Attend only if you can dress like a tradesperson and be a fly on the wall. Be prepared to witness negotiation, a realization it is much quicker and less thorough than you imagined, and your tax dollars may be paying for the inspector's nap at 3:30 in your driveway because he doesn't want to drive back to the office prior to going home at 5:00.

"She's the homeowner, she's allowed to be at inspections."

That's what the inspector told my contractor when I showed up unannounced to the first inspection and my contractor did not seem happy.

As long as you don't get in the way or slow things down there shouldn't be any issues.

By the end of the project, my contractor wasn't even coming to the inspections and I was the only person meeting with the inspector and telling the inspector what was done in the parts he couldn't see. So yeah, I recommend going.

For me the village building inspector was my advocate, am so very glad I attended every inspection. The inspection fees were $$$ well spent, probably the only area where I received more value in return than $$$ spent.

"Be prepared to witness negotiation, a realization it is much quicker and less thorough than you imagined" Calibrating your expectations is important. Inspections by building dept. inspectors are not a comprehensive review of the home's construction versus local building code requirements. They are more like an audit; a sampling. Don't expect any part to focus on quality (e.g., plumb, level, square, etc.) or aesthetics.

In the municipalities in which we build, inspectors have a pretty full plate every day. They do not have time to educate home owners. If you become a drag on inspectors' time, that word will get around the office and they'll look for opportunities to inspect the work when you're not there.

I'm with Trudy P on this one, as long as you don't get in the way, it shouldn't be a problem. If it makes a difference to you, you can be there, why not.