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Building official outlines Chapter 150: adopted codes, manufactured-home standards, inspections and hours
Summary
Building official summarized Chapter 150: the city's adopted building-code editions, manufactured-home standards under the Arizona Department of Housing agreement, inspection staffing and use of outside contracted inspectors, construction hours and planned transition to the 2024 code cycle.
Brigham Bennett, the city's building official, reviewed Chapter 150 of the municipal code at the March 18 work session, summarizing the technical codes the city applies and operational details for permitting and inspections.
Bennett said the city enforces the international building code suite (the presentation noted the 2018 edition for several IBC elements and the 2017 National Electrical Code) and that those technical documents together represent several thousand pages of technical requirements that govern building design and inspection. He said the city has an intergovernmental agreement with the Arizona Department of Housing for manufactured-home standards and that the Department of Housing also establishes certain fees the city charges for those permits.
Bennett described inspection staffing: routine inspections are performed by city staff (Bennett and the city inspector Philip Licki were named), and the city maintains contracts with up to four outside firms that can provide certified inspectors when staff are unavailable. He said those contracted inspections are budgeted as part of the building division operating budget.
On construction hours, Bennett said the typical hours are adjusted seasonally (winter/summer hours); in cooler months currently approximate work hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and in summer start times move earlier to avoid heat. He said the city may approve work outside regular hours in limited cases for large projects (for example, the Microsoft data center has been allowed night concrete pours where the project is not near residences).
Bennett said staff plan to adopt the 2024 building-code edition and that the fire marshal and building division will prepare the adoption documents after the fiscal-year start.
Councilmembers asked whether the city uses outside contractors for inspections; Bennett confirmed the city does use outside certified inspectors when staff are unavailable and said that the practice is budgeted.
