Most of the DIY people ... could care less about the codes.
I doubt that is true. Many of the questions we see right here in this forum are about codes.
If they are trying to even be close to right then they will have their work inspected ...
I doubt that statement also. Some come here asking questions since they know they can legally do work without having an inspector come out, and yet they still want the work to be done properly.
... over 90% of the DIY will neither get a permit nor an inspection ...
Do you happen to know the percentage of that number that is not even required to do so?
... you are saying ... most licensed people won’t buck the system where a DIYer just aren’t going to get an inspection to start with and their attitude is simple, “if it works it is fine, codes be damned.”
I am not saying that at all. A licensed contractor will not "buck the system", so to speak, because s/he could lose his or her license to do work for the rest of us if s/he does, and I have never ever heard anyone say "codes be damned". And especially in my own case, I try to be sure I understand the codes so I can do the work properly even though there is no requirement for me to have everything inspected.
... if [something] wasn’t compliant to the standards of the day it wouldn’t have a grandfather clause to protect it. This is one of the biggest things in remodel work is when an inspector finds something that was never compliant and points it our during his inspection
Yes, and there is definitely a difference between that and something simply being okay until some later work triggers an update. I recently found some splices inside a wall, and those were never supposed to be there and needed fixing even when first made. On the other hand, the service entrance at my house cannot be updated all by itself unless at least a certain amount of other work gets done at the same time.
Overall, however, the matter of "by the book" is what is at the core of this discussion. A licensed contractor (such as the electrician coming out to do my service update) will typically do things "by the book" because s/he must in order to be able to work at all, and s/he will typically do that even though s/he might well know something "slightly less", so to speak, would still be mechanically sound and completely safe ... and then for the most part, the informed and capable DIYer -- never mind the ignorant and incapable ones for the moment -- can typically do work that is mechanically sound and completely safe without having to be concerned about "by the book" repercussions from the governmental body established to protect him or her and others from shoddy work from a contractor. But then even beyond all of that, of course, is the matter of location (such as in a suburban neighborhood as opposed to "out on the farm") ... and that is why there are some jurisdictions where DIY work is hardly ever allowed at all, and that is so the codes will protect one's *neighbors* from sub-standard work.
For yourself, JW, holding to a hard "code" is necessary while training professionals, and it is certainly good when DIYers such as myself have opportunities to listen in ...
... and for that, we thank you.
**tongue-in-cheek**
To my fellow DIYers: Coming here and asking questions of pros is kind of like riding a Yamaha to a hard-core biker rally, and I have been on both sides of that road. They will help you out because they are people caring about people, but sometimes things can get a bit rough! Like Terry and others have mentioned, they have "paid their dues" during training, and they still keep each other "on their toes" where the rest of us are just trying to make a repair of some kind or do a little home improvement and then get back to do whatever else *we* normally do!