Thread: Speechless

From the Building Officials Association of Texas newsletter today:

"The question is:
Do you think it is time for
all city inspectors in the
State of Texas—building,
electrical, mechanical, and
fire—to be “required” to hold a
certification from an approved
code organization in the field
they perform inspections?
I agree that it is not a simple
answer, but I feel it is time
the question was asked and
discussed. Raise the Profile? I
think so.
- John R. Brown, CBO,
West University Place"

They really have to ask that questions?

Would prevent hiring cousin Waldo off of the chicken farm.

Town in VA made a town building inspector out of a miniature golf course worker. Back scratching at its best.

Originally Posted by Garry Sorrells

Would prevent hiring cousin Waldo off of the chicken farm.

Town in VA made a town building inspector out of a miniature golf course worker. Back scratching at its best.

Well who do you think built the windmill on hole #10?

Its not what you know, it's who you know.

Originally Posted by Garry Sorrells

Its not what you know, it's who you know.

.
Watch It!
*JP will be back from break soon.
.

Legaleze has a way of complicating anything, but I believe what you seek is already in play. All states, cities or entities granted the authority to inpect their own turf are the authorities you mention. The Fed subrogates code enforcement to the state, the state to the city, etc. If you have a problem with the AHJs credentialing, I assume you would have to hire a lawyer and pursue it.

Originally Posted by Garry Blankenship

I assume you would have to hire a lawyer and pursue it.

Probably wouldn't happen. Sovereign immunity - the king can do no wrong.

Aaron,

Excellent timing for your post!

Here is another view for another state - Florida.

See pdf file - just received it today.

JP: 18 out of 100 for Texas is a gift. Rick Perry must have p(r)ayed for that one.

Originally Posted by Aaron Miller

JP: 18 out of 100 for Texas is a gift. Rick Perry must have p(r)ayed for that one.

I guess Mississippi was not willing to pay ... er ... p(r)ay ... much?

I only scanned the attachment, but I did note at least one error. Texas has a statewide code, IRC 2000. Entities within the state are able to use later versions.

Originally Posted by Darrel Hood

I only scanned the attachment, but I did note at least one error. Texas has a statewide code, IRC 2000. Entities within the state are able to use later versions.

With one caveat: the state-adopted code is not required to be adopted by local authorities. This is especially true with unincorporated areas. Only a very few county seat AHJs opted in to the house bill which requires unincorporated new construction to comply with the versions adopted by the seat of the county in which they are located. Local option rules in Texas. In some of the one-horse-town county seats they simply do not have the manpower to enforce any code at all.

Aaron,
I agree with your assessment of the effectiveness of code enforcement in the state. I disagreed only with the precise accuracy of the statement in the article.

Originally Posted by Aaron Miller

With one caveat: the state-adopted code is not required to be adopted by local authorities. This is especially true with unincorporated areas. Only a very few county seat AHJs opted in to the house bill which requires unincorporated new construction to comply with the versions adopted by the seat of the county in which they are located. Local option rules in Texas. In some of the one-horse-town county seats they simply do not have the manpower to enforce any code at all.

Tarrant and Dallas County opted in and builders are required to submit documentation showing compliance. However none of the builders I've spoke with don't know who to turn them in to,m supposedly the county commissioners office. Also no one knows who is enforcing these regulations.

@Darrell: I was not calling you out on anything, just stating a fact.

@Wayne: True. There is also not a list, that I can find, of counties which opted in to the program. As much as I wanted for the TRCC to go away, in some ways it was a good thing. Just not in very many ways . . .

Refer to the last statement.

What scares me is the Bill specifies that "one of the following may inspect" or something to that nature......
A State Licenesed Plumbing Inspector.

So if you are the holder of that state license, you can inspect framing, ac, foundations...blah blah and not know a thing about the other trades! And that is acceptable!

I really think there are some problems with the way the State goes about these things!!!!!

Aaron, I didn't think I was being called out. Welcome back.

Wayne, I believe the more immediate issue for me is the state's choice to have realtors (TREC) in charge of regulating inspectors. I agree the state legislature repeatedly displays incompetence in governing residential construction. It appears to me that leaving it up to the counties is as good a way as the legislators have come up with.

@ Wayne: This approach, like most of the State's attempts to "regulate" building, is laughable. It reminds me of the fairly recent regulation which allows plumbers to perform electrical work.

@Darrel: It is the perfect cop out for legislators. They leave it up to the counties which do not have the wherewithal to properly address the issue, and then give builders carte blanche. Indirectly the blame lies with the likes of Bob Perry and David Weekley. The ultimate responsibility lies directly with the citizens who vote the buffoons we have in Austin into office.

Aaron I agree with your assessment. However, until the legislators have the competence in the industry to do it well, I believe absence of legislation and regulation is the best course. It is the least of the available evils.

It is amazing that the State regulates home inspectors but not code inspectors. The only license required in Texas is a plumbing inspectors license and energy code inspectors certification "if" you inspect for State energy requirements.