SPECIAL INSPECTION
The following are extracts from Chapter 17, Section 1704, Special Inspections, as it appears in the current edition of the California Building Code.
1704.0 General. Where application is made to the building official for construction as specified in Sections 105 or 1.8.4, as applicable, the owner or the owner’s authorized agent, other than the contractor, shall employ one or more approved agencies to provide special inspections and tests during construction on the types of work specified in Section 1705 and identify the approved agencies to the building official. These special inspections and tests are in addition to the inspections by the building official that are identified in Section 110.
Exceptions:
- Special inspections and tests are not required for construction of a minor nature or as warranted by conditions in the jurisdiction as approved by the building official.
- Unless otherwise required by the building official, special inspections and tests are not required for Group U occupancies that are accessory to a residential occupancy including, but not limited to, those listed in Section 312.1.
- Special inspections and tests are not required for portions of structures designed and constructed in accordance with the cold-formed steel light-frame construction provisions of Section 2211.7 or the conventional light-frame construction provisions of Section 2308.
- The contractor is permitted to employ the approved agencies where the contractor is also the owner.
- [HCD 1] The provisions of Health and Safety Code Division 13, Part 6 and the California Code of Regulations, Title 25, Division 1, Chapter 3, commencing with Section 3000, shall apply to the construction and inspection of factory-built housing as defined in Health and Safety Code Section 19971.
1704.2.1 Special Inspector Qualifications. Prior to the start of the construction, the approved agencies shall provide written documentation to the building official demonstrating the competence and relevant experience or training of the special inspectors who will perform the special inspections and tests during construction. Experience or training shall be considered relevant where the documented experience or training is related in complexity to the same type of special inspection or testing activities for projects of similar complexity and material qualities. These qualifications are in addition to qualifications specified in other sections of this code.
The registered design professional in responsible charge and engineers of record involved in the design of the project are permitted to act as the approved agency and their personnel are permitted to act as special inspectors for the work designed by them, provided they qualify as special inspectors.
1704.2.4 Report Requirement. Approved agencies shall keep records of special inspections and tests. The approved agency shall submit reports of special inspections and tests to the building official and to the registered design professional in responsible charge. Reports shall indicate that work inspected or tested was or was not completed in conformance to approved construction documents. Discrepancies shall be brought to the immediate attention of the contractor for correction. If they are not corrected, the discrepancies shall be brought to the attention of the building official and to the registered design professional in responsible charge prior to the completion of that phase of the work. A final report documenting required special inspections and tests, and correction of any discrepancies noted in the inspections or tests, shall be submitted at a point in time agreed upon prior to the start of work by the owner or the owner’s authorized agent to the building official.
1704.3 Statement of Special Inspection. Where special inspection or testing is required by Section 1705, the registered design professional in responsible charge shall prepare a statement of special inspections in accordance with Section 1704.3.1 for submittal by the applicant in accordance with Section 1704.2.3.
1704.3.1 Content of Statement of Special Inspection. The statement of special inspections shall identify the following:
- the materials, systems, components and work required to have special inspections or tests by the building official or by the registered design professional responsible for each portion of the work.
- The type and extent of each special inspection.
- The type and extent of each test.
- Additional requirements for special inspections or tests for seismic or wind resistance as specified in Sections 1705.11, 1705.12 and 1705.13.
- For each type of special inspection, identification as to whether it will be continuous special inspection, periodic special inspection or performed in accordance with the notation used in the referenced standard where the inspections are defined.
1704.4 Contractor Responsibility. Each contractor responsible for the construction of a main wind- or seismic force-resisting system, designated seismic system or a wind- or seismic force-resisting component listed in the statement of special inspections shall submit a written statement of responsibility to the building official and the owner or the owner’s authorized agent prior to the commencement of work on the system or component. The contractor’s statement of responsibility shall contain acknowledgement of awareness of the special requirements contained in the statement of special inspections.
202 Continuous and Periodic Special Inspection.
Continuous special inspection. Special inspection by the special inspector who is present when and where the work to be inspected is being done.
Periodic special inspection. Special inspection by the special inspector who is intermittently present where the work to be inspected is being done.