Man, I feel this so much. I’m knee-deep in my first reno and every inspector seems to have their own “interpretation” of the rules. One guy wanted extra blocking in a wall that wasn’t even load-bearing—said it was for “future proofing.” I just did it, but honestly, it’s like a new surprise every time. Taking pics is genius though... wish I’d started sooner. At this point, I’m just hoping I don’t have to open up any more drywall.
One guy wanted extra blocking in a wall that wasn’t even load-bearing—said it was for “future proofing.”
Had a similar thing happen with fire blocking—one inspector insisted, another didn’t care. Curious, did you get any kind of written checklist from your city, or is it all just verbal when they show up? I’ve found half the battle is figuring out what’s actually required versus what’s “nice to have.”
I get what you mean about the “nice to have” versus what’s actually required. Honestly, I’ve found the written checklists from the city aren’t always as clear as you’d hope. Sometimes they’re just generic printouts that don’t cover the specifics of your project, and then you’re left at the mercy of whoever shows up for inspection.
About the extra blocking—while it can feel like overkill, I’ve actually come to appreciate it in some cases. I had a wall where the inspector suggested extra blocking “just in case” for future shelving or grab bars. At first, I thought it was unnecessary, but a year later I ended up installing a heavy cabinet and was glad it was there. Still, I agree it shouldn’t be a requirement unless it’s code.
I’ve found half the battle is figuring out what’s actually required versus what’s “nice to have.”
That’s been my experience too. I wish there was more consistency, but sometimes it feels like you’re just rolling the dice depending on who’s on duty that day. I tend to push back a bit if something seems optional and not in the code, but it’s a balancing act—don’t want to annoy the inspector either.
I’ve found half the battle is figuring out what’s actually required versus what’s “nice to have.”
Man, isn’t that the truth? Half the time I feel like I’m prepping for a pop quiz I didn’t study for. I’ve had inspectors ask for stuff that wasn’t even on the city’s own checklist. Sometimes you win, sometimes you just end up adding blocking and crossing your fingers for next time.
Half the time I feel like I’m prepping for a pop quiz I didn’t study for.
That’s such a perfect way to put it. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve walked into a review meeting feeling prepared, only to have someone ask for a detail that wasn’t even hinted at in the guidelines. It’s honestly wild how much of this process is just reading between the lines and hoping you’re interpreting things the same way as the inspector.
I do think there’s value in pushing back—politely—when something seems arbitrary or inconsistent. Not that it always works, but sometimes just asking for clarification or pointing out what’s actually in the code can make a difference. Of course, other times you’re just adding blocking or swapping out hardware because it’s easier than arguing.
It’s frustrating, but I try to remind myself that everyone’s just trying to cover their bases. Still, it’d be nice if “required” actually meant required, instead of “required if you get the wrong inspector on a Tuesday.”
