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Evansville City staff discuss switching contractor exams to PSI and inspection photo policies
Summary
Building staff discussed replacing the current contractor exam vendor with PSI, concerns about test format and references, steamfitter testing changes, and the department's approach to accepting inspection photographs and cross-jurisdiction coordination.
City building staff discussed potential changes to contractor testing and inspection procedures, including using PSI as a testing vendor and accepting photographic evidence for some inspections.
On testing, staff said many other states use PSI and that PSI offers a single 80-question exam format rather than a two-part test. Staff reported they have sent or will send questionnaires to PSI to collect fee and administration details, and said steamfitters appear to have a different or new test already in place. Staff also said the previous exam contractor had stopped updating materials, prompting the search for a new vendor.
On inspections, staff discussed occasional acceptance of contractor-supplied photographs to document work or missing items; the building inspector said photos can be used in limited circumstances to verify work already inspected or to triage follow-up visits, but staff noted photographs can reveal issues in other trades and create extra follow-up work. Staff also described coordination with a Kentucky inspector for work at Ellis Park, which lies across the river but outside Evansville City jurisdiction; the Kentucky inspector asked staff to take photos and send them for his review.
Separately, staff briefly raised concerns about storm-damage repair and utility restoration, noting that CenterPoint is no longer a local utility and that priorities for restoration and contractor response can vary. Staff emphasized that permit and inspection requirements still apply for storm repairs.
Why it matters: changes to testing vendors affect how contractors qualify for licenses; photo-acceptance policies and cross-jurisdiction coordination affect inspection turnaround and how quickly contractors and property owners can complete repairs.
Next steps: staff said they will send a questionnaire to PSI and collect information about fees and exam format and continue coordinating inspection procedures and cross-jurisdiction communication.
