1.3 Statement of Special Inspections, Approved Agencies & IBC Requirements

Why This Section Matters for GR

Sixty percent of the GR module is Duties and Responsibilities: reviewing the approved plans and specifications for special inspection requirements, and complying with the special inspection requirements of the enforcing jurisdiction. ICC's GR scope statement points candidates to IBC Sections 102 through 104 and 1704 through 1705 and to the Special Inspection Manual. Because GR is open book, success depends on knowing which section answers which question. Section numbers below are from the 2024 IBC; the 2021 IBC uses the same Chapter 17 numbers for the provisions cited, and Chapter 1 differences are noted.

The Parties and Their Roles

Who Employs the Inspector — and Who Cannot

IBC 1704.2 requires that, where a permit application is made, "the owner or the owner's authorized agent, other than the contractor," employ one or more approved agencies to provide special inspections and tests for the work listed in Section 1705, and identify those agencies to the building official. These special inspections are in addition to the building official's own inspections under Section 110; they never replace them.

IBC 1703.1.1 sets the independence rule for the agency: it must be objective, competent and independent from the contractor responsible for the work being inspected, and it must disclose possible conflicts of interest to the building official and the RDPiRC.

The RDPiRC and the engineers of record are permitted to act as the approved agency for work they designed, and their personnel may act as special inspectors, provided they qualify as special inspectors (1704.2.1).

Exceptions to Special Inspection

IBC 1704.2 lists exceptions, including:

• construction of a minor nature, or as warranted by conditions in the jurisdiction, as approved by the building official;
• Group U occupancies accessory to a residential occupancy, unless the building official requires otherwise; and
• portions of structures built to the cold-formed steel light-frame provisions of Section 2206.1.2 or the conventional light-frame provisions of Section 2308.

Qualifications and Access

Qualifications (1704.2.1): Prior to the start of construction, the approved agencies must give the building official written documentation demonstrating the competence and relevant experience or training of the special inspectors who will perform the work. Experience or training counts as relevant when it relates in complexity to the same type of special inspection on projects of similar complexity and material qualities. An ICC certification such as S1 is a common way a jurisdiction confirms competence, but the building official decides what it accepts.

Access (1704.2.2): Work that requires special inspection or testing must remain accessible and exposed until the required inspections or tests are complete. A bolted connection that is enclosed before inspection is a discrepancy, not a reason to skip the inspection.

The Statement of Special Inspections

The statement of special inspections (SSI) is the project's inspection plan. Under 1704.3, where Section 1705 requires special inspections or tests, the RDPiRC prepares the statement, and under 1704.2.3 the applicant submits it as a condition for permit issuance. (An exception allows a qualified person approved by the building official to prepare it for construction not designed by a registered design professional.)

IBC 1704.3.1 requires the statement to identify, among other items:

1. The materials, systems, components and work required to have special inspections or tests.
2. The type and extent of each special inspection.
3. The type and extent of each test.
4. Additional special inspections or tests for seismic or wind resistance.
5. For each type of special inspection, whether it will be continuous, periodic, or performed in accordance with the notation used in the referenced standard where the inspections are defined.

Item 5 matters for steel. AISC 360 does not use "continuous" and "periodic"; its Chapter N tables use Observe (O) and Perform (P). An SSI for structural steel therefore often cites AISC 360 Tables N5.6-1 through N5.6-3 for bolting instead of marking each item continuous or periodic.

IBC 1705.2: Where Steel Inspection Requirements Come From

IBC 1705.2.1 states that special inspections and nondestructive testing of structural steel elements shall be in accordance with the quality assurance inspection requirements of AISC 360. For the S1 inspector, that is the bridge between the building code and the Manual: the IBC says that structural steel must be inspected, and AISC 360 Chapter N (with the RCSC Specification it invokes) says what to inspect.

Related provisions to recognize:

• 1705.2 exception: Special inspection of the steel fabrication process is not required where fabrication for the entire structure involves no welding, thermal cutting or heating of any kind. The fabricator must instead submit a detailed material-control procedure, and mill test reports must be identifiable to the main stress-carrying elements where the approved documents require it.
• 1704.2.5 and 1704.2.5.1: Shop fabrication of structural members requires special inspection during fabrication unless the fabricator is approved. An approved fabricator submits a certificate of compliance to the owner or owner's authorized agent for submittal to the building official (1704.5).
• 1704.6 Structural observations: Where required, a registered design professional employed by the owner observes representative locations of structural systems for general conformance. Structural observation does not replace special inspection.
• 1705.1.1 Special cases: The building official may require special inspections for unusual work, such as alternative materials or systems.

The Building Official's Authority (IBC Chapter 1)

Resolving Code Conflicts

IBC 102.1 says that where a general requirement conflicts with a specific requirement, the specific requirement applies, and where different sections specify different materials or methods, the most restrictive governs. IBC 102.4 makes referenced standards such as AISC 360 part of the code to the extent referenced, and 102.4.1 says that where the code and a referenced standard conflict, the code provisions apply.

Applying It on a Steel Project

Before the first steel delivery, a well-prepared S1 inspector:

1. reads the SSI and lists every steel and bolting task, its frequency and the referenced AISC tables;
2. confirms the agency's qualification documentation was submitted to the building official;
3. notes the report distribution and frequency that the approved documents or the building official require, and the point agreed for the final report;
4. identifies whether any fabricator is approved to work without shop inspection, so its certificate of compliance can be tracked; and
5. confirms which connections are snug-tightened, pretensioned or slip-critical, because the inspection tasks differ.