[Griff]

The reason tw and I cannot even have a conversation about this is that he's a "freedom from" guy and I'm a "freedom of" guy. None the less, I think I can express part of the issue in terms unrelated to my first principles.

I am assuming that a certificate of occupancy will be issued after the last inspection. The problem with that is that for an owner-builder to be successful he needs to live on-site sometimes for years. Most folks live out of a tent, camper, or shed until the shell of the house is complete. They then complete the utilities and finish work in order of value to them, setting up temporary services where necessary. For a working class or underemployed person this creates the opportunity of home ownership without debt. We often make laws intended to simplify one persons life at the expense of complicating anothers. In this case upper middle-class folks in the Southern part of PA are getting burned by shoddy construction practices. The owner-builder will pay the price because he will no longer exist. So if you want me to get all Ted Kennedy on you, it's a class problem where the middle class is shifting the burden of their problem, which could be addressed in other ways, to the poor and others who wish to be financially secure.

This assumes there is no owner-builder exemption. If there is, I'll shut up and let a builder pick up the arguement.