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SAWHORSE
Charleston City to allow builders to hire independent inspectors
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20151221/PC16/151229980/1177/city-to-allow-builders-to-hire-independent-inspectors
The construction business is booming, leaving the city of Charleston without enough building inspectors to keep up with the demand, city leaders say.
To deal with the shortage, the city will allow builders and developers to independently hire inspectors, raising at least some concern about conflicts of interest.
Laura Cabiness, director of the city’s Department of Public Service, said the city now has 10 inspectors, but it should have 12. It hasn’t been successful filling the remaining two positions, she said.
Charleston City Council in October unanimously approved the plan.
Councilman Dean Riegel said he ultimately voted in favor of it, but he thinks the city needs to be careful about potential conflicts of interest. “If a builder is behind schedule, it’s human nature to ask an inspector to help hurry things along a little.”
Cabiness said the city has included safeguards in the plan. Developers who want to use third-party inspectors will only be allowed to use those that the city has pre-qualified, she said.
The independent inspectors must be bonded, insured and certified by the state, she said.
And nobody is required to hire an independent inspector. They can wait for the free city inspector to do the work.
She also said the independent inspectors will do mostly the routine things. And the city will conduct regular spot checks.
The city currently is vetting third-party inspectors, and developers should be able to begin using them in early 2016.
“It’s a really smart thing to do right now,” Cabiness said. “There’s a lot of building going on.”
Edye Graves, the city’s chief building inspector, said new buildings require multiple inspections. A simple, single-family home requires at least 14 of them, she said.
Philip Ford, executive vice president of the Charleston Trident Homebuilders Association, said his group was very supportive of the plan. “It’s just an option for builders if they want to get their project going faster.”
Such systems work effectively in other places, Ford said. “And there are protections in place. You can’t just go out and hire anybody.”
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20151221/PC16/151229980/1177/city-to-allow-builders-to-hire-independent-inspectors
The construction business is booming, leaving the city of Charleston without enough building inspectors to keep up with the demand, city leaders say.
To deal with the shortage, the city will allow builders and developers to independently hire inspectors, raising at least some concern about conflicts of interest.
Laura Cabiness, director of the city’s Department of Public Service, said the city now has 10 inspectors, but it should have 12. It hasn’t been successful filling the remaining two positions, she said.
Charleston City Council in October unanimously approved the plan.
Councilman Dean Riegel said he ultimately voted in favor of it, but he thinks the city needs to be careful about potential conflicts of interest. “If a builder is behind schedule, it’s human nature to ask an inspector to help hurry things along a little.”
Cabiness said the city has included safeguards in the plan. Developers who want to use third-party inspectors will only be allowed to use those that the city has pre-qualified, she said.
The independent inspectors must be bonded, insured and certified by the state, she said.
And nobody is required to hire an independent inspector. They can wait for the free city inspector to do the work.
She also said the independent inspectors will do mostly the routine things. And the city will conduct regular spot checks.
The city currently is vetting third-party inspectors, and developers should be able to begin using them in early 2016.
“It’s a really smart thing to do right now,” Cabiness said. “There’s a lot of building going on.”
Edye Graves, the city’s chief building inspector, said new buildings require multiple inspections. A simple, single-family home requires at least 14 of them, she said.
Philip Ford, executive vice president of the Charleston Trident Homebuilders Association, said his group was very supportive of the plan. “It’s just an option for builders if they want to get their project going faster.”
Such systems work effectively in other places, Ford said. “And there are protections in place. You can’t just go out and hire anybody.”
