Had a similar experience recently—inspector walked in just as we were wrestling with some stubborn old plumbing. Water dripping, tools everywhere, and me trying to calmly explain why the sink was temporarily in the hallway. But you're spot-on about clear marking hazards; I usually tape off areas too, and inspectors definitely appreciate it. Also, love your mason jar coffee story...might borrow that next time my mugs vanish mid-reno.
"me trying to calmly explain why the sink was temporarily in the hallway."
Haha, been there. Curious though—did your inspector mention anything specifically about temporary setups? From my experience, as long as plumbing lines are capped properly and electrical hazards clearly marked or taped off, inspectors tend to be pretty understanding of mid-reno chaos. Mason jars for coffee sound resourceful...ever resorted to a paint tray as a snack holder? Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Inspectors are usually pretty reasonable about temporary setups, at least in my experience. When we renovated our 1920s place, the inspector walked in on me literally holding a section of plumbing pipe in my hand...awkward moment, but he just laughed and reminded me to cap it off properly before he left. As long as you clearly show you're aware of safety concerns—capping pipes, taping off exposed wires—you'll probably be fine.
Mason jars sound way classier than my go-to move: eating chips straight out of a drywall bucket lid. Paint trays for snacks though? That's pushing it. I draw the line at drywall dust seasoning my Doritos.
Had a similar experience when we redid our old Victorian. Inspector showed up while I was literally duct-taping plastic over the open electrical boxes. He just chuckled, said he'd seen worse, and reminded me to get proper covers soon. They're usually pretty understanding if it's clear you're making an effort. And hey, drywall dust adds character to snacks...or at least that's what I told myself.
I've found inspectors vary quite a bit in how lenient they are. Yours sounds pretty chill, but I've had a couple who were sticklers for detail—especially with electrical stuff. One time, I had temporary covers taped up neatly, thinking it'd be fine, but the inspector insisted on proper covers immediately. Ended up making a quick run to the hardware store mid-inspection (not fun).
Honestly, I'd recommend just grabbing some cheap plastic covers ahead of time. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and save you from potential headaches. Inspectors appreciate seeing things done by the book, even if it's temporary. Plus, drywall dust might add character to snacks, but electrical shorts definitely don't add character to your renovation budget...
