1. (a) The TPIA/TPI shall conduct announced or unannounced inspections at the manufacturing facility at reasonable, but varying, intervals to review any and all aspects of the manufacturer's production and compliance control program. The TPIA/TPI shall conduct inspections in accordance with procedures established by the Texas Industrialized Building Code Council. In order to determine if the compliance control program is working as set forth in the compliance control manual, inspection of every visible aspect of every module shall normally be made at least at one point prior to completion of the structural, plumbing, mechanical, or electrical phase. Inspection of system testing shall be made at least one every third inspection. It is the manufacturer's responsibility to assure that the inspections are accomplished as outlined in this subsection. The department will determine the frequency of modular component inspections.
2. (b) Inspections at the manufacturing facility shall be increased in frequency as necessary to assure that the manufacturer is performing in accordance with the approved compliance control manual.
3. (c) The commissioner, at his discretion, may require, or may authorize upon written request by the manufacturer, the use of council approved third party inspectors to perform in-plant inspections. The manufacturer must designate in writing the third party inspection agency that will be performing in-plant inspections. A manufacturer may designate more than one third party inspection agency to perform in-plant inspections. However, once an agency has begun the in-plant inspection on the modules for a project or building, the manufacturer may not change inspection agencies for that project or building. Third party inspection agencies must provide the department a written schedule of inspections a minimum of seven days prior to the inspection. If the inspection must be rescheduled for any reason, the TPIA must immediately inform the department of the schedule change. If an approved third party inspector is utilized, fees may be paid directly to the third party inspector.
4. (d) The department shall monitor and evaluate the performance of third party inspectors and design review agencies and make performance reports and recommendations to the council as may be necessary.
5. (e) The manufacturer shall reimburse the department an hourly monitoring fee for expenses incurred outside headquarters in monitoring the performance of the third party inspection agency.
6. (f) The TPI shall furnish the manufacturer a copy of the inspection report upon completion of the in-plant inspection. The report must be kept in the manufacturer's file at least five years.

Source Note:The provisions of this §70.61 adopted to be effective November 16, 1993, 18 TexReg 7925; amended to be effective August 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 6619; amended to be effective March 16, 1998, 23 TexReg 1305.