Committee approves licensing and standards for building officials and private home inspectors

The Senate Business and Labor Standing Committee on Feb. 26 favorably recommended a substitute to House Bill 58, which would license building officials, create a mechanism for reporting common code complaints to the Uniform Building Code Commission, and require licensing for private home inspectors involved in real-estate transactions.

Representative Eli Peterson presented the substitute and credited the Office of Professional Licensure Review (OPLER) for a comprehensive review of building inspection practice. Jeff Shumway of OPLER told the committee the vast majority of building inspectors perform professionally but identified a limited number of municipal departments with inconsistent practices and a lack of a workable appeals process.

The bill requires licensing for the official who enforces code (building official), prescribes qualifications and training, funds a part-time staff position through existing permit fee surcharges, and would require private home inspectors who inspect homes in real-estate transactions to hold a license. Supporters included the League of Cities and Towns, Utah Home Builders Association and contractors who said private home-inspector standards would protect consumers and reduce meritless complaints.

Public testimony included homeowners who described faulty inspections and industry groups who said the licensing would professionalize the field. Representative Peterson said he filed an OPLER review request to continue refining the law in the interim. The committee voted unanimously to advance the substitute.