My experiences with the inspection community have been generally professional, even positive. Yet, the current job has introduced me to a particularly vexing sort of inspector.

Mind you, this gent is professional in his manner, and seems to mean well. The problem is, well, he's rather limited in his exposure. Here are some of the matters we've had extensive conversations over:

1) Support of EMT. Specifically, where it passes through light steel framing. I've been using some plastic "mickey mouse" bushings, the same ones used by the plumber. This has led to quite a discussion about whether the pieces need to be UL listed for use with conduit. Last we spoke, he was still puzzled on the NEC's failure to require supports to be listed;

2) Grounding pigtails. Or, specifically, the use of ordinary wire nuts to connect them together, rather than using the "greenies." I'm not sure he can understand the UL explanation I provided;

3) The use of colored tape to identify larger wires as to phase and voltage. He has the opinion that if colored wire is made, we're supposed to use it. This particular issue has not been a problem for me- but I was shocked to hear him express that sentiment;

4) He expects MC used for 277 circuits to have the outer jacket marked with "480 volt" wire colors. Heaven forbid we use use black wire MC as a lighting whip on a brown circuit - but he'd never notice brown MC on a 'yellow circuit;' and,

5) Our use of stranded MC has him completely confused, as he's never seen it before. Since we're using it for the low-voltage side of LED lighting, he has unfortunately decided it's for low-voltage only.

So far, he's been more amusing than annoying. Have you ever encountered such an interesting inspector?