When this situation occurs, it is generally because the required work is something the contractor should have known and completed, or it is the result of incomplete or unclear plans.
Inspectors cannot require additional work that is not supported by the approved plans or the applicable building codes. Their job is to verify that the project is being built in accordance with the approved plans and the applicable codes. If an inspector identifies an error in the plans or determines that something required by the code is missing, they may issue a correction notice. That correction should reference the specific code section that applies.
Once issued, the correction must be addressed by the design team—typically the architect or engineer—and then resubmitted to the building department for review and approval.
It is also important to understand that not every code requirement is explicitly written on the plans. If every provision of the building codes were reproduced on the drawings, the plan set would be hundreds of pages long. For this reason, construction documents typically include a general note similar to the following:
“All work must comply with the applicable local, county, state, and federal laws and regulations having jurisdiction over the project.”
The contractor is responsible for constructing the project in compliance with all applicable codes, whether or not every detail is explicitly shown on the drawings.
In short, inspectors do not create new requirements in the field. Their role is to enforce the approved plans and the applicable building codes. If a legitimate change is required, it must go through the proper design and approval process rather than being introduced informally during construction.