The City Won't Let Us Build...

Man we thought building a house would be a lot easier than this...
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Studpack.com to support the boys!

[@acrim62]

Years ago, I worked for a construction company that specialized in building high-end swimming pools. One project we were sub-contractors on was for a pool on a lakeside development with the pool approximately 30 yards away from the water edge and, if I remember correctly, 3.5” above the waterline. The inspector refused to sign off because the pool would be in a 100 year flood plain. I scheduled a meeting with the head of the department and the original inspector to discuss an appeal. The inspector went into his spiel about 100 year this and that. I patiently waited for him to finished and after the department head asked why I thought he should approve the permit I answered “It’s a swimming pool. It’s already got water in it”. The department head looked at the inspection and said “why are you wasting my time with this? Sign the damn permit!” The inspector was obviously miffed by his boss calling him out in front of me and in his pettiness took an extra week to get the permit to me saying that it had been misplaced. What a douche!

[@Ogilla]

The real problem is that they let people build in flooding zones.

[@brad9529]

​@Big Joe Latex I think everywhere is a flood zone besides up a hill. At least for the 100-year flood reasoning.

[@anthonyflores9336]

That’s awesome! Haha

[@dankelley9361]

I can only commiserate with your & your Dads frustration! These low level bureaucrats can destroy your dreams with a pen. How do you hold them accountable? I’d hire a lawyer to sue them for loss of time & money & frustration because some moron wouldn’t accommodate working people trying to do a job that was hampered by the weather. This happens all too often & they just shrug their shoulders at your expense.

[@ManabiLT]

@@brad9529 Even up a hill may not be enough depending on elevation. That said, my house, and most of my subdivision are far enough above the nearby lake level that it'd take a flood of biblical proportions to flood my house. (Especially since the lot slops from the front right corner down to the back left. It'd have to completely fill all that up before it could work on the house.) If my house floods, it's because civilization's ending.

[@torchup]

As a licensed builder in three States for almost 30yrs, welcome to my world of dealing with local building inspectors and building depts allocating their punishment, instigating delays, and furthering setbacks. They have meetings in conference rooms and whine about being disrespected or dismissed and can halt you in your timeline in an instant if you displease them just once. They are assassins to most any build progress.

[@sonnymarion3829]

Iivibih😊 no up in 😊😊ii😊iuiu😊

[@dmscheidtify]

I'm sorry, but Stud Pack are the party in the wrong here. They made a business decision that it would be cheaper (faster, easier, whatever costs they're optimizing for) to pour concrete they knew they didn't have approval for, on a site they knew the inspector knew had been heavily flooded. They were wrong. Like most mistakes on construction sites, there's a cost to them. As for the inspector, he's thinking Stud Pack are one (or more) of the following: 1) crappy contractor hiding something they know is wrong 2) Morons who don't know how the process works. If they don't understand this, they probably can't read a code book. 3) Jerks (I expect stronger language in his head) who think they don't have to follow the rules. If they don't follow this rule, why would he think they'll follow others. 4) business people who made a bet that it would be cheaper, easier, or faster to not follow the rules. They're business people, who knew the risks. All of those point to 'get an outside engineering firm to sign off on it'.

[@blackridgeproductions2738]

@@dmscheidtify I’d have to disagree as they’re actually already providing all the proof the city needs which is 3rd part geological assessments, engineer sign off as well as pictures and videos documenting everything. Like the engineer said who works in that area, he has never seen this. Do you think maybe the inspector could possibly be hard to work with and potentially had his pride hurt? This wouldn’t warrant them spending more money if things are still followed and they have proof of following all of the rules.

[@bfayer]

@@blackridgeproductions2738 but then it flooded and he didn't get a chance to look at the condition after all the rework was done so he's probably thinking they hid something. I think the fact that he couldn't accommodate their timeframe is bogus but who knows what his schedule was like. We know they had all their ducks in a row prior to the rain, seems like a few photos could have satisfied him if he really couldn't show up by Monday. Inspectors can be really inflexible and will have no problem making you spend any amount of money to be compliant regardless of the practicality. Hopefully they don't dig themselves in a hole fighting with this guy cause that'll just make their lives hell.

[@CB-wv3zy]

@@blackridgeproductions2738 Third Party documentation is not proof and is considered as Professional Opinion which is at the discretion of approving authority ( in this case the permit department) to accept or decline. Your comment " Like the engineer said who works in that area, he has never seen this." however it is not the outside engineer that will approve the work and sign off on the permit, its the inspector and the city permit dept. The inspector is requiring to visually inspect and verify work completed per code, the outside engineer is providing opinion that they "regard" as the work as being completed correctly. Guess who has the legal ground?

[@Sarkassociates]

I’m a structural engineer in Michigan. I get requests by frustrated homeowners all the time to do 3rd party inspections and reports after-the-fact. In all cases these have satisfied the dysfunctional city officials. In your case you need to quickly put them on notice that their behavior is not going to be tolerated. You have all the evidence you need to prove a sound foundation exists; soli report, engineer sign-off, video & photos, etc… you are only at the beginning of your project, and they will be a thorn all the way unless you knock them off their high horse now. Pay the few legal fees now to make things run more smoothly later.

[@bicycleutopia]

exactly. they only respond to the courts...

[@operationhotshotinc.6887]

That’s correct .. you are correct. Keep on going higher .. that’s the bottom line …

[@andrewlewis3665]

The phrase “capricious and onerous” comes to mind.

[@enterprisecreations1492]

Unfortunately Its not going to matter unless you are willing to take it to the courts. That's money and time. IMHO, they should not have poured the concrete.

[@E.Carrillo]

@@enterprisecreations1492 that’s true, if they go to court they are choosing to pay now instead of pay removing the rebar, etc. it’s too bad the inspector could not have been more flexible considering the weather.

[@pitsnipe5559]

As a former inspector (not building) I found that some inspectors feel it’s their job to find violations. I approached it as helping people identify problems and find ways to solve them. When my job involved training inspectors I emphasized that they were there to help people not hinder them. Unfortunately, not very many inspectors, in my experience, approach their work in that manner.

[@Onepctc]

So what do you do when you find an inspector that’s doing the impossible for a project ?

[@coolHandLuke5150]

There are two types of inspectors. Those that inspedt to fail and those who inspect to pass.

[@stevesolt4036]

So true. The city administration needs to ensure that this is what they want from their inspectors. Help people that’s their job. If it rained adjust and re-inspect.

[@CarlKettler]

Huge fallout from a deadly porch collapse in Chicago in 2003. Every city/village had inspectors on every multi-family property inspecting old exterior porches. Inspector came to my property and looked positively lost when he saw no exterior porch. Even asked me "where is your exterior porch?" To this day, I'm convinced his boss told him to write up the status of the porch on every building in the city. Inspector figured he was going to catch h*** for not documenting what didn't exist on my building.

[@apple5pdx]

I am now retired but I had 38 years as a contractor, followed by 10 years as a city building inspector. I've seen both sides. My one piece of advice is-don't do email-go in and talk to the inspector. Look him in the eye. It is a whole different exchange. Also, yes, you have multiple great excuses but the bottom line is, you don't pour without inspector's sign off. I'm with you on your reasons and decisions but you need to let the inspector know that you understand the rules and will follow them; do just a little groveling-it works much better. And what does it cost you? Nothing.

[@WallyGon]

I am a Geotech engineer working in NYC. When doing borings in small building basements we use electric portable drill rigs, which are small enough to carry by hand. They are slower than the big rigs but yield the same results. Given that you have an open slab, It'll be easy to get one there. Also, another alternative to the boring, we use a CPT which can come in a small configuration that will anchor itself which is light enough to drive on the slab.

[@N-Scale]

In New Mexico , I once had a septic system inspector drive 60 Miles to inspect my leach field. He left a red tag that said it was too small. I drove out to find out it measured 2 feet bigger than needed. We called them and the inspector was asked about it and said he did NOT have a tape but could tell it was too small. What a MARVEL SUPER HERO !!!

[@MR-si1eq]

😂😅😂😅😅

[@woodroemitchell2848]

thats crazy asf

[@N-Scale]

@@woodroemitchell2848 Nothing like an inspector with super-powers

[@rrittenhouse]

Damn I can't even get anyone to come look at my septic LOL. I'm about to just fix it myself and deal with the repercussions if they arise. 4 months is a long time to go without a septic (so far). Thankfully it's partially working again but who knows how long that will last 🤞

[@sen3990]

how do you even inspect and do your job accurately without a tape or some kind of record / proof , how do we even know he drove out there :P

[@JSH1]

Hey guys, to start I’m a huge fan of the channel and love watching. Second, I’m in construction management on the commercial side for a large firm working in larger metro areas. Best advice is to not irritate your inspectors. You have to stroke their ego and play by their rules. Unfortunately in this situation you chose to pour the concrete which you should have never done without the inspectors approval. This is the best way to make them irritated and they would love to tell you to tear it out and start again. Best bet it is to talk to the inspector, apologize and see if anything can be worked out, next option is to reach out to the chief building inspector for any assistance…keep apologizing and don’t act entitled goes a long way. Been there before!

[@midgebot86]

Another instance of the team choosing to circumvent the bureaucracy. Having said that, they own the gambling outcome. Huge respect to you guys and I will always tune in to every video to learn. Also a repeat viewer too!

[@thezfunk]

Don't apologize for the video. You wanted to show us the raw experience to building a house and this is it. This is what people have to deal with. I used to deal with fire inspectors all the time and have dealt with a few building inspectors. There are plenty of good ones and there are a few terrible ones. You don't have a relationship with this guy and maybe he has a dead bedroom at home; who knows.... You might have to make things uncomfortable for the guy to get past this.

[@cdipierro]

Agree on all counts. And I will add that you will need to be tactful and nuanced in how you go about making things uncomfortable for that inspector. But if anyone has those skills, you guys do. We are all pulling for you.

[@aliciafaulkner416]

Just follow the fucking rules. If you want to make or improve the rule, go fucking to the city hall.

[@michaelegan9568]

Arguing with the inspector is like wrestling with a pig in the mud soon you realize the pig enjoys it

[@Jutilaje]

Keep in mind, this is the same Houston building inspector's office that approves houses with literal cardboard for sheathing for DR Horton/etc 😳🙄😂

[@ZachAshcraft]

Exactly this.

[@largepimping]

Literal cardboard sheathing? No way... «watches a couple Matt Risinger videos...» OMFG LOL ROTFL what even is that, it's LITERALLY CARDBOARD!!!!!

[@rhondahall6485]

Wow!

[@Tyani-sz6cg]

Pay to play.

[@hateca1]

Totally different inspection process with housing communities and the builders take advantage of it. If buying a house in a new community buy the model home, just saying.

[@davidmessersmith786]

My contractor in Houston used a permit specialist to chase my permits through the city bureaucracy just 4 years ago. It cost me extra, but he walked them through on occasion if the city was being sluggish. The big stuff was settled quickly, but it bogged down on some really simple details and the specialist even took me along on one of the sessions to make my case in person. We finally got a response from the next layer up.

[@mcgeorgerl]

I used to work in manufacturing and when the company decided to outsource most of its design, engineering and project management, those engineering firms we hired often engaged a "permit expediter" to ensure that there no snags in the permit processes that would wreck the complicated schedule for completion. With millions of dollars on the line and promised manufacturing start-up dates, those expediters were able to satisfy all of the powers-that-be and were well worth the extra $$$. We also used a lot of new equipment made outside of the USA so US Customs were also involved with releasing much of what we were importing. There was a 'Customs Expediter' as well, so we'd never have a delay on getting equipment and spare parts released from Custom holding at shipyards and airports.

[@earlyriser8998]

For all of our oil and gas permitting we use an expediter to help the process. They spend his/her day in the offices chasing permits in person. The know everyone by name and take the time to understand the issue and work it out.

[@ericweber8858]

As a Licensed General Contractor in California, I too just completed a custom house for my family. Love watching your videos. When scheduling, I always plan to fail my first inspection (it doesn’t always work out that way) but that way I have a one day buffer in case something comes up. Just a thought moving forward.

[@user-jg1rd7iv9w]

I have been a general contractor for more than 32 years doing large remodel and second story additions. It is hard to admit and hard to accept that the error here was not getting the foundation inspection sign off before pouring concrete and that is on you. All of the soil reports, compaction reports, photos, and engineering sign offs mean nothing without the inspector's signature on the permit. Although it was hard to see at the time, the correct decision would have been to reschedule the pour. A lot negative comments have been directed at the inspector but he is just doing his job. No one likes being called out for making an incorrect decision. As mentioned in the comments there are ways to get the coring done without using large machinery. At least you were give a path forward that so far does not require removing the slab and starting over but there will be a cost involved. I wish you well with your project and I look forward to the seeing the resolution of sign off issue and the start of framing.

[@nathantilly3539]

so here in the UK and I'm guessing in most places around the world, the saying in the construction trade is 'dont piss off the inspectors' because they have the power to make ur life a living hell, ultimately you did the right thing but pissed off the inspector, now hes pissed that he didn't get to scratch his superiority itch and now he's making sure he does.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

OR, he's already overworked because of the crazy weather and then SP put a camera in his face and asked him to do something above and beyond just because they're feeding the KZbin algorithm.

[@gregwright9869]

​@@PatrickKQ4HBD what's that got to do with anything, just do his job. Sounds like he's making more work for himself. Most of these inspectors took a class and now they're experts without ever actually working in the field to be able to free think in the real world. Not to mention a lot of them are afraid to take responsibility for anything so they fail anything they don't get. Plus there's the power trip because this got poured without him.

[@justadbeer]

@@gregwright9869 - Agreed. I was an Elevator Constructor for 38 years. We had a few good inspectors, but truth be told, most of the elevator inspectors were guys that washed out in the trade, or apprentices that couldn't hack being told what to do and how to do it, and took a job with the city or state as an elevator inspector. Many know just enough to be dangerous, and often damage customers elevators while trying to do an annual inspection. While I think having inspectors is a good thing, having competent inspectors that don't enjoy tripping on the bit of power they wield would be even better.

[@xsandmanx187]

Built a gas station as an owner builder. I def feel your pain. Best thing I did was act dumb and apologized I wasnt as smart as them and just a Rookie and man did it help me get through things. Some inspectors were great but you could def tell which ones were on an ego trip. I even let them “school me” just to make them feel more superior.

[@xsandmanx187]

Btw, love your guys channel and I’ve learnt so much from you guys. Keep up the good work and best of luck moving forward with this project. Hopefully the city will cut you some slack soon. Happy belated Birthday Paul.

[@marcburton1110]

Just want to say that I appreciate you guys sharing this and other "mistakes" in the past. The power of video editing and not holding yourselves accountable to timing can really lead a lot of DIY projects into the abyss. Where other channels might gloss over these facts, or outright exclude them. It's a service you are doing to inform all of us about the true "trials and tribulations" that taking one of these journeys can bring on. Keep up the good work and we should all remember that we learn more from our mistakes than our successes. This certainly is not a mistake, but a learning opportunity. If everybody got it right 100% of the time they are; either not trying hard enough, or not willing to show those failures.

[@StudPack]

Definitely a learning process. This entire build will be! We're far from perfect, but we're trying really hard, and making mistakes is the only way to learn. Thanks Marc.

[@sterlingmullett6942]

@@StudPack Well it's not the only way, but it is effective. 8^) Wishing you the best on getting this resolved quickly. The house and two story garage plan look amazing. Great design, and it'll feel so good enjoying the spaces. Don't forget landscaping though. You have a huge backyard. Plenty of room for trees, garden beds, water feature?, and a Zen garden. I think you'll need it. 8^)

[@jackbbya123]

@@StudPack thank you guys so much you are amazing go over all the details with us like our little family hope you get 10 million subs not 1 anymore :) ❤❤❤❤❤

[@fbanda20]

All you need is about a three inch core hole on the slab . An engineering firm can do a drive sleeve test instead of a nuclear gauge test, same results. Then they can hand auger and get soil samples. Look for a CMT company construction materials testing. There should be a company called Intertek PSI near you they’ll handle it. Also the concrete core sample can be taken and utilized as a compressive test sample. Good luck!

[@bluearcherx]

ok but like... they shouldn't have to

[@phonedave]

I was going to say the same thing. I have core drilled and taken soil samples inside the lobby of an office building. All manual labor. But agreed, they should not have to be doing this.

[@davidliberman9322]

@@bluearcherxThey did not get the needed inspection, so technically they do.

[@ziggybender9125]

@@davidliberman9322 Exactly. If it was advertised on youtube that if the inspector gets rained out you can just pour anyways without inspection than a bunch of people would cowboy up and try it themselves. Defeats the point of inspections.

[@nickk4010]

@@bluearcherx Jordan is really cocky and feeling himself lately. I miss Paul talking more

[@kevinjo2041]

Go above them to the State, they are state building codes not local. Submit a complaint with all docs to the State of Texas Building Division. Worked in my state when I run into "cordial" inspectors. I always go over them when they try that bull.

[@catherinecolbert7148]

Now that sounds like a plan! ❤

[@poopandfartjokes]

You can’t complain when you didn’t get your final inspection. They don’t have a leg to stand on. They should chalk this up as a learning experience. Always get inspections. I really can’t believe they poured the concrete without being signed off on the permit. It’s kind of insane. The inspector even saw the footings when they were filled to the top with water too. No way it’s getting a pass without him seeing it fixed properly.

[@JohnHandle-]

@@poopandfartjokes If we're talking about legs to stand on, people really shouldn't be taking advice from someone named "Dick Jokes" in a youtube comment reply. 👀

[@inconsteveable91]

@@JohnHandle- He's right though... don't be petty @BigDongPhuYu

[@poopandfartjokes]

@@JohnHandle- nobody has to take my advice. Go ahead, skip inspections and see how well it works out. Just make sure you post the results. I do enjoy a good chuckle. That being said, I like Studpack and I hope it works out with the best possible outcome. Maybe I’m wrong and the next video will be some framing.

[@bocan3189]

Unbelievable... The city should be welcoming new residents in to the area. I'd give the Governors office for home development a call and see if that helps. Bruising a city inspectors ego should not be costing you so much money. I see integrity and professionalism coming through in your video! Keep up the great work guys.

[@RussWilsonII]

I'm frustrated just listening to you guys, so I can't imagine how frustrated you must be with this project. You've got the documentation you need, so let's just hope the city inspector comes to his senses and realizes this is an obvious approval. Would LOVE for you to do us a favor and just create a quick 60 second video once you hear all is approved! We're pulling for you fellas!

[@digi3218]

They could make a short lol

[@RussWilsonII]

@@digi3218 Yes, they could, though Jordan hasn't been using shorts -- he's produced 255 longform videos and 1 short. However they do it, it'll be great to hear the update near realtime!

[@jackbbya123]

I am really angry for them too it just angers me how sad this world is everyone abuses power and corrupt

[@stealingtomorrowband]

The inspector in my area is 1 of the coolest dudes to deal with.. if he can't make it out take loads of pictures and call.. especially when you habe a good reputation... Hope you guys get to start framing soon... I'd be taking the waiting time and go ahead and demolish the house so as soon as your done with your garage you can immediately start getting ready to break ground on building the house

[@frankmortensen7651]

Stay strong Guys! I know it's easy to say that from a spectators perspective, but all these challenges will make the win that much sweeter in the end! And thank you for sharing! It helps everyone get through struggles knowing we are not alone!

[@tracysellman1562]

Guys I have never commented on any of your videos even though I love them all. But this one stirred up an old memory of when I was 13-17 years old and working with my dad he was a general contractor in Boise, Idaho back in the late 1970s and this same BS happened, well in order to move on with the 65 custom home development we where building, and with this 30 million dollar development. My father got some key people involved a Lawyer, the Mayor of Boise and Govoner for the State, my father's carpenters Union, and the state attorney general office, after two weeks of phone calls, the attorney threatened to sue the City planning and Zoning, city codes enforcement and inspector along with the Mayor, let us just say they decided to settle out of court, and approve everything and settled on a fine of $100K. OH, that was not on us that was what the city said they would pay to keep it out of court, that year was the first time my dad ever had a brand new Chevy work truck., he also got a reputation by the city of someone not to mess with. I hope everything works out for you guys before it has to escalate. Good luck guys. :)

[@denisegaylord382]

Excellent words of advice! When in doubt, question authority with bigger guns! 😉

[@mammithian]

This is the way.

[@jackbbya123]

Tracy I could not agree with you more! ❤❤❤

[@jankowski36]

If the inspector is this particular at the start of the project, make sure you pay attention throughout the rest of the project. If you have any questions, call the inspector and get their response in writing. Good luck!

[@larryroyovitz7829]

^^ this ^^

[@andrewlewis3665]

In my county (only 44,000 people) and we have 6 inspectors and they are randomly assigned each day to jobs. Hopefully, they will get other inspectors that are easier to deal with for the rest of their inspections.

[@brady_morgan]

As a building inspector myself, I can assure you there is almost no better way to piss off the local building dept than to skip an inspection. Great videos with lots of info, keep it up guys and good luck sorting out this mess!

[@StudPack]

We would love NOTHING MORE than to just post building videos that are drama free. Shoot at this point I'd pay just for that! But when we embarked on this journey we made a commitment to film and post the entire process, including the stuff that most people shy away from. Anyone who thinks we poured without the inspection just because we wanted to needs an analysis.. but not on a foundation. We think a re-schedule in the 3 days that followed could've have been reached, and communication could have solved this. But we got stiff armed and had to make the call. Like we said at the beginning, everyone's doing their job to the best of their ability, and the city is no different! It sucks for us, but they could be making it a lot worse, so we're grateful they're willing to work with us on this so we can move forward.

[@Brett.Miller]

I hope you used ChatGPT to write your 8 page document!

[@jimknott183]

Men, a lot of folks are cheering for you. Frankly, the building codes office in Houston sounds corrupt and the inspector who came out got but hurt by Mother Nature and is making y’all pay for it. Ridiculous….smh 🤨

[@b.powell3480]

I think that you're going to have to take the city to court and show all videos of the construction process and call the inspectors on the carpet for being corrupt!!!, also bring in every construction firm to back you guys up !!, good luck!

[@Esiddik]

Honestly…….. don’t over stress yourself re-justifying your actions to people that aren’t there doing the work. No one cares what they think, you did the best YOU can do, for YOUR project, considering the work YOU will do. So to the ones giving you grief respectfully they can stfu. Not their house, not their project, not their call, not their money. Sincerely, - everyone else that has got your back ! 😊🫶🏼

[@rogermccaslin5963]

You rolled the dice and lost. It's a lesson you should take heed of. This inspector is likely going to be inspecting more of your project so you better remember this experience and toe the line. The inspector sounds like a bit of a jackass flexing his muscles but that is something you have to deal with sometimes. As for your last couple of sentences, I think you are getting a little defensive about other people's opinions. You don't know what their experience is. They may very well have had to make those decisions with tens of thousands of dollars on the line in the past and went with the "wait for the inspection" route. I know I have (and for a much larger project). In the end, they are just opinions from us internet randos. Not worth getting upset over.

[@handstwister]

A push back is always better than the possibility of demo and a repour along with having inspectors who absolutely refuse to work with you. Id have skipped the Hawaii trip or contacted the city and tried to get an emergency inspection.

[@Esiddik]

If you ever have a problem with inspectors , ask for the chief of which ever department they seen to be more reasonable on giving a solution that will work for everyone. Good luck 👍🏼

[@chrisosti]

Worst move you can make. Trust me.

[@Esiddik]

@@chrisosti nope, I’ve done it. Chief seemed to care about their reputation and worked with me directly to solve the situation. I had the direct number to him.

[@TwilightxKnight13]

Its hit or miss. Going over someone's head can often make matters worse if you have to continue to work with that person. Dealing with an unreasonable inspector is hard enough, dealing with one who is specifically pissed off at you is a nightmare

[@Esiddik]

@@TwilightxKnight13 The point of a chief is to facilitate everyone else, no one is making a scene or acting a fool. It’s a simple open conversation. If you are respectful and have positive intent you can go above everyone’s head that is failing to do their job or disrespecting their duties. The point of management is exactly that, and to double down if the chief is also not conducting his duties I’d go find his senior. Y’all too grown to not be having open conversation. And if they get pissed so be it, everyone suppose to go to work and do good work case closed. Hold everyone accountable. Including yourself. And Keep it moving.

[@jeffchandler5520]

The toughest pill to swallow- you cant bypass an inspection. Building inspections are the minimum, we as contractors are supposed to surpass them. But, they are in place to protect you, the city or municipality and any future owner.

[@mattzera1]

You guys are amazing. Don't get discouraged too much!

[@jamievandalen]

totally get the frustration, and the push to keep going despite lack of sign off by the city. Down side is, going forward without the signoff in most areas will get you a stop-work ticket. No further work until issues resolved. And if you cant please their (often ridiculous) requirements - the only solution is to demo and start over from scratch. Hoping this go your way, but fearing you are in an uphill battle

[@toddkuhrt4380]

Sounds like someone is on a power trip and is just being difficult.

[@xNevlosx]

They are called government employees.

[@ahmadmuraish1144]

@@xNevlosx Indian employees ... kek

[@djblock215]

​@@xNevlosxshould boycott the hell out of them at their offices like the libs do

[@PhilipJBernardi]

And the cynical and untrusting me thinks an inspector wants a payoff. Probably closer to the truth is a government agency not being responsive and flexible in the name of customer service (all the while keeping standards in place).

[@inconsteveable91]

they skipped a step and now they pay for it. it's not a vendetta until the inspector does it without cause.

[@charlesrbarbour1266]

As a retired builder, I do know that it's a good idea to pay your local building department a visit and get to know the people, especially the inspectors. You made a bad 1st impression. You left your last project in Louisiana under similar circumstances where you didn't pull a permit and got caught. Please learn from your mistakes,because you do good work.

[@jwblount7802]

How big is the headache now, instead of just canceling the concrete to a later date? Most inspectors won't reinspect on the same day especially on a Friday..... Welcome to southeast Texas.!!

[@jackbbya123]

Couldn’t agree with you more JW!

[@REXOB9]

Thanks for the video, and your transparency in this process, and for being as calm and rational as you can be.

[@chrisosti]

Key words in this video..."All of my neighbors have flooded yards." My observation on your situation is, you pissed off the inspector, called his boss (bad move), and now you're in a pissing contest with the city. All you should have needed was someone to sign off (certify) the site prior to slab pour. Watching your "compaction guy" irradiate anyone in his vicinity, was a big indicator of things to come. Also it was my understanding that the old inspector guy, was a city inspector, and apparently he wasn't...interesting. Anyways, as a retired county inspector, builder of over 75 homes, and wearer of many hats, I commented MANY videos ago, that you should consider walking away from this project due to the incredibly poor site drainage. The neighboring lots are all just about the same elevation, so there's very little chance of any natural drainage. A stormwater management system should have been engineered, approved, and installed before you dug one shovel of dirt. We all learn hard lessons in life, but there have been numerous legitimate comments on what you needed to do on your project, but I'm inclined to think no one reads these. Again...best of luck.

[@StudPack]

We read them. We’re not going to walk away from this project because of a drainage problem that a drainage company can fix in a day or two.

[@chrisosti]

@@StudPack I appreciate your reply brother. One thing I didn't get into was, even though the soils tech gave you a 95%+ compaction, does not mean it is impervious to water infiltration. That is determined by the soil composition. The "select fill" you used appeared to have a lot of sand and fines, which will hold water, not shed it. The best move would have been to proof roll the fill with an approved procedure. Your drainage problem goes all the way back to when you tried to move your tools into the house. The lot is flat, super-saturated with water, the neighboring yards are all holding water as evidence by the rainfalls. That would typically require excavation and drains put in numerous spots on the lot, as well as fill, to allow rainfall to drain into said drains. These of course would have to be engineered and approved by the city, who would also need to evaluate whether their stormwater system can handle the additional flow. That's not a two day fix. There's still way too many questions on this project. btw...I had sent an email offering help a long time ago...but...crickets. Good luck

[@jackbbya123]

@@StudPack Stud Pack on behalf of this cringe rude and unemathrric comment section you don’t need to listen nor even acknowledge these a holes it’s sad cringe and pathetic. You guys keep fighting the hard fight! Love ya Stud Pack 👊

[@chrisosti]

@@jackbbya123 if one just follows the rules, there isn't a "hard fight". The rules are there for a reason. When your project collapses and takes out a neighbors house, or worse, are you going to take that responsibility?

[@palomadeoro]

I am so sorry to hear that you all are going through all this! I know it can be very stressful do not lose hope. Just out of curiosity have you all reached out to a different inspector or the head inspector from the city? This doesn't make sense so maybe going to someone above him would be best if you all have not done that already. Wishing you all the best of luck!

[@rrittenhouse]

DAMN guys I'm sorry you are going through all of this! I think the dog that watches you all work from the neighbors window paid off the inspector LOL. Sorry I had to. It sounds like the inspector has a personal problem with you all for some reason (youtube?). He's probably watching these videos.

[@connerblah]

Occam's razor suggests it's probably a less controversial explanation than that: the inspector showed up to what was essentially a moat and didn't want to attach his name to the liability. I think that's more than reasonable. The guy was likely going to a bunch of sites that day, all probably dealing with similar issues; you think he was going to tell them all he could come back later? He'd be working into Saturday. It's insane that they poured without the inspection. If this excavation was worth tens of thousands of dollars like Jordan has said, it's mind boggling why they wouldn't have protected it better, especially after it had already been washed out once. He gambled that it wasn't going to rain in the one night before the inspection, lost, then inexplicably doubled down by pouring anyway. The trips they took during the foundation process have hurt them. Leave someone home to deal with any fallout immediately at least. There's also no point in trying to get these third-party companies on their side by bringing them their sob stories. It's backfired on them now, since none of them want to touch the job. Just go to them saying "I poured my foundation without an inspection and now the city needs proof that it's up to code. Can I pay you guys to do an analysis?" I was really looking forward to the house project when they announced it (a year ago now), as I'm looking to build on my property myself. I thought it would be really helpful to see how they go about the entire process of building something substantial on their own property. A year has passed since then, I'm ready to start, and all I've learned from them in that time is to contract out the foundation, which is kind of disappointing. Paul's gotta give Jordan some better legal direction, especially after he already got caught up in permitting issues in the shop bathroom build. The city isn't going to let them get away with anything; they don't get to play by special rules because they didn't want to take precautions. They're just another small fry in the city's pond. If anything, every inspector after this will be going over all the future work with the finest comb they have. It's good that they have a relatively inexpensive resolution to the problem by hiring out the analysis for a couple thousand instead of having to rip it all out (assuming they can find someone to do it and it passes), but the long term effects of this will hurt for sure.

[@Jordo519]

@connerblah so you're upset that now you can't watch a video on how to build your own project?!?! What kind of person are you to give these ppl shit cause now they can't give you the content "you" want, get over yourself!! They have all the proof to show the foundation is solid, you've probably never delt with inspector's before have you?? Not all but most inspector have a huge chip on there shoulder, and 99% of them have never swong a hammer in their lives, but for you to leave a comment like you did cause their work isn't gonna help you with your project now!! Try learning how to do the work instead of learning from KZbinrs

[@mykalimba]

@@connerblah I agree with all of your points. This new issue is simply a consequence of previous actions (or inactions). Not everything is a conspiracy.

[@StudPack]

@@connerblah We agree with everything you said. Problem is Conner, Dad has never done this before. We don't have any mentors or anyone walking us through this process so we're having to make decisions and learn what the repercussions are the hard way. We're ready to start this thing as well. We never could have imagined this process was so difficult especially since everyone filming house builds makes it look pretty do-able! We're disappointed in the progress as well, but we're doing the best we possibly can with the limited knowledge we have.

[@Fly-SanDiego]

I would guess that “everyone filming house builds” completes inspections as required. It’s hard to sympathize with your problem when you attempted to bypass an inspection in LA and now again in Houston. Do you need a mentor to advise you not to skip an important inspection?

[@gtfg3800]

On the phone with the 2nd engineering firm, the gentleman says he never heard of an engineers seal not being accepted, but that is not the issue. The issue is that the building inspector could not verify the condition of the grounds or the quality & status of your work at the time of the pour because it was under water when he last visited. If he signs off on what you did it makes him liable for any future damages if he allows the job to proceed. He is asking you to hire a 3rd party to confirm what you are claiming because he has no way to verify things now that it's poured.

[@NickP1018_]

Of course there is always problems on a build... Good luck guys, you are doing great!

[@deanwilliams8857]

You sound like a peon inspector that doesn’t have any common sense.

[@hughoverstreet7766]

I was a general contractor and then became a building inspector for 10 years. Some inspectors are like bad cops based on my experience, they are on a power trip. By the way the engineer seal is all that you need.

[@ashurgeorge4604]

I run a concrete plant in California, the bureaucratic capital of the world. When you said you poured anyway when the city inspector wouldn't show I got queasy. I've seen entire slabs, massive projects that cost millions destroyed because of it. Luckily our mayor is a huge contractor so he is able speed things up... but oh man.... I've delt first hand with these inspector guys, most of the time they are cool. But every now and again you get a crazy one, I've gotten to the point where I'll just have them sit in their cars and bring them out the paper work. Lurking over shoulder types asking how our probe calculates the sand moisture... and saying his math isn't checking out only to figure out he's an idiot who can't do multiplication.

[@chillones9574]

I got queasy as well, have a friend that is city inspector, he not play around, he takes his job serious because if anything was built with his sign off were to fail he knows it his ass.

[@chrisosti]

Did you catch the episode where the soils tech exposed the radioactive capsule on the Troxler?

[@ithinkdoyou]

Honestly this is the first comment that is honest with Stud Pack. They done fuck up in a big way, and realistically I suspect there is more going on that they are not sharing (because "Michael" seemed willing to help, but then apparently pulled out - because no one will even send an email or take hundreds or thousands of dollars to do basically make work - which suggests either he found out something that made him wary of SP or wary that help SP would involve him in the "grudge" between the city and SP...) Either way not good and bodes poorly for SP

[@enterprisecreations1492]

Agreed. They chose to pour without the inspection and are now facing the consequences of their actions. This video looking for sympathy and painting the city as the villains is nonsense.

[@jackbbya123]

@@ithinkdoyou Who asked + ratio

[@2004ranger1]

I will make this statement, I sincerely hope you can get this headed your way. Your videos show first hand to your viewers the hoops that people have to jump through to try to get anything done... myself and other followers are pulling for you...

[@maynardholt8935]

we have a term in the UK for inspectors like that, they are called jobs worths. As a spark myself its crazy in a lot of instances the hoops you have to jump through but you will get building soon. Keep it up!

[@gtfg3800]

At 16:32 you will not have to saw cut & dig out a piece of concrete. An engineering firm will core drill a hole down through the concrete to assess the pour. It's done all the time especially on highways to verify the depth of individual materials. Know you're frustrated but remember, you created this by not following procedure. Work with the guy & make this a win / win. You'll be okay.

[@btyng3678]

Pouring the slab without a sign off inspection will always bite back. Your objective here is to move the project forward and keep it moving forward. Best option is to ask for a face to face with the inspector, acknowledge you were wrong (which you have on the video) and you understand that the inspector has his job to do. The face to face is really needed here. All the emails are doing is making things worse. It is critical at this time to deal directly with the inspector, not his boss or others. You need to meet with the inspector explain that you tried to follow through with his requirements and were unable to do so and that you want to do whatever he needs to be able to perform his job correctly. Probably not a good idea to go through all this on the video before it was resolved. Honestly, you guys know you do things the right way and I love your videos for it, but the inspector is the key person in this instance and like it or not, he is due the deference that was lacking when you poured the slab.

[@adamlawrence8736]

All hail the mighty inspector! Bow down to bureaucracy plebeians!

[@bryan__m]

@@adamlawrence8736 break the rules and then blame the consequences on everyone but you!

[@BRDR882]

I've watched a lot of these videos and I'm mid full reno of my house. Just because you know you did your work correctly doesn't mean the inspector does as well. You made a choice to skip a step and are paying the consequences for it. The weather is an unfortunate factor for can't plan for but isnt an excuse.

[@brianjohn1876]

You would think you’d learn after not getting your project in Louisiana inspected. You obviously disagree, but inspectors require the visual, or they will make you redo things. You made a huge mistake by pouring prior to inspecting. You should have waited for inspection. They need to sign off, or this is what happens. Like it or not, inspectors protect the public from shoddy work. Reputable contractors know what needs to be inspected and permitted, and goes through with the process. An inspector that pencil whips the inspection is potentially harming people, and is not right.

[@andrewcarr2431]

Feel your pain, fellow studs. Had a heck of a time dealing with our own regulations due to, well incompetence to the point the People in charge that have blatantly lied to us. For example, We have to install a new sewer drain, the main drain is across the street. So one would think you call the City, they come and do it and send you a bill - nope! you have to have a licensed construction company perform the work, not only that they have be to on the approved list with the City. Not only that, they have to have the various safety training in order to work on the City street. I guess that means "own a yellow vest?". Turns out there is only ONE, yes 1, company that meets the City criteria, and they charge you BIG TIME. Of course, no corruption there at all, nope, nada! . We are just regular homeowners building a home, not huge construction companies that seem to leverage various weight and somehow, never have an issue. I'm sure some "charitable donations" have been made to ease the various processes. It has been one disaster after another and just pure bureaucratic BS! I know, I'm a civil servant!

[@justinking6541]

Jordan, love the channel and the content and I’m on your side, but you’ve got to slow down. A bit of advice; look at this from the city’s point of view. The inspector showed up to your job site and saw a moat. The next thing he knew, there was a poured slab. These inspectors are booked solid in our area for 2-3 weeks, so you can’t expect them to give anyone special treatment, and no contractor in their right mind would skip any inspection on a permitted project, let alone pouring thousands of dollars of concrete on what needs to be inspected. That was a bonehead move, made worse by the fact that you documented everything and aired your dirty laundry for the world to see. The city will cut you zero slack on this project given the visibility of it and your transparency; they need to uphold the law, rules and regulations in the light of day. You are currently learning this lesson so do yourself a favor, get it documented from the inspector in writing exactly what he wants to see and call one of these firms back up and hire them to do the work, no questions asked. You don’t need to get them on your side or get them to be combative with the city, just do the job and provide the documentation. Lastly we know the foundation can handle the load of that big machine on it; tell the guy to draft up a liability waiver that says you’re responsible for and damage and get it over with. Also, keep in mind it is of no concern how much money you’ve spent to the building inspectors. People pay a lot of money to do things the wrong way constantly, it doesn’t change anything. The fact is that the purpose of the inspection you was for the inspector to decide based on your project plans and building code if your under slab work was up to par and he couldn’t do it when he came out, and I’m sure if there was a virtual option for the inspection that you’ve got plenty of footage to cover it. That’s another thing that hurts your case; with all this money in the job you’re desperate to continue and the city might think you’re hiding something. We know you’re not but it wouldn’t be the first time, and once you’ve finished this project there’s nothing stopping you from selling a home with an “unsafe” foundation to someone else, which is a huge liability to the city and to you! Cross your t’s and dot your i’s. Lastly, you’ve already learned (multiple times) that these projects are filled with unexpected costs and take longer than expected. Nobody wants to see y’all go through these avoidable struggles just to get a video a few weeks early. Show us how to fix the hole in your siding, or replace that broken window. Work on grading the dirt pile out and get your job site cleaned up and respectable. That dilapidated house is a treasure trove of content while you wait on this stuff to be resolved or on other delays, but don’t make content railing on your local municipality, you want to cultivate a good relationship and reputation in your community, because I’m sure there will be more projects over you’re done with this one that you’ll need to work with them on. Anyhow I hope cooler heads prevail I’m proud of how much you’ve matured since I started watching the channel and I look forward to seeing y’all navigate through this mess.

[@georgejung1989]

Amen to that. The comments here are unreal....I love the channel but man, they fucked up big time here and it's all on them. People have a hard time understanding that rules are always made for the few. We know this is a state of the art slab, that's not the problem. The problem is that you need to prove it to the city, and for that there's a process in place. You have to follow it. Everybody here is very quick on shitting on the bureaucracy, but I would like to see there face if they bought a home in a place with no inspection and 6 months later the roof collapses during their sleep...

[@RandallKelsey]

I have been in the building industry for thirty years an I am going to give you my best advice moving forward. Treat the inspector like a king. He is the authority having jurisdiction. Don’t fight the inspector. You will be working with him for the whole project. Even if he is being ridiculous it never works out to argue. Repair this relationship as soon as possible! In the future never proceed without passed inspections… it doesn’t matter if it will cost a lot of money. I’m sorry you have to deal with this but unfortunately it’s part of the process. I love the videos! Thank you for the great content! Every thing will work out

[@narlycharley]

This is when living in the middle of nowhere and not having to deal with the big city BS is helpful.

[@migvinu8620]

Yep everyone wants to live in middle of nowhere. smh

[@bfsgman]

@@migvinu8620 Maybe shake your head at the bureaucrats rather than the people who choose not to put up with their bs.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

It wouldn't be as useful and realistic a video. If everything was easy for the Stud Pack, we wouldn't get much benefits as viewers.

[@chadhowell1328]

@@migvinu8620 you’re right, not everyone does. But not everyone wants to have to deal with the big city bs

[@tomasbajarunas6416]

I know some guy, who submitted his building plans in metric measurements. That's in Washington state. The city rejected the drawings, asking them to be re-done using feet and inches. The guy goes to court, wins, the city is knocked from their high horse, and *had* to accept original drawings. Basically, layer up, you have all the evidence, all on youtube!

[@RossReedstrom]

As a Houston local, just want to let everyone know that this is not City of Houston, or Harris County: they're building in town in the greater Houston metro area, to the north. I won't get more specific. Though I'm tempted, for name and shame purposes.

[@tomhorrigan5769]

OmG! I can’t believe the calm demeaner you exhibit with the city! I know you’d luv to tell them to pound sand (if only you didn’t need their approval to move forward)!!!

[@jordanwilkinson7368]

Bureaucracy is an enemy of progress.

[@devinm524]

I love bureaucracy it keeps sooooooooooo many people from cutting corners and making dangerous or unhealthy decisions, this is just inefficiency within the system coupled with an uncaring attitude

[@KingHarry1]

@@devinm524 Bureaucratic authority is notoriously undemocratic, and blind adherence to rules may inhibit the exact actions necessary to achieve organizational goals.

[@12345diehappy]

@@devinm524 Has there ever been a bureaucracy that wasn't inefficient and uncaring?

[@5000yearleap73]

"We are from the government and we are here to help."

[@stevea6722]

Just look at Washington D.C.

[@SLCMuralha]

We're glad for the updates. Glad you're getting a chance to vent during your explanations!

[@rdeanhanson]

Having done builds, and as you probably now know, never have vacation or any other type of plans that pulls you away from the main project. It’ll always, always bite you in the butt!

[@operationhotshotinc.6887]

Had same issue in Sacramento, CA just one guy Inspector Paul was reasonable but new his stuff , he said we are here to help each other stay sharp… I loved that about him. The other inspector almost 3 to each trade would come and just spew their own opinions and walk away as if they just walked on water . I sent an email to everyone I could find on the city website and they put them in their place .. risky i know but it worked . If you go high enough it gets political and they don’t like negative attention….

[@tumuskurns]

Eternal conflict with the inspectors will garner way more views, this is all a massive blessing in disguise, I just know it. God bless fellas!

[@Yutani_Crayven]

On the other hand, time is the only resource that you can never get back, that you can never replenish.

[@SIE44TAR]

After living in the Houston area for 50 years I recently moved to East Tennessee. I love the climate here and the four distinct seasons but I miss the dirt I had in Tomball. I could grow anything in that sandy loam, while here I’m dealing with clay and shale. I’ll just have to keep amending the soil.

[@bradsburgess4806]

Jordan is a natural,you should be on TV,so precise in his narrative and analysis.👏👏

[@fhuber7507]

You always cancel the concrete if you didn't get the inspection REQUIRED before the pour. No inspection = STOP.

[@1packatak]

The answer is you are the new kids on the block. You are going to get messed with. Just because they can. Meanwhile, the established builders will be sailing through.

[@jackbbya123]

Godlike complex egotistical narcissistic and corporate corruption and greed is the sad sad world we live in today!

[@michaelmcneill9006]

As a general contractor for 25 years, I feel your pain and call it lesson learned to never piss in the inspector's cheerios. Do I understand what you did and thinking video evidence would be sufficient to the desired outcome, well now you know pictures are worth a thousand words just not the one the inspector will go by after feeling stabbed in the back. They will never care about your timeline in the end.

[@micha-42]

Lots of love to you guys, keep the morale up! It's gonna be a bad memory in a few weeks! Cheers!

[@ZacharyPittman]

Thanks for this video! I know it feels terrible dropping a video with no construction, but this was totally worth my time. I loved the bathroom remodel, and the whole time, I was anticipating the stud pack house video. I wouldn’t want to watch all update videos, but if you get delayed, drop one of these! Thanks for sharing this stuff! You guys are awesome.

[@jackbbya123]

Perfectly put

[@jesusisking4066]

Hang in there guys! Inspectors are the same everywhere it seems. Little to no practical experience with lots of authority. Get a good inspector and you are golden, but get a bad one and you take it up the backside. You need to go to city hall and speak to the head of the building department in person and don't leave until you get what you want. Keep up the great work!

[@bettie3092]

Meanwhile, work on cleaning up the area around the property. Set it up nice for when you do get an okay. I hope this issue gets solved before winter.

[@fuegoman45]

You poured without an inspection?? And you’re surprised the city is making you jump through hoops? I live in CA. Here they’d probably make you take it out.

[@Overpar73]

Boy I know exactly the problems you're experiencing!! I tried to build a large storage facility just to store classic cars in and there were so many restrictions I finally gave up and now were building out in the Country where there are no restrictions!! Good luck bud!

[@jackbbya123]

I agree completely it’s really annoying when they do the best I mean literal perfection to the last detail and we get corrupt corporate elite people who are both narcissist and have a big ego and exploit their power as a result of ego and narcissism

[@louismartin9546]

At the very beginning of this project I knew it was a BIG mistake not using a contractor for the foundation. They pull the permits deal with the inspection, the dig and probably know the plumping contactor. Always contract out what you don't know at least until you know.. 🙂

[@bozodog428]

My favorite inspectors were retired builders, plumbers and electricians. The book learners were tough to deal with.

[@tonyc7352]

Hmmm, I wonder if you're a "book learner"?

[@artursmihelsons415]

Everything is documented step by step.. Thanks for sharing issue!

[@Tripring2000]

The joys of dealing with a governmental entity. Nothing like having to hop through hoops of red tape. Hope the email from the original soil company will get you what you need and get the ball rolling.

[@troyc333]

I believe, IMO, what alerted them was the report of the "water filled beam". That appeared like you might have a pending issue. They don't like to hear things like that. I would speak to the guy who issued the request and explain yourself like you have to all of these engineers.

[@daneblackburn2803]

I live in Houston as well and this is the most rain I have ever seen from spring to summer

[@lanon3277]

I appreciate all your honesty about the frustration and obstacles you guys run into with this project, because it's a good, solid look at the hows and whys of why building is so stressful. You may be terribly frustrated, but this is insanely educational.

[@MikeGusFifteen]

Looks like Jordan is going gray from this project lol. Hope it works out for you guys, been watching since almost the beginning of your channel. Keep up the hard work👊

[@harrisric128]

This is just another reason for the housing issues country wide. Here in CA it's sooooo hard to build. It's frustrating

[@wotterthose4511]

I think the key here is that it sounds like it was the less expensive choice, retrospectively, to do this. However, as some lf the other comments have said, this is the 2nd time you've gotten in trouble for doing work without following the rules. I sympathize, because it makes sense what you did, and as a viewer i appreciate a progress update, but it's definitely a situation where you sleep in the bed you made. Ultimately, this will add a lot of time to the project and some extra money, but probably less than it would've cost to redo everything after the rain yet again. Rest well enough knowing you made a choice you thought best with the information you had, and above all be humble.

[@bryan__m]

Second time that they admitted on camera.

[@Charles-uc3hb]

Thanks for keep us updated on the nitty gritty. Looking forward to more. God bless

[@BrandonPaille]

Like I needed another reason to stay out of the city limits.

[@loudoggmo]

No shocker. I had them tell me the exact same thing in my state. No answers no return calls or emails AND they want a ton of unnecessary tests

[@Billybobjohngeorgejr]

Wait, What? You guys poured concrete without inspection? That's a huge mistake. No excuses. I know a builder here in SoCal that pays for inspectors to inspect on Saturdays. Sometimes you have to be pro active and not reactive. The problem is, the dirt around the footings could have collapsed onto the rebar that is in the footings due to the rain. If you have pictures inside the footings showing they are clean with the proper clearances from the rebar to the dirt that would be golden for you guys. Now you just have to pay off one of these structural companies to sign off on your foundation. It's all about liability. The city doesn't want to have any liability. From my perspective, that foundation is overbuilt. The rebar in the footing seems like an overkill, but what do I know, I've only been building homes since 1984 here in SoCal where we now build plywood boxes with a ton of hardware and strongwalls. This video should be called "BitchFest". It is what it is if you are honest with yourselves. Welcome to construction gang!

[@MadBox817]

Couldn’t have said it better myself. The rules exist for a reason. If we let people ignore them then you end up with a bunch of buildings that might be unsafe. They’re lucky they have an option to not rip the slab out and start over

[@ppeller3]

Where is Tony Soprano when you need him the most. He will make that inspector an offer he can't refuse 😉

[@kgu9870]

Have fun ripping that out and starting over. Dumb move.

[@stipcrane]

RULE ONE: never cover anything without an approved inspection. Seriously!! NEVER. Yeah, I know there are a few ways around that rule, but they are time consuming, expensive, and place you under even greater scrutiny on future inspections. If I meet the inspector on the site, I always get his expectations for the next inspection. I hate what re-inspections do for the timeline. Lately cell phone photos work for many inspectors. Just this week I had an inspector tell me to email photos of a minor correction and she would sign off the inspection from the office and we could proceed with a slab pour.

[@worldadventureman]

I did comment after the pour video on how you got the Ok to do the pour after that rain. Now I understand why you didnt answer. Ouch tough decision you had to make. Moving forward, you can sort of understand the city's point of view. They see builders trying to pull a fast one all the time, and they have to cover their asses. That building will be there for many years and they will be liable if they are asked where is the pre pour inspection and they have either nothing, or have to say they passed it without seeing the footings. I think your 7 pages document was a mistake. Government employees just want simple. Sooo how to deal with it. I'd suggest, firstly insisting on a face to face meeting. Both of you go and take your engineer if you can. Take all your documents and maybe laptop with the videos, definitely take clear pictures of the footings. Having a face to face shows them who you are, decent guys who've done the right thing but are stuck with a bureaucratic issue. It doesn't help that you did the pour after they said no, that will have pissed them off, but if you explain it face to face, so they might warm to you and start trying to help work it out rather than just saying, this is what we need, end of story. I think your only chance is showing how over engineered it was and that the small rain wouldn't have compromised the footings considering how over engineered it already was. With that and the documentation you have showing that, Id think they could bend. I'd almost suggest going to see your local councilor. Tell them about your youtube show and how many people are watching his/her neighborhood. If you can get the councilor on your side, they might possibly help. Even if they say they can't, they might behind the scenes, and it's always a good contact to have in the future.

[@worldadventureman]

I replayed the first part of your video as I couldn't remember what you had said about when the inspector arrived. I can imagine his thought of having to come back on a friday afternoon! lol. But who knows, maybe he was already stacked up with inspections. Either way, he probably had no idea of how over engineered those footings are. I think I wouldnt have let him leave and offered to carry him on my back to take a look. lol. The over engineering would have been on the plans you submitted, but that wouldnt have shown you dug even deeper after the first big rains. He probably spoke to you, realized you were homeowners doing your own project, thought you had just dug footings per requirement and with that nights rain he assumed it would never pass, so why come back. It's going to be tough I think for them to give you a pass when they didnt see it, but hopefully a face to face with the chief and the inspector, showing them again just how over engineered it is, will sway them. It's getting the fact the it was hugely over engineered is going to be your only chance.

[@ddutton0]

^^^this, sometimes it take a visit to city hall to get things done. Call your city council person as well, they have skin in this and the P&z board.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

There are two silver linings to all your troubles, Stud Pack. 1, we all appreciate what you're going through, but our lives don't actually revolve around your video schedule. I watch everything you produce, but I don't much care if it's a video per day, per week, or per month. I know you guys have a pressing need to feed the algorithm, but I'm subscribed to more than three hundred channels. I figure I'm typical. 2, reviewers are learning MORE from your hard times than if everything went smoothly. Bureaucracy is something most of us don't know how to handle.

[@clintprice2123]

All these videos prove everything, if there’s one thing that can happen is the inspector gets fired as even your phone calls with other engineers don’t see any logic in his requirements. My mentor in construction got a few guys removed from their jobs with town government. He was so by the book and when called on the carpet the inspectors just stammered. Go Stud Pack Team Go!

[@brad9529]

You should have postponed the concrete a postponed your trip. That would have been wiser. Even for what ever that cost would have been. I hope it doesnt end up costing you too much, especially not having to rip it up. In Australia, they'd make us rip it up. Hopefully you get someone whos nice, perhaps send them a carton of beer.

[@bravo1oh1]

Thanks for sharing this project. What people need to know is Murphy's law. And this is common and part of life. And all I can do is be prepared. Apply risk mitigation. And don't stress .

[@davidzimmerman9841]

Good morning I just saw your video. I've been in the construction industry 40 years. I've seen owner builders in the same dilemma in the past. Unfortunately if you don't get the inspections you really get yourself in a bind by proceeding without approval. Wishing you all the luck with your build.

[@bholowick]

You could core through the concrete with a small manual drill then use a small drill rig to complete the soils testing. Drill rigs come in all shapes and sizes.

[@TerryHernlund]

There will come a time in the not too distant future that you'll look back on this and think of it as just a speedbump. The volume will get turned way down on this little rodeo. Live, learn, and keep moving forward man. Hang in there.

[@hirehammer925]

I’m a landlord in Chicago so I know what’s going on. This is a liability issue. If this foundation fails in the future they don’t want any liability. By bringing in another party to sign off on it they are absolved from any responsibility. Quit trying to figure it out and get someone to sign off.

[@bubblespoof999]

I mean. when you miss an inspection sign-off this is just the headaches you deal with. it sucks. but you'll eventually get approved. but expect this to be as long as a month or so.

[@jackbbya123]

Who asked + ratio

[@steveh4098]

I would have thought you would have learned your lesson with inspections after the mechanic bathroom build. I have been in the building trades for 20 plus years. you always get signed off by the inspector before you move on to the next step. Wht dis you think was goi g to happen that the inspector will just be like OK I’ll take your word for it even though he never really technically saw the grade beams and you have to remember he’s also the same guy is going to inspect your house so you better get it straight with the inspector it’s gonna be a long, bumpy road. For the house build.