A residential building inspector is reviewing a request for a final inspection on a new home. The contractor has submitted all required inspection approvals, but the building official's records indicate that the rough-in electrical inspection was never performed, despite being a required intermediate inspection. What is the appropriate action for the building official?
- AWaive the rough-in electrical inspection, assuming it was done correctly if the final passed.
- BIssue a temporary Certificate of Occupancy until the rough-in can be verified.
- CIssue the Certificate of Occupancy, as all other inspections are complete.
- DRequire the contractor to open up walls and ceilings to expose the electrical work for inspection.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Require the contractor to open up walls and ceilings to expose the electrical work for inspection.
Concealed work, such as rough-in electrical, must be inspected before being covered. If it was missed, the only way to verify compliance is to expose the work. Waiving it or issuing a CO without verification would compromise safety and code enforcement. This is a common and critical scenario in inspections.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Waiving a crucial concealed inspection based on a final inspection is unsafe and against code principles, as the final inspection cannot verify concealed components.
- B. A temporary CO is not appropriate for a missed critical concealed inspection, as the safety of the concealed work is unknown.
- C. Issuing a CO without a critical rough-in inspection is a serious breach of code enforcement and safety.
Missed Concealed Inspection
If a required concealed inspection (e.g., rough-in electrical, plumbing, framing) was missed and the work has been covered, the building official must require the work to be exposed for inspection to ensure compliance and safety before proceeding with further approvals or Certificate of Occupancy.
- Concealed work must be inspected.
- No exceptions for missed inspections.
- Exposing work is necessary for verification.
Memory trick: Missed Rough-in? Must Re-open to Reveal!