George,

I find more often than a cutomer elects to hire a professional, or at the very least elects to have work and is forced to hire a professional, but at some point they make a choice. Very rarely is someone forced to have work done and forced to hire a pro.

But I disagree, a pro should know enough to get the job done right.....acording to the inspector is another matter. And I'm not talking major stuff here like what size to fuse #12. I'm talking the stuff that get's disagreed upon everyday around here. The stuff that is more than acceptable everywhere else you do work and then one day blindsides you because one particular inspector has a hang-up. And yes you could debate endlessly (as occationally happens here) but in the end less time would be spent just "correcting" it after the AHJ knows where you stand. Either way (in some places) your going to have to have a reinspect fee paid before they reschedule.

And yes the customer should foot the bill for things he has no control over when it comes to his property. He has little control over his taxes, over his permit fees, over approval of his plans, and of who his AHJ is.

and on a small job it just doesn't pay to have me waiting around at $75/hr between the hrs of 8:00-4:30 to try to avoid a $40-60 reinspect fee.