I noticed that my feeder cable from my sub panel to my main panel is just laying on some of the plumbing, not really attached to the floor joists. We have a final inspection scheduled for Monday and I told him we should cancel it considering there is still MEP work that needs to be done. He says its fine and it will pass final. Am I crazy to think that this work should be done before final inspection? He also said that I don’t have a right to stop the inspection even though my opinion differs from their idea of “substantial completion.”
Also to add the icing on the cake, I was naive and already paid the invoice he sent for MEP even though there is this issue with the power along with outlets not working, there is still some stuff like the sewer cleanout that needs to be done, and the air conditioning is not working…
It’s not unusual for inspection to happen before work has completed - i wouldnt let that get to you.
In fact - it’s often the contractor who is responsible for obtaining the permit and scheduling required inspections. Don’t push them to cancel, otherwise they might complain that you’re interfering with their side of the contract.
Instead, alert the building official of any concerns about code compliance or dangerous conditions, and then let them complete the inspection. They’ll either flag those things to the contractor and give them a contingent pass, or they’ll fail them and have them schedule another.
Either way - if somehow they make it to the end of their work without fixing it, you’ll need to pursue the non-compliance section of your contract with them. Usually that’s withholding final payment, and ultimately there’s small claim litigation if that fails. Maybe your insurance agent can help you if it comes to that, but honestly it’s a huge pain in the ass for something that’s usually pretty small.
Ill just add - sometimes the contractor will get lazy because they know it’s easier for you to make the repairs yourself then it is to litigate a broken contract. You’ll have to decide yourself if that’s true or not.
Thanks that’s very grounding insight and advice. I know it’s ultimately not worth trying to fight it but when they push me around I end up getting frustrated and emotional.