Fine as the idea of inspection seems to be, it is diluted by the trend toward "all-in-one," school-educated inspectors- who have mastered no trade.
Inspections/permits seem to be only the start of zoning, land use regulation, urban planning, fee structures, etc. They seem to do little beyond making things harder for the honest guy.
I'm not sure what the solutions is, but the 'traditional' approach of inspections, permits, etc., seems to be lacking.