Ask Me Anything: Your Questions About ICC Certifications and More, Answered

Chris McWhite, Director of Municipal Inspections/Zoning Official, Town of Hopkinton, MA, joined us on our “Ask Me Anything” series on the online member community to answer member-submitted questions.   

Members submitted questions about:

• Navigating the challenges of inspecting multifamily homes and restaurants
• The importance of nurturing relationships as a key to success as an inspector

From insights on best practices when studying for an exam, to how ICC exams are developed, here’s a recap of his answers.

Editor’s Note: Some of the questions and answers have been edited for length. View the original “Ask Me Anything” post in “Talkin’ Shop” in the online member community, here.  

Q&A With Chris McWhite

What certification path should I follow in my quest to become a building official?

McWhite: Your first resource will be the state legislation requirements. Chapter 1 of the building code in your state will most likely be one place to begin finding out what certifications are required for the position. My certifications began in code enforcement as a Housing code official. It was only five or six years after I started inspections that I got my first residential building inspection certification. I encourage you to begin there because it is a logical code book that starts with foundations and works its way up to exterior requirements from Chapter 2 all the way through to Chapter 10.

I have noticed a drastic decrease in office traffic in the last few years since so many permits and applications are being handled through digital means. How are you planning to keep public relations between the public and governmental offices good?

McWhite: There are at least two areas where relations can be maintained in a positive direction. First with the permit technicians at the counter, who are the friendly face that can transmit that smile through the telephone, asking questions of the applicant were necessary. Or even communicating to them that the permit is ready with a phone call chasing the email. A second area is with the inspector. They need to be as much focused on life safety as they are on interpersonal relationships. There was a training. I went to a training not long ago that talked about how your IQ will get you the job but the EQ will help you keep your job. It’s important that we focus on emotional intelligence and be the government that we want to see. None of that compromises, our professional integrity, and in fact, enhances our ability to maintain a positive face, even as we have few opportunities to do it.

When you say “build relationships “ are you referring to within the inspector community?

McWhite: Building a relationship within the inspector community is only the beginning. It’s important, but it should never end there. It needs to include everyone who is a neighbor in the global sense. The community that you serve, the appointing authorities that hired you, the fire official who is your partner in Chapter 9, and the permit technician who helps make your life easier every day with every phone call and application.

Is a preliminary inspection a good idea?

McWhite: Not only is a preliminary inspection a good idea. I encourage it whenever possible. It shows a vested interest in the town to be a partner in the construction phase. It shows interest and curiosity rather than just throwing code at a design. I’m very happy it’s in Chapter 1 of the building codes because it allows the building official an opportunity to see the structure before construction begins, and help. Identify areas where the design may have assumed something that just isn’t the case or I miss something that is absolutely unavoidable problem.

What can permit techs do to support inspectors?

McWhite: Number one, work with your local union or appointing authority to have permit technician as an official title and then get money set in the budget for certification. With a certification that increases your awareness of what the building official and inspectors are looking for on plans and that inspection. The second thing is to understand the personality of the inspectors. When you know what their bailiwick is, that can help you to focus on making sure that information is provided to them at the time of application.

Does the building official have to have destructive testing of existing assemblies to determine fire rating?

McWhite: The good news is very rarely does it have to happen. In the back of the International Existing Building Code, there is an archaic construction chapter within the appendices. There are a plethora of fire rated assemblies that are vertical and horizontal and go into historical data to determine approximately what their fire rating is. I found that particular resource to be a lifesaver, literally in mill buildings being converted into medical facilities and educational institutions.

How do you see AI, digital inspection tools, and remote inspections changing the work of municipal inspectors over the next five years?

McWhite: I see those tools as being positive influence on enhancing our ability to not only recognize design problems before they are approved at the review table, but also allowing efficient inspections, even when an inspector is not able to be on site. Especially when there are tight deadlines for material to be delivered on site and the inspector can’t be there physically. This will also help builders because they would not have to rely so heavily on registered design, professional affidavit. That helps the bottom line and everybody comes out ahead.

In your experience, what are the most common structural deficiencies you find in multifamily buildings that designers and contractors could have prevented during the design phase?

McWhite: In my experience, the most common structural deficiencies that I’ve seen are when the MEP contractors and design professionals are not in the room when the architectural structural team is laying out the floor plan. These discipline contractors know their work very well and how to run their systems. But if they have to adjust on the fly, that can make compliance with code very difficult. One pro tip for you is to encourage your plans examiner to look for the issuance date on the drawings and see if they align. If the dates are significantly different, that could be one indication that the discipline designers were not in the room at the same time as the structural and architect team.

Do you have any strategies for encouraging contractors to call for timely inspections?

McWhite: Our primary job is to educate. I encourage you to be a positive and encouraging face at the counter whenever possible. Let the contractor know what your expectations are upfront in a friendly manner as possible. Especially do this at the time of application and repeated when the permit is issued. When a contractor, who may well be a first-time contractor in your community feels welcome, they will welcome your presence at inspection to show off with pride what they’ve done rather with fear and trepidation.

Are there any questions that you get frequently that might surprise us? What is the most unusual question or zoning project that you can remember working on?

McWhite: It may not be a total surprise, but I often get the question. How do they comply with energy code. I try my very best to simplify their approach to it by saying the bigger the building the fewer options they have for energy sources to heat and cool their home. I think one of the most unusual questions I’ve ever been asked was: Can a homeowner proposed to build their accessories dwelling unit first and then their primary home second? The answer may not be the same or even possible in every community, but in our community, we found a way to make it happen.

What are a few good strategies that you’ve utilized, or are considering, to recruit younger talent into the profession?

McWhite: In an old story, a teacher tells a fisherman to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. When they did, they pulled in more fish than their net could handle. I believe we can do the exact same thing in our career path. Instead of continuing to draw from the same places, we always go to for qualified candidates. I recommend going to high schools and local trade schools and letting them know on career day that this is a viable career. Volunteer at your local Scout Troop to teach the architecture badge. Maybe let them know about your career. Maybe even look at your state legislation and see what the required certifications are for inspector and find other types of work in your department that does not require a certification where they can be hired, mentored, and taught how to do the work from inside. Perhaps as a permit technician, a plans, examiner, or something else that doesn’t have statutory certification requirements. ICC offers education that will supplement what you’re teaching in-house and is a valuable resource.

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