Inspections aren’t pass / fail like school. It might feel that way, but in reality, most “fails” are minor, fixable, and normal. My latest inspection was the same.

Were there major issues? No.
Did they all pass with flying colours? Also no.
And that’s normal.

I'm sharing why our last inspection did not pass to help you understand why you don’t need to panic.

Every Inspector Is Different

Homeowners worry when they hear they didn’t pass; suddenly questioning every trade involved, wondering if something was done wrong, or assuming the workmanship wasn’t up to par.

But here’s the thing: most inspections don’t fail because of poor quality or lack of skill. That’s not what inspectors are looking for. Their job isn’t to assess how “nice” something looks or how well it was built, it’s to make sure it meets code. Period.

I’ve known inspectors who have passed some pretty rough work. Not because they wanted to, but because it technically met code. Whereas beautiful work can get flagged simply because one small detail wasn’t code-compliant.

So when inspections fail, it’s usually because:

• Something wasn’t built to code

• A requirement was missed or misinterpreted

• The wrong fastener, bracket, or material was used

• A detail (like blocking or fire stops) was forgotten during a rush to meet the deadline

• Documentation or permits weren’t on-site or visible

• Or paperwork was missing or not sent in in time

And here’s where it gets a little complicated: every inspector is different. Some are strict, some are more relaxed, and there’s a surprising amount of grey area in how building codes are interpreted. What one inspector might pass another might not blink twice at, and vice versa. It’s not always black and white.

A Real-Life Example: The Barn

Take our latest project, the barn: a detached accessory building, aka. a workshop with a rec. room above. We weren't ready to completely finish the build, but the city forced our final inspection. So when we had our insulation inspected, we walked through with the inspector and asked, What is the bare minimum to get our final inspection approved?

He said some inspectors will require all drywall to be mudded and taped, while others won’t care. Some will want finished floors, others won’t. But here is X, Y, and Z that must be done.

When it came down to it, our inspector didn’t care about the mud and tape. Didn’t care about the plywood floors. But he did flag our exposed spray-foam insulation on the 10’ ceiling. The last inspector didn’t say a word about it, but this one wanted it covered. So we grabbed some drywall and got it done.

It’s Not a Test, It’s a Checkpoint

That’s how inspections go. They’re not pass / fail in the way we like to think. They’re checkpoints—things that just need to get wrapped up before you move forward.

Inspections are there to keep things safe, keep things moving, and yes, occasionally give you a minor heart attack. So if you get flagged for something, don’t panic. Fix it. Keep going. No project is ever built in a straight line and no home is ever truly “finished.”