This tip looks at some issues with specifying when inspections are to be done and how to avoid creating problems for yourself.
There can be many times when the superintendent (ie the owner’s representative for the construction contract) needs to go to site to do physical inspections.
How these inspections are covered in the Specification is important.
Some specifiers put in the Specification ‘hold’ and ‘witness’ points. These terms get thrown about in the industry without much regard for what they mean. These terms don’t need to be used, but if they are, the conditions surrounding them should be defined in good detail.
It can be a lot simpler and better, with less confusion, to not use them at all and just specify for the builder to notify the superintendent for an inspection, along with a notification period before the inspection, for example 10 business days.
There are two big things to avoid with inspections.
First is to put the contractual onus on the superintendent to always decide when to inspect. This should never happen, and it should be the builder that notifies the superintendent with plenty of time to prepare for it.
Second, never specify that construction work can’t proceed until the superintendent has done their inspection (something the ‘hold’ and ‘witness’ point system can allow). There should be some way for construction to proceed if the superintendent can’t make the inspection for some reason which is out of their control.
