MOST COMMON FAILED INSPECTIONS

- Footing on soft ground or not to correct depth  

- Footing steel not properly place  

- Foundation drain improperly installed  

- Rough framing  

1.  Improper header sizes
2.  Point loads improperly carried
3.  Collar ties not installed
4.  Improper stair construction

- Rough Electric 

1.      Identification of Wiring
2.      Improper circuit to bath and kitchen areas 

- Rough Mechanical

1.      Dryer vent installation
2.      Duct sizes to small

- Rough Plumbing

1.      Main water shut off not within 3? of crawl access
2.      Improper slope on drain lines

- Rough Insulation

1.      Wrong R-value/ sizes
2.      Vapor barrier

- Final Inspection

1.      Deck bolts missing or wrong size
2.      Handrails improperly constructed
3.      Tempered glass at tub/ showers
4.      GFCI protected outlets
5.      Arc fault protected outlets

REMEDIES FOR MOST COMMON FAILURES

- Footing must be on solid virgin soil. If you have any question go further down to reassure your footing are proper depth.

- All footings require 2 continuous runs of reinforcement steel before inspection. These runs must be overlapped 12? and tied with tie wire. Also all reinforcement for foundation walls must be installed and tied as well.

- Installation of foundation drain systems must be installed in accordance with the manufacturer installation instructions. If you decide to use pipe and gravel system you must have 2? of gravel under pipe for a base and a minimum of 4? above with an approved filter cloth above before backfill.

- Header sizes and point loads are different for every structure and can change with the use of different materials if you have any questions about these areas it is best to bring your plans to the inspection department to discuss these possibilities. Collar ties are required on standard framing and can be 2x4 located in the upper one third of the rafter system every 4?. Stair construction can be one of the most difficult problems in framing, chapter 3 of the residential building code explains the construction of stairs and we would be happy to make a copy for you.

- When identifying electrical wiring (residential) Neutral is white and ground is green or bare wire. Circuits required in a kitchen is 2-20amp small appliance circuits (#12 wire) and the circuit required for a bathroom is 1-20amp small appliance circuit (#12 wire) all to be GFCI protected separately.

- All dryers com with an instruction manual for the installation of the vent, if you do not have one we can make a copy out of the code book for you. Duct design is very complicated and could require more than the building codes to figure out. The best way to know if the design is correct is to ask for a Manual J calculation and Manual D design calculation for your records.

- Main water shut off must be located within 3? of the crawl space entrance or located in a valve box outside of the building. The slope on 3? and larger drains is one-eighth inch per foot and for 2? and smaller is one-quarter inch per foot.

-  R-valves for the wall  R-13 for floors R-19 and for ceilings is R-38 and must be covered with craft facing or 4mil poly.

- When bolting a deck at any point the building code requires 5/8? galvanized bolts. Handrails are as complicated as the stairs them selves please ask for a copy of this section from the building code if you have any questions. Tempered glass is required around all showers and bath tubs which includes shower doors as well. All outlets located in proximity to water must be GFCI protected including outlets in a basement. All outlets in bedrooms must be ARC FAULT protected separately.

Thank you for taking the time to read these precautions about the construction at your property and if you have any additional question to these problems or any question during the construction of your project feel free to contact the Code Enforcement Officials at the numbers listed above.

You can also view the North Carolina Residential Building Code on-line at NCDOI