Raven, the new sheetrock maybe the downfall here.
I agree that if the permitt was for an "old work" (retrofit) installation to keep from disturbing a historical finish, NEC article 334.30(B)(1) could be used.
By covering over the old finish, the inspector could argue that preservation was not an issue in the project.
Hopefully some others will jump in here and prove me off base.
Roger
