Inspections

The inspection function is one of the more important aspects of the Building Division operations along with the plan review function.  The code intends that all construction or work for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the Building Division.  Inspections are done to insure that the work covered by the permit is done according to the plans and is in compliance with all the model codes and ordinances adopted by various County agencies, i.e., Zoning/Planning, Fire Prevention, and Flood Control.

It shall be the responsibility of the owner or the licensed contractor doing the work authorized by a permit to notify the Building Official when said work is ready for inspection.  No portion of any building, structure, wiring, plumbing, duct work, or equipment that is required to be inspected shall be covered or concealed without approval of the Building Official.

Type of Inspections Required: What is normally inspected.

Foundation/footing:  Location of the forms to meet zoning setback requirements, elevation of the forms to meet flood control requirements, depth and width of the footing, and proper placement, size, and grade of reinforcing steel.  All required shear-wall anchor bolts, hold down bolts, and straps are expected to be hung on templates.  The UFER ground is checked for proper installation and location.

Slab:  Thickness of the slab, placement of sand and vapor barrier, size, spacing, and support of reinforcing bar.  Ventura County does not allow welded wire fabric for slab reinforcement.

Floor framing:  Size, spacing, grade, span, lap and support of floor joists, and girders.  Rough plumbing, mechanical, and electrical.  Underfloor ventilation and access.

Roof sheathing/framing:
 Size, spacing, grade and span of rafters and purlins.  Framing hardware, i.e., hangers, straps, etc.  Structural supports, i.e., posts, beams, headers.  Sheathing panel index, shear diaphragm, shear transfer.  Plumbing and mechanical vents through the roof.

Prewrap:  Location, panel index, size, and nailing of shear walls.  HD hardware, shear wall anchor bolts, plate washers.  Location and size of doors and windows.  All windows must be installed to check for emergency egress, glazing, and flashing.

Framing:  All structural, rough plumbing, rough mechanical, and rough electrical installations are checked at framing.  Structural - Size, spacing, and grade of studs, size spacing, grade, span, and support of joists, cutting notching, and boring of studs, and joists.  Fire blocking.  Stairs - width, rise, and run.  Post and beam connections, framing hardware, interior shear.

Rough plumbing:  Vents overflowed for leak test.  Proper location of all fixture stub outs as shown on floor plan. Drain and vent sizing, wet venting, slope and support of drain lines. Approved joints and fittings.  Location and size of cleanouts. Protection from physical damage for nonmetallic piping. 
Water piping: static pressure on lines.  Proper material, size, support, and protection.  Gas piping - proper material, location, size, and support.

Rough mechanical:  Proper material, size, location, support and insulation of all duct work. FAU compartment: supply air (plenum), return air, combustion air and condensate drain line(s). Fire and draft stopping.
Combustion vents: location, clearances, and offsets.

Rough Electrical:  General wiring to convenience outlets and lights.  Grounding and bonding: metal boxes, cold water piping, grounding electrode conductor, neutral and grounding busses. Wiring/conduit locations, support, and protection. GFCI and smoke detector circuits, laundry and kitchen circuits. Clearances at sub-panels and service entrance equipment. Rated boxes in fire separations.

Insulation:  Check for compliance with Title 24 requirements.

Lath/drywall:  Horizontal and vertical laps, weep screed, corner aid, flashing and fasteners.  Double paper over wooden walls.  Type X drywall at fire separations.

Final Inspection:  Installation and operation of all plumbing fixtures.  Water heater seismic restraints, pressure relief valve, and piping. 
All gas-burning appliances connected to gas supply. All mechanical equipment in and operational. All electrical switches, plugs and lights installed.  Breakers identified. Clearances around panels.  GFCI breakers or outlets.  Smoke alarms. Handrails and guard rails.  Firewall integrity, self-closing solid core door. Compliance with Title 24 energy and handicap as required. Grading for drainage around structure.

Special Inspections:  Most building departments do not have the staff of inspectors to provide detailed inspections on large and complicated projects.  This is true where the nature of the construction is such that extra care in quality control must be exercised in order to assure compliance with the code.  The code specifies that the special inspector be employed by the owner.  Special inspection is required when:

a. concrete strength is over 2,500 psi
b. concrete stem wall
c. shotcrete
d. post-tensioning system
e. structural masonry
f. field welding/high-strength bolting
g. piling/caissons
h. special cases (when ordered by Building Official)

Structural Observation:  Due to the critical nature of construction in our jurisdiction in Seismic Zone 4, this division requires that the engineer or architect of record be employed by the owner to provide observational visits to the site to obtain compliance with the structural drawings.  For more information, refer to policy memo on structural observation*.

* The Inspection section utilizes a number of Adobe Acrobat™ PDF format documents. These documents are easy to read, download, and print. Please see "Your Tool Box" located to the right to get the Acrobat™ plug for your browser if needed.

Inspection Requests:  Inspection requests can be made 24 hours a day by calling the Ventura office voice mail at (805) 654-2791 or the Simi office voice mail at (805) 582-8063.  Inspection requests received prior to 6:00 a.m. on a normal workday will be conducted that same day.  Inspection requests received after 6:00 a.m. will be scheduled the next normal workday.

Inspection requests can also be made via FAX at (805) 648-9212 for the Ventura office or (805) 582-8085 for the Simi office.

Inspection Hours:  Inspections are normally conducted between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Arrangements can be made for inspections outside normal working hours by making personal contact with the office that handles the inspections in your area at least three working days prior to the inspection.
Fees are $78.00 per hour for a combination inspector with a four hour minimum charge.
Fees are $94.50 per hour for a specialty inspector (plumbing, mechanical, electrical) with a four hour minimum charge.