Trying to wrap my head around the best way to get this permit thing sorted. The city offers two options for checking out new plumbing work—either have an inspector come over and poke around in person, or do a virtual inspection where you show 'em everything on a video call. I’m kinda torn. On one hand, in-person seems more thorough (plus, less chance of tech glitches), but virtual sounds way more convenient.
Has anyone tried both? Does the inspector miss stuff on video, or is it just as good? I’m worried I’ll mess up the camera angle and they’ll make me redo it, but also not super excited about waiting around all day for someone to show up. Which way would you go and why?
I’ve done both, and honestly, the virtual one was way less hassle for me. Didn’t have to take a whole day off work just to wait around. The inspector did ask me to zoom in on a couple spots, but as long as your phone’s charged and you’ve got decent signal, it’s not too bad. I get what you mean about camera angles though—one time I had to crawl under the sink with my phone and nearly dropped it in the trap.
Did your city give you a checklist of what they want to see on video? That helped me not miss anything, but I’m curious if every city does that or if mine was just being extra thorough.
I’ve only done one virtual inspection so far, and yeah, the city emailed me a checklist ahead of time. It was pretty detailed—like, they wanted to see every shutoff valve and even the slope on the drain lines. I figured that was standard, but now I’m wondering if it’s just my city being picky. Did your checklist have weirdly specific stuff too, or was it more general? I almost missed showing the vent stack because it wasn’t on the list, but the inspector still asked for it. Guess it pays to be over-prepared...
I almost missed showing the vent stack because it wasn’t on the list, but the inspector still asked for it. Guess it pays to be over-prepared...
- My checklist was all over the place—some stuff super specific (like, “show the T&P valve discharge termination”), other things just “verify drain lines.” No mention of vent stacks either, but yeah, inspector wanted to see it anyway.
- I get why they’re picky, but honestly, half the time it feels like a moving target. I’ve had in-person inspections where they barely glanced at half this stuff.
- Virtual seems more strict, maybe because they can’t poke around themselves? Or maybe it’s just my city being extra cautious after a few bad jobs slipped through.
- I always prep for more than what’s listed. Costs nothing but a little extra time, and if you miss something, you risk a re-inspection fee (which is just... ugh).
- If you’re on a budget like me, double-check with the inspector before your appointment. Quick email or call can save you from surprises and extra costs.
Not sure if it’s standard everywhere, but I’d rather be too thorough than pay twice.
ugh).
Title: Getting The City To Check Your Pipes: In-Person Or Virtual Inspection?
That’s a good point about the re-inspection fees—those can add up fast if you’re not careful. I’ve only done the virtual inspection once, and honestly, it was more nerve-wracking than I expected. The inspector kept asking me to zoom in or move the camera, and I was worried I’d miss something important. Ended up having to reschedule because my WiFi cut out halfway through, which was frustrating (and yes, they charged for the second visit).
In-person felt less stressful for me, even though it meant waiting around. The inspector just did their thing and pointed out a couple of minor issues on the spot. No tech hiccups, no worrying about camera angles. I get why virtual is appealing—less disruption to your day—but if you’re not super confident with video calls or your internet is spotty, it might not be worth the risk.
If you do go virtual, maybe make a dry run with your phone or tablet first? That helped me catch a few awkward spots before the actual inspection. Just my two cents—sometimes old-school is easier on the nerves (and wallet).