A contractor fails to call for a required inspection and covers the work. The building official discovers this during the next scheduled inspection. What enforcement action is most likely?
Correct Answer
B) Issue a notice of violation requiring exposure of the work
When required inspections are missed and work is improperly covered, building officials typically issue a notice of violation requiring the contractor to expose the work for proper inspection at the contractor's expense.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
When a contractor fails to call for a required inspection and covers work that should have been inspected, the building official must ensure the work complies with approved plans and code requirements. The only way to verify compliance is to expose the covered work for proper inspection. This is standard enforcement procedure across Florida jurisdictions, and the contractor bears the cost and responsibility for uncovering and re-covering the work after inspection.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: Allow the work to remain covered with additional documentation
Simply issuing a fine without requiring exposure would leave potentially non-compliant work hidden and uninspected. This creates liability issues for the building department and compromises public safety, as the primary purpose of inspections is to verify code compliance, not generate revenue through fines.
Option C: Revoke the building permit immediately
Permit revocation is an extreme measure typically reserved for serious violations, abandonment, or repeated non-compliance. Missing an inspection and covering work, while serious, is usually addressed through corrective action (exposing the work) rather than permit revocation, which would halt the entire project.
Option D: Issue a fine but allow work to continue
Allowing work to remain covered without inspection would compromise building safety and code compliance verification. Building officials cannot approve work they cannot see, and additional documentation cannot substitute for visual inspection of structural, electrical, plumbing, or other critical building components that may be hidden.
Memory Technique
Think 'EXPOSE to INSPECT' - covered work without inspection must be exposed for proper verification, at the contractor's expense.
Reference Hint
Florida Building Code, Chapter 1 - Scope and Administration, Section 110 (Inspections) and local building department enforcement procedures
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