In my town, try the "dropping $100 bills" and the inspector calls the cops...Really--I think they got drummed out of the "New Jersey Inspector Club" for being honest.

What I did was go down and talk to them about my pool concept and what were the restrictions I needed to abide by. While they were abrupt and ranted "I can't be helping everyone" they STILL went and got me xeroxes of codes and looked at my concepts to tell me if I was in the ballpark or not.

They required mods of my original plans: vague items they interpreted in the most restrictive ways. But when it as inspected, since I didn't deviate from my plans (at least not noticeably) I got approval on the pool itself first time out.

The moral: Do your homework on what is required. Ask the inspectors what you need to be compliant BEFORE you submit your plans. Find out if your town's inspectors are clean or bribable--I can't suggest you bribe them--that IS a crime. But being a cheerful, curious homeowner "I WANT to do it right the first time" should get them to want to help you JUST to get you out of their hair.

And, if a builder tells you an inspector is tough, absurd and a so-and-so who makes people do crazy stuff, (but he's honest) he's probably the ONE guy you WANT inspecting you pool!