ICYMI: Moriarty Bill to Expedite Inspection of Construction Signed into Law

Did you ever waste time waiting for an inspector to show up for a construction inspection, with no clear timeframe for when they would arrive? Moriarty understands how frustrating and inconvenient that can be. That’s why he introduced a bill, now signed into law, requiring inspectors to provide a four-hour time window and to notify the owner or agent in charge of that window within 24 hours of receiving the inspection request. This law is designed to create a more predictable, efficient, and timely inspection process.

The bill also requires the Department of Community Affairs to establish a complaint process on their website for an owner or agent if the enforcing agency and inspector violates any aspect of the bill, including:

• Failing to perform the inspection within the time window;

• Failing to provide notice that the enforcing agency is unable to perform a requested or scheduled inspection;

• Failing to perform inspections on the dates of, or during the time windows for, inspections on repeated instances;

• Cancels an inspection on repeated instances sufficient to notably disrupt construction or completion; or

• Is delinquent in the discharge of the enforcing agency’s duties pursuant to the State Uniform Construction Code.

  
  

If these violations are confirmed by the department, the bill would require them to take corrective action against the enforcing agency, including the issuance of penalties. 

The law builds upon previous legislation that similarly worked to expedite inspections of building projects. The amended Uniform Construction Code (UCC) Act provided property owners and contractors with the option of utilizing an authorized private inspection company if the inspection process is not conducted within three business days of a filed request. 

This law guarantees that the process is more streamlined and efficient for owners and, in the long term, for those who benefit from their construction projects. The inspection process is one of the most important steps of construction, as it ensures that all of the key standards and codes are met and when delayed, important construction projects sit in limbo.