On-Site Inspections and Reporting Results
This domain tests the inspection process and the quality of what you report: preparation, field evidence, code citations, nonconformance classification, and clear correction requirements.
Inspection process
- Review the approved plans, permits, and previous correction notices before arrival.
- Use a checklist organized by component and code section.
- Photograph nameplates, labels, terminations, clearances, and defects; record meter readings and conditions.
- Test what is testable: rapid shutdown, disconnects, grounding continuity, polarity, insulation resistance, and inverter operation.
- Classify findings by risk: safety, code, workmanship, documentation.
Reporting results
A useful report states the location, the observed condition, the code or plan requirement, and the correction needed. Avoid vague phrases such as not to code. Include the edition and section, and identify whether reinspection is required.
Worked example
At the service equipment, no permanent plaque identifies the PV system. The report should cite NEC 705.10 for identification of power sources and the rapid shutdown marking requirement where applicable, describe the missing directory, photograph the service panel, and require a weather-resistant plaque listing the PV disconnect location and rated AC output. The reasoning: the defect is not the PV hardware but the missing emergency-response information; the correction must be permanent and at the service location.
Traps
- Reporting a defect without a code or plan reference.
- Failing to photograph the condition and the nameplate.
- Mixing observations with opinions.
- Missing reinspection of corrected items.
- Not sending the report to the AHJ and contractor per the inspection program.