County approves Appia construction administration software licenses for inspectors

St. Joseph County commissioners on April 1 approved a license agreement to provide construction administration and inspection software to county field inspectors.

Skye Meaders of the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Growth said the county’s previous inspection records system relied on Excel workbooks with macros and multiple users with access to a single password, which created versioning and tracking problems. The department evaluated a web-based system from Appia (Appia Construction Administration and Inspection Services) and requested seven licenses to allow field staff to document inspections, pay applications and change orders in the field.

Meaders told the board the county received one free license this year as a discount, bringing the first-year cost to about $14,000. He said the per-license annual cost used during the presentation was roughly $1,750; the county expects to include renewal costs in future budgets. Staff said the tool should reduce time spent reconciling paper and spreadsheet records and centralize project documentation.

Commissioners Morton, Hazen and Maxmeier voted aye to approve the license agreement.