirement of the job specifications. If the
inspector has a personal barrow to push, rather than a true concern for the building's
compliance with the specifications, this approach will normally overcome personal biases
and negate future bogus complaints.
Write down, and be seen to write down the inspector's directions and/or grievances.
This will enable you to rectify the problems without missing anything. It will also show
the inspector that you take this very seriously, to say nothing of establishing
accountability on the inspector's part.
The inspector's requirements
From my experience, most inspectors are particularly concerned with the transfer of roof
and floor loads to the ground below the structure. For example, when a house has a large
roof beam to support a big section of the roof, it will require a post to hold the beam up.
The details of the material and dimensions of the post will be specified in the building
permit. The approved plans, which form part of the building permit, should also show
how the bottom of the post is to be supported. In the case of a timber floor, you will
normally be required to have a stump or pier directly below the bottom of the post. This
will enable the weight of the roof to be transferred through the beam to the post, which
will in turn transfer the weight through to the stump or pier to the ground below.
These areas of concentrated load are, for good reason, of particular concern to the
building inspectors. One of the other major concerns for building inspectors is the
preparation of foundations for the house. Ensure that there is no loose soil or clods of
dirt in the trenches or stump holes at the time of the inspection and check it again before
pouring any concrete.
