Special Inspection Manual, 2018

The Special Inspection Manual gives detail to oversight and increased inspection requirements. The manual contains the requirements involving special inspection within the International Building Code, descriptions of the required special inspections, and information on creating a special inspection program.

The manual supports preparation for special inspection certification exams and aids building departments in their creation of procedures and forms to run a special inspection overview program. The guidance in the manual is based on recommended practices and the consensus of building officials, design professionals, and inspection and testing agencies.

Duties and responsibilities of the special inspector, building official, project owner, engineer or architect of record and contractor are defined. This manual is also helpful for design professionals writing statements of special inspections.

The Special Inspection Manual is organized into ten chapters with five appendices. The chapters describe the duties of the individuals and agencies involved in the special inspection process. Interests of inspection and testing agencies, building department personnel, design professionals and contractors in the special inspection process are addressed.

Chapters cover the following topics:

• IBC Chapter 17 minimum requirements to be approved as a special inspector or special inspection agency
• Comparison of jurisdictional inspections, completed by the building department, to special inspections
• Description of the seventeen specific types of special inspection required by the 2018 IBC
• Development of a special inspection program by a building department
• Information about structural observations, proprietary products and accreditation of special inspection agencies

The appendices include detailed information on certification requirements for special inspectors and requirements for accreditation as a special inspection agency, third-party inspection agency, fabricator or testing laboratory. The manual incorporates the content of the Model Program for Special Inspection. Much of the information found in the Model Program is located in Appendix C.