If you're involved in construction,
sooner or later you're going to disagree
with a building inspector. Most of the
time, the building inspector will win
because he can shut you down if he
believes you aren't doing something
right. Besides, the inspector usually
knows the code better than you ever will.
Sometimes, though, there's honest disagreement
about what's necessary to
meet the code. While many communities
have adopted one of the uniform
building codes, most have included some
local variations that are often the source
of conflict between builders and inspectors.
But there's room for disagreement in
any building code because the codes are
written to achieve a broadly stated outcome
— the safety of the public —