Third Party and Special Inspections

Department: Field OPs 

Topic: Third Party and Special Inspections 

Objective 

Understand requirements for third party and special inspections in addition to standard AHJ/building and IFA/tax credit inspections. 

Background 

All jobs require some form of third party or special inspections. Often municipalities rely on third party inspections to look at scopes they do not self-inspect. These inspections are also an independent source of verifying quality and code compliance between the contractor and owner. Third party inspections are paid for by the owner as a means of verifying independent review of a contractor’s work. As the GC, we are responsible for coordination of all third-party inspections. 

Things to Consider 

Third party inspectors are working on multiple projects. It is imperative to schedule these inspections in advance. Often these inspections will take place within a window of time, especially on scopes like concrete pours when the readiness of the work to be inspected, the delivery of material (concrete trucks on site), and the inspection must be coordinated in a very detailed manner. Generally, the subcontractor will help determine the exact time an inspection will be needed. Close coordination is crucial. 

Weather can also play a crucial role in scheduling third party inspections. Is it better to schedule a proof roll before or after a big rain? Will freezing temperatures affect the work? These things must be considered when proceeding with work and scheduling third party inspections. 

Third party inspections are required to be documented in Procore. Third party inspection templates exist to verify readiness and document passing inspections. Inspections for every job should be setup during job startup. 

Prerequisites 

Job Startup 

3 Week Lookahead Schedules 

Procore- Inspections 

Procore- Daily Logs 

Koester Expectations: Daily Log 

Steps 

1. Determine required third party and special inspections during job startup meeting. 

2. PE/PM should create inspections in Procore for all third-party inspections. 

3. Review upcoming inspections during weekly team meetings to schedule Procore inspections. 

4. Verify with AHJ how special inspections are to be delivered. AHJ will require copies of all special inspections reports. Typically the proper person can be added to the distribution list used by the testing agency. 

5. Get a copy of all special inspections from the testing agent while on site. If the testing agency plans to write reports off-site, you still need a written verification of a passing inspection. 

6. Typical third party and special inspections are listed below. Verify all third party inspection requirements. 

1. Sitework 

1. Verify proctors have been collected for all import soils for density testing. 

2. Prior to fill operations, density or proof roll to determine suitability of soil for fill. 

3. Fill lift testing- Generally 8-12” lifts will be tested by density tests during fill operations. If multiple tests are expected per day, coordination is crucial. 

4. On larger fill sites, consolidation may need to take place. Various methods are used. Verify prior to fill operations what testing will be needed to ensure soils consolidation as plates may need to be installed prior to fill. 

5. Building pad compaction- Verify proof roll or density testing method. 

6. Paving compaction- Verify proof roll or density testing method. 

2. Site utilities 

1. Water or sewer taps can be subject to third party testing or inspection. Water can also require inspection by water utility for the municipality.  

2. Pressure or vacuum testing may be required prior to backfill. 

3. Verify bedding aggregate depth. 

4. Backfill compaction- may be required in lifts. 

3. Concrete- concrete has several third party inspections including cure testing. 

1. Footing bearing- density testing prior to placing rebar. 

2. Rebar inspection- verify sizing, ties and spacing. 

3. Formwork- verify ties and bracing. 

4. Concrete placement 

1. Verify mix design for pour. 

2. Verify intervals for testing. Varies by job but typically every 50 yards. 

3. If multiple tests need to be performed during a pour, verify schedule with subcontractor and testing agent. 

4. Have batch tickets available for inspection. Mix and time data are used to verify the correct mix is in the truck and has not timed out. 

5. Air entrainment- testing prior to pour to verify proper air. 

6. Slump- cone testing prior to pour to verify slump in truck. You are not allowed to add water after slump testing. 

7. Test cylinders- 3 or 4 test cylinders will be made for testing typically at 7, 14 and 28-day intervals. Do not allow subcontractor to make test cylinders. Proper procedure must be used to ensure the proper testing later. Prepare additional cylinder if an early break is desired. 

5. Concrete breaks- Typical at 7, 14 and 28 days. Any concrete that is not to strength after 28 days is considered failed and will need to be removed and replaced. 

4. Special steel inspections- typically structural steel will require an additional testing agent specializing and certified in steel inspections. This is often not the main third party inspection agency for the job. Verify what agent will be doing special steel inspections. 

1. Column and beam sizing are verified. 

2. Welds are inspected for location, type and quality. 

3. Bolts are checked for proper torque tightness. 

4. Anchor bolts are checked for tightness. 

5. Grouting under base plates will be inspected. 

5. Framing- some municipalities require third party framing inspections similar to standard AHJ inspections. See Progress Inspections- AHJ 

6. Energy code compliance- can be by main third party inspecting agent or energy consulting firm (see IFA inspections) 

1. Typically for multifamily tax credit projects. Some municipalities require energy code third party testing as part of the overall inspections package. Verify energy code compliance requirements during project startup. 

See Also 

Progress Inspections- AHJ 

IFA and Tax Credit Inspections 

Certificate of Occupancy- Final Inspections Checklist