Inspector's Documentation Conflict on a Commercial EIFS Project
You are the EIFS inspector on a commercial project. During your inspection you find that the installed WRB does not match the product named in the approved submittal: a different manufacturer's WRB was substituted, and its published lap requirement is 4 in. (100 mm) rather than the 6 in. (150 mm) shown on the approved submittal. The installed laps measure 5 in. The contractor argues the substitute product is 'equivalent' and points to a code section allowing alternative materials with approval. Your field report from the previous week noted the WRB as 'installed per submittal' because you had not yet checked the label. The project specification requires approved submittals and the code requires the building official's approval for substitutions.
1. How do you handle the discrepancy between the installed product and the approved submittal, and what do you do about your earlier report?
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The earlier report must be corrected promptly and transparently. Issue a revised report or addendum stating that the WRB product differs from the approved submittal and that the previous 'per submittal' note was based on an incomplete check; do not leave an inaccurate record in the file. On the substance, a substitution requires the building official's approval and, per the specification, an approved submittal revision. The contractor's 'equivalent' claim is not self-executing: it must be documented through the submittal process with the manufacturer's data showing equivalence and the code official's acceptance. Until that approval exists, the installed product is not the approved product. Record the product name, the actual lap measurement (5 in.), the substitute product's required lap (4 in.), and the submittal requirement (6 in.) so the record is unambiguous about which standard governs.
2. Does the 5 in. installed lap comply, and how do you document the resolution?
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It depends on which standard governs, and that is exactly why the approval status matters. If the approved submittal's 6 in. lap governs, a 5 in. lap is nonconforming. If the building official approves the substitute product with its 4 in. published lap, a 5 in. lap would comply with that product's instructions. The inspector should not simply pick the more convenient number; the governing requirement must be established in writing. Document the resolution as follows: the nonconformance notice, the contractor's substitution request, the manufacturer's published installation instructions, the building official's written approval or rejection, and a final re-inspection measurement. Close the item only when the governing lap requirement is identified and the installed lap is verified against it, and note the final disposition in the inspection log so the closeout record shows the basis for acceptance.