Inspection
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Universal inspector documenting structural work at the Jones Beach project
Service · Special Inspections

The inspection the code requires.

NYCDOB Class 1 special and progress inspections — structural observation, code-required verification, and the signed statements the department needs before it will sign off.

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Class 1 · Since 1994
01
The Brief

The building department does not accept assurances. It accepts a signed inspection record.

Special inspections are not a courtesy review. They are a code obligation with named inspectors, prescribed frequencies and statements of responsibility that follow the project from foundation to sign-off.

Universal has been certified by the New York City Department of Buildings since 1994 and is an IAS-accredited special inspection agency under the AC291, AC473 and AC478 programs. Our inspectors hold ICC, ACI, AWS and ASNT certifications in the categories they inspect.

Inspected. Recorded. Signed.

02
Capabilities

Inspection categories.

The special and progress inspection categories we are certified and approved to perform.

01
Structural concrete
Reinforcing placement, formwork, cast-in-place operations and post-installed anchors under continuous or periodic inspection.
ICC · ACI
02
Structural steel & welding
High-strength bolting, shop and field welding, and connection details verified by certified welding inspectors.
AWS CWI
03
Structural masonry
Unit placement, reinforcement, grouting and prism sampling for reinforced masonry assemblies.
ICC
04
Foundations & earthwork
Subgrade preparation, fill placement, pile and caisson installation, and underpinning observation.
Geotechnical
05
Fire protection & resistance
Sprayed fire-resistive material, firestopping and fire-resistance rated construction.
Life safety
06
Progress inspections
Energy code, elevator, façade and the progress items required for temporary and final certificates of occupancy.
NYCDOB
Sequence

When each inspection happens.

The same categories, placed in the order the building actually goes up — from subsurface through final sign-off. Step through the seven sequences below.

53IAS-accredited inspection categories across 7 construction sequences.

Sequence 1 / 7

Drag to orbit · Click a band on the building or use arrow keys · Geometry is diagrammatic, not a project drawing.

    Universal is a nationally accredited Special Inspection Agency by IAS — 53 inspection categories across 7 construction sequences. West Babylon, NY · Miami, FL · est. 1992.

    03
    Deliverables

    What the department sees.

    TR1
    Technical report
    Statements of responsibility and inspection sign-off filed on the department's forms.
    DAILY
    Field reports
    Dated observation reports naming the inspector, the category and the result.
    NCR
    Deficiency notice
    Written notice of non-conforming work issued the day it is observed.
    LOG
    Inspection log
    A running record of every required inspection and whether it has been satisfied.
    PACKAGE
    Sign-off package
    The assembled record the department requires before a certificate is issued.
    CRED
    Inspector credentials
    Current certifications for every inspector assigned to the project, available on request.
    04
    How We Work

    Certified, scheduled, filed.

    The obligation is procedural, so the process is too — from identifying categories to filing the final report.

    01
    Scope & filing
    We identify the required inspection categories from the approved drawings and file the statements of responsibility.
    02
    Scheduling
    Inspections are scheduled against the construction sequence, so continuous categories are staffed continuously.
    03
    Field inspection
    A certified inspector observes the work in person and records the observation the same day.
    04
    Deficiency tracking
    Non-conforming work is logged, reported, and tracked through correction to re-inspection.
    05
    Sign-off
    We assemble and file the final technical report so the certificate is never waiting on our paperwork.

    An inspection that was performed but never recorded did not happen. The record is the work.

    Where to next

    Filing a project in the five boroughs?

    Send the approved drawings and the schedule. We will identify the required inspection categories and confirm coverage within one business day.