Who Hires the Special Inspector in Phoenix and Mesa?

Short answer

The owner does, or the owner's agent, but not the contractor. IBC Section 1704.2, as adopted by Phoenix, Mesa and the other Valley cities, says the owner or the owner's authorized agent, other than the contractor, shall employ one or more approved agencies to perform special inspections and tests. The contract specs can make the GC pay the bill, but the inspection agency still works for the owner. The point is independence: the inspector should not report to the crew doing the work.

How it works on a permit

The design professional in responsible charge fills out the city's Special Inspection Certificate. It lists which Chapter 17 work needs inspection, such as concrete, steel welding and bolting, masonry, post-installed anchors, and fire-resistant penetrations and joints. Phoenix wants the form with the permit submittal. Mesa has its own Special Inspection Certificate on its Construction Forms page. The approved agency and the named inspectors go on the form before work starts.

What owners and GCs get wrong

They hire the inspector after the slab or steel is already going in. Inspections that are continuous by code, like field welding of certain joints or high-strength bolting, can't be done after the fact. Get the agency on the certificate before the first pour.

Where we work

CrossPoint™ covers jobs across the East Valley and Phoenix metro: Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Queen Creek, Apache Junction, Scottsdale, and Phoenix out to the Sky Harbor area. We're on the Loop 202 and US 60 corridors, with easy access to the I-10.

Next step

Send us the plans and the Special Inspection Certificate. We'll tell you what's required and quote it. Call CrossPoint™ at 480-988-6602 — contact us for a quote, 24/7.

CrossPoint Testing and Inspection Services, LLC · 7931 E Pecos Rd, Suite 203, Mesa, AZ 85212 · Veteran-owned