How Chesterfield Building Inspectors Streamlined Their Inspection Process

There’s nothing as frustrating as a simple job made complicated. For building inspectors, this can happen when a basic building inspection includes conflicting interpretations, long searches through code books and drawn-out inspections.

A single site visit can put you behind on your appointments for the rest of the day.

For Chesterfield County’s Building Inspection Office, those frustrations were part of the job — until they discovered the International Code Council’s Digital Codes Premium platform.

The Challenge: Time-Consuming Inspections and Contractor Conflicts

There was a time when Walt Walker, Residential Building Inspector for Chesterfield County, was carrying a minimum of four code books with him to every inspection. Walker’s main focus is plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas in residential and commercial sectors, so a typical site visit requires having codes on hand for each of those areas.

“When we have a boiler or water heater, we might have to go through the plumbing, then venture over to the gas, then go over to mechanical,” Walt said. “It was just a big hassle trying to keep up with that many codes for a couple of very specific things. It was difficult, just trying to scan through the pages, trying to look for the various codes or trying to cross-reference codes.”

Chesterfield’s inspectors couldn’t always find the right code in the right book, And while they became well-versed in the code section, finding technical information was often slow and painful.

There was also the physical challenge of keeping several code books within arm’s reach. All that wear and tear took a toll on the books, and Chesterfield County was left with a library of codes that had loose pages, torn pages and ripped tabs. Replacements were expensive, and there never seemed to be enough copies in good repair.

“Imagine having the 2015 International Residential Code, 2015 International Plumbing Code, 2015 International Mechanical Code, 2015 International Fuel Gas Code, and then a code update for 2018,” Walt said. “After a while, depending on the permits and what year the code was being used, those codes can take up a lot of room!”

Disputes with contractors didn’t make things any easier, and they were occurring daily.

“Within any code, there are many different ways to interpret what it may say,” Walt said. “Inspectors felt like contractors would interpret the codes in a way that makes their job easier. Without an objective commentary to interpret the codes, it often came down to who could wear down the other person first.”

The Solution: ICC Digital Codes Premium

Walt discovered the Code Council’s Digital Codes in 2020 while he was teaching adult continuing education. He started with the free version in his class, then quickly upgraded to Digital Codes Premium to take advantage of all the features and benefits.

Eventually, the deputy director at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development helped Chesterfield County get signed up for Digital Codes Premium Complete.

Results

Chesterfield’s inspectors quickly adopted Digital Codes Premium because they saw immediate benefits, including new efficiencies, greater convenience and better contractor relationships.

Time Savings

One of the greatest benefits Chesterfield inspectors noticed was the time savings. Because their people always have the information they need right at their fingertips, they have eliminated hours of searching through code books for the information they need.

“It’s easy for us to be able to get our hands on a code relatively quickly, as opposed to going back to the office to look something up, or having multiple code books on hand,” Walt said. “We’re able to do a quick search and have the answers that we need right there. It saves us multiple hours per day.”

Greater Convenience

Depending on when a house was built, Chesterfield inspectors may need codes that were in use decades ago. With Digital Codes Premium, all the versions of all the codes are at their fingertips on a laptop or mobile device. There’s no longer a need to carry an entire library of books in the backseats of their vehicles.

“It’s just so beneficial to us being out on the job in the field and being able to reference the code that we need to reference,” Walt said.

Improved Relationships

Digital Codes Premium has improved inspectors’ relationships with contractors as well. Code commentaries provide objective clarifications that either side can’t dispute. It creates common ground, and conflict is avoided.

The commentaries provide an in-depth interpretation of what the code was intended to be written for. So, for example, it becomes easy to explain why a contractor can’t wet vent in a particular way.

A Classroom Resource

As a bonus, Digital Codes Premium has proven to be an effective classroom resource. Walt teaches an adult education night class and uses Digital Codes Premium with his students. When a student asks a question about a certain code topic, he can quickly pull it up and show the students what the code says, as well as the interpretation.

Isometric drawings are included in the commentary, allowing students to take what they’ve learned in the field and see what the commentary says about what to do.

“It’s a win-win not just for me as an inspector, but also as an instructor,” Walt said.

About ICC Digital Codes Premium

The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.

Digital Codes Premium is an entire toolset that provides deeper insights into the I-Codes, greater efficiency, and stronger collaboration.

Start a 14-day free trial with Digital Codes Premium