Release Date: Dec 11, 2008
File:

Summary:
Montgomery County Building Regulations operates as a special revenue fund within the Montgomery County government, with its revenues generated by permit fees paid when constructing and altering buildings.  With the slowdown in the construction industry, the division's workload and revenues have correspondingly decreased to the point that it is reducing its staff.  In addition, the division is making some operational changes to maintain its ability to meet its financial obligations and continue its commitment to providing professional building code enforcement services.

Therefore, effective January 5, 2009, several changes will be made in order to allow the Building Regulations staff to properly process permits and conduct inspections.  Those changes include:
• The front office counter will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (instead of 5:00 p.m.)  All permit submittals, pick-ups, and fee payments, as well as all inspection scheduling, whether requested at the counter or by phone, must be done by 4:30 p.m.
• Inspection requests for all over-the-counter permits, such as for furnace or electric service replacements, must be made at least two days out.
• Inspection requests will be honored for the next business day for a certain number of inspections, up to the limits the inspection staff can responsibly conduct that day.  Once that limit has been reached, inspection requests will be scheduled for two days out. 
• When multiple inspections are needed for the same project, sub-trade inspections such as electrical, HVAC, alarm or sprinkler inspections must be scheduled, conducted, and approved before the general construction rough and final inspections will be conducted.  For example, contractors will no longer be able to schedule rough electric and rough framing inspections for the same day.  They will have to schedule the rough electric to be inspected one day, and the rough building to be inspected the following day.
• Once an inspection is scheduled, inspectors will be able to give out times for when they will be at the job site within a two hour time frame only between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. the morning of the inspection.  If they are not called during that one half hour window, they will assume the job will be ready and available for inspection anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. that day.  After 8:00 a.m., if the job cannot be available for inspection anytime during the inspectors workday, only cancellations can be made, but two hour times cannot be given out. 
• Once inspectors have left the office to go into the field, their use of cell phones will be limited to answering technical questions about jobs they have scheduled that day.  All other calls will be directed to their office phones. The inspectors will be available between 3:00 and 3:30 p.m. to respond to such inquiries.
• Public research of permit records may be done between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., but the clerical staff will not be able to do records research for the public, other than showing them where the files are.

Note that no changes are planned for the staffing of the Satellite Office in Washington Township, and the Commercial Plans Examiner and the Chief Building Official will still be available to answer questions between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 

Any questions about these changes should be directed to Maury Wyckoff, Chief Building Official, at 937-225-4586, or wyckoffm@mcohio.org.