Inspector "flips out" when I ask if I can drill a couple 5/8" wire holes in a 5x12 GluLam. Basically - don't even think about it W/O full on set of engineered drawings!
Really - Engineering for a couple wire holes.
How do you deal with these guys on a regular basis!?
I don't see how you can make a move w/o a full time on site inspector?
Now I got to sweat next 4 months because a few lags have been put in w/o engineering calcs.
I'm only talkin' a couple small round holes in center of center third of 16' span in a 5x12 NOT a 9" duct hole right next to bearing wall.
Man I'm so sick of this...........

Are you referring to a glue-laminated beam, or a laminated veneer lumber beam? They are two different things.

If it's a laminated veneer lumber beam, holes are permitted in the middle third of the length of the beam and the middle third of the depth of the beam only, and the space between the holes must be two times the diameter of the largest hole. This applies ONLY to uniformly loaded beams! If there are concentrated loads on the beam, then the inspector is correct in requiring engineering.

You deal with "these guys" on a regular basis by humbling yourself before them, doing their work for them, and by not fighting them but complying with their wishes. You will find that they are often correct.

Every manufacturer of LVL's makes available a chart of permitted hole locations and sizes. It is easy to obtain, and will probably satisfy the inspector if you get one for him.

Thanks for reply Richard,

It's GluLam NOT any other. This is so frustrating because I have LOTS of LSL & TJI specified by Weyerhauser TJI layout. Problem is they don't supply the GluLams.
My plan was (is) engineered but so what. The guy has done things like say "I don't care what the Weyerhauser plan says - you put blocking on your page so I'm gonna make you do it"
Clearly the TJI plan should take precedence over anything that I wrote down.
Based on his logic he could say "I don't care about your Roof Truss Mfgrs Engineered drawings - I want you to build it the way you wrote down' That would be ludicrous since I am not an engineer, archtect or anything else.
I can got to my Engineer to get a sealed plan for 2 5/8" wire holes but that's just embarrassing to have to ask him for that PLUS - it will only antagonize the inspector so it doesn't help me either way.
So as usual I will kowtow and find a (more expensive) way around the problem.

Write the letter for your engineer, and just ask him to re-write it on his letterhead and seal it. That should be sufficient for the inspector, and I don't know about your engineer, but I would never charge for such a thing. The same principles that are published for LVL's also apply to true GluLams.

Another approach is drill the holes first and ask questions later, if at all. If anything is said, THEN get the letter from the engineer.