Springfield, MO area, Flood testing is rare and showers are not inspected. Testing would save a lot of homeowners substantial grief.
Is Springfield near New England? Sorry my geography is not so good with all the US States. I agree with your comment about saving people grief. Sadly I think it is an uneducated labour pool that leads many clients down this road.
Here anyway in Vancouver most bathrooms built never see a city inspector. I can only assume here like the US most bathrooms are built without city inspections. This can do two things.
1). Save a little money on the job
2). Make the builder's life easy as pie since - anything goes if unpoliced and self checked.
I think understanding the basics is so key. If I lived in Maine and asked my tile guy if he was going to do a flood test and he looked at me and said dead straight "They are a waste of time. They are not needed. We never do them." I might think this step was silly. But, living and breathing shower drainage and waterproofing opens your eyes to all the many pitfalls skipping this step opens up.
Never skip a flood test.
I have seen more examples of flood test from my clients abroad than I have seen collective online (excluding my work). Sad really that a group of homeowners coached by me are showing up most if not all online tile men. This is why I think many clients GC their own bathroom renovation. The sad fact is that most bathroom experts really have no clue what they are doing!
JW