1704.1 General. Where application is made for construction as described in this section, the owner or the registered design professional in responsible charge acting as the owner’s agent shall employ one or more special inspectors to provide inspections during construction on the types of work listed under Section 1704. The special inspector shall be a qualified person who shall demonstrate competence, to the satisfaction of the building official, for inspection of the particular type of construction or operation requiring special inspection. These inspections are in addition to the inspections specified in Section 109.

Exceptions:

1. Special inspections are not required for work of a minor nature or as warranted by conditions in the jurisdiction as approved by the building official.

2. Special inspections are not required for building components unless the design involves the practice of professional engineering or architecture as defined by applicable state statutes and regulations governing the professional registration and certification of engineers or architects.

3. Unless otherwise required by the building official, special inspections are not required for occupancies in Group R-3 as applicable in Section 101.2 and occupancies in Group U that are accessory to a residential occupancy including, but not limited to, those listed in Section 312.1.

1704.1.1 Statement of special inspections. The permit applicant shall submit a statement of special inspections prepared by the registered design professional in responsible charge in accordance with Section 106.1 as a condition for permit issuance. This statement shall be in accordance with Section 1705.

Exceptions:

1. A statement of special inspections is not required for structures designed and constructed in accordance with the conventional construction provisions of Section  2308.

2. The statement of special inspections is permitted to be prepared by a qualified person approved by the building official for construction not designed by a registered design professional.

1704.1.2 Report requirement. Special inspectors shall keep records of inspections. The special inspector shall furnish inspection reports to the building official, and to the registered design professional in responsible charge. Reports shall indicate that work inspected was done in conformance to approved construction documents. Discrepancies shall be brought to the immediate attention of the contractor for correction. If the discrepancies are not corrected, the discrepancies shall be brought to the attention of the building official and to the registered design professional in responsible charge prior to the completion of that phase of the work. A final report documenting required special inspections and correction of any discrepancies noted in the inspections shall be submitted at a point in time agreed upon by the permit applicant and the building official prior to the start of work.