HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1990 0307 CC REG ITEM 08DMOORPARK STEM a0e
PAUL W. LAWRASON, Jr.
Mayor
SCOTT MONTGOMERY
Mayor Pro Tem
ELOISE BROWN
Councilmember
CLINT HARPER, Ph.D.
Councilmember
BERNARDO M.PEREZ
Councilmember
LILLIAN KELLERMAN
City Clerk
MEMORANDUM
STEVEN KUENY
City Manager
CHERYLJ.KANE
City Attorney
PATRICK RICHARDS, A.I.C.P.
Director of
Community Development
R. DENNIS DELZEIT
City Engineer
JOHN V. GILLESPIE
Chief of Police
RICHARD T. HARE
City Treasurer
To: The Honorable City Council .
FROM: Patrick J. Richards, Director of Community Development
DATE: January 17, 1990 (CC meeting of March 7, 1990)
SUBJECT: RESIDENTIAL BUILDING INSPECTION PROCEDURES
At its January 3, 1990 meeting
building inspection procedures.
residential building inspection
the City of Moorpark.
Background
Council expressed interest in
This report summarizes primarily
procedures currently in use in
Requirements for building inspections have remained fundamentally
unchanged for the past seventy years since the first Uniform
Building Code was published in 1927. These procedures have,
however, evolved as the building technology has become more com-
plex. The code itself has evolved from a single volume of about
250 pages to two volumes of some 2400 pages. The body of back-
ground material and standards which must be attended to has un-
dergone a similar expansion. The Plumbing, Mechanical, and
Electrical codes have also undergone a similar expansion.
This expansion of technical complexity has created a demand for
highly trained inspection specialists who regularly attend train-
ing seminars and regularly consult a large technical library.
Building inspectors are often required to pass rigorous cer-
tification examinations.
799 Moorpark Avenue Moorpark, California 93021 (805) 529-6864
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Inspection Memo
January 17, 1990
When considering building inspection it is important to keep in
mind that the purpose of the various building codes is to
"provide minimum standards to safeguard life or limb, health,
property and public welfare". Building inspectors order work
corrected only when a violation of code is identified. They do
not generally act as quality control officers. They do not
generally order sloppy or shoddy work made neat unless a clear
relationship is evident between the sloppiness or shoddiness and
the safety of the occupants of the structure. This is often a
hard lesson for the new inspector to learn, especially if he or
she was a conscientious and thorough tradesperson. This is often
a matter of disappointment to homeowners who seek to enlist the
aid of the building inspector in some dispute with a contractor.
The inspector must limit his actions to ordering observed code
violations corrected and the inspector must remind the homeowner
that the code is written as a minimum standard only.
Discussion
Prior to the issuance of a building permit an extensive applica-
tion and plan review process takes place. This process begins
with the planning division. Plans are generally not accepted
into the Building and Safety plan review process until they have
been approved by the Planning Division. Plans are reviewed for
compliance with the Uniform Building Code, Plumbing Code,
Mechanical Code, and National Electrical Code by the Building and
Safety Staff. In addition to this technical review and in addi-
tion to Planning Division review, there is a complex coordination
of the efforts of specialist reviewers and other agencies. In
certain situations the following specialists and agencies may be-
come involved in the review of a project:
1. City Engineering
2. CalTrans
3. Fire Prevention
4. Calleguas Water District
5. Air Quality Control
6. Health Department
7. Neighboring Property Owners
8. Ventura County Waterworks
9. Hazardous Materials Section
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