Construction Inspection Handbook

The inspection team must become familiar with the plans and the specifica- tions; they form the basis upon which the QC inspection is made. The in- spector must realize that errors and omissions will be discovered, and will have to be duly reported to management. Wherever an error or omission is substantial, it is appropriate to review it with the designer first to ensure that the error noted is valid. The QC inspection team is on the job to be objective, and to enforce the contract as written. When the contract does not suffice to cover the work conditions, then the Inspector should request the opportunity to prepare an appropriate clarification or change order to the contract. The question of whether a change order is to result in a credit to the owner or to the contractor is a matter of interpretation of the plans and specifications. The Inspector should exercise great care to avoid casual commitment or agreement with change items, and should first research a change or requirement in the plans and specifications to determine that it is not included in the contractual scope-either partially or completely.
Next, the inspector should collaborate with the management team, receiving their agreement before making any commitments or carrying on any conclusive discussions with the contractor. From that point on, standard change order procedures, approvals, and doc- umentation should be followed.