Recently I had a student intern to help me do some porch repairs. As we got
started it quickly became apparent that we would have to rebuild the whole
deck structure. Ordinarily I might have just proceeded with the work, but
since the intern was right there keeping track of everything I thought I'd
better stick to the letter of the law and
apply for a permit. So, we went down to city hall to fill out the forms at
the codes enforcement office. We were just over the limit which required
drawings. Well I did not want any further delays, so I just stood right
there at the counter and drew out a set of plans and details free hand,
which
took about half an hour. I surprise myself at how well they came out. The
clerk was please and smiling
as she called over the other clerks to see the drawings. The chief
enforcement officer busseled through on his way somewhere else and wondered
what all the commotion was about. When he saw the drawings and heard that I
had just whipped them up right there at the counter he did not believe it.
He studied the drawings with a grimace, and said he would need a detail
showing the nailing pattern for the joint where there joists meet the
girder. I said I was not planning  to use nails, instead I would mortise the
joists into the girder. I could see the red coming up his neck and into his
face as he quoted the applicable code references one after another. I
sketched up the
required detail (3-dimentional) right in front of him, indicating  load
flows through the joint.  He took a brief glance and began to smile. He
looked around, held the sketch up for everyone to see, and said, "Approved!,
Furthermore, I put you on Self Inspection," just let us know when you are
complete, which ought to give me enough time to deal with this..." waving a
thick file in his hand he wheeled around and stomped out, clearly headed for
trouble on someone else's
project.

This was one of my finer days at the codes enforcement office.

John
by hammer and hand great works do stand
by pencil and thought best plans are wrought