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Salem Township adopts revised Jobe Inspection Service fee schedule and sewage-enforcement fees effective Jan. 1, 2025
Summary
The board approved Jobe Inspection Service's 2025 plan-review and inspection fees and assigned sewage-enforcement duties and fees, including a single-family inspection rate of $0.35/sq ft and a sewage application fee of $600; resident questions were raised about comparability with other municipalities.
The Salem Township Board on Dec. 18 approved a revised fee schedule from Jobe Inspection Service, LLC for 2025 building plan review and inspection services and separately approved Jobe to perform sewage-enforcement duties under the township's fee schedule. Both actions are effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Key changes to the inspection schedule include a commercial minimum plan-review fee of $450, cumulative square-footage review pricing, a Group R-3 (single-family) review fee of $125 and an inspection fee for single-family dwellings of $0.35 per square foot (up from $0.20). Non-residential inspection fees are calculated at $8.00 per $1,000 of construction cost. Other charges set in the schedule include a re-inspection fee of $125 and an hourly rate of $145 (one-hour minimum).
The board separately approved sewage-enforcement duties for Jobe Inspection Service: monitoring percolation tests, reviewing designs, issuing permits, investigating complaints, inspecting systems, and reviewing planning modules. Sewage-related fees include an application fee for new systems and subdivisions of $600; planning-module review $125; complaint/site visits billed at $145 per hour (one-hour minimum); and repair permits $450.
Resident Eric Hageder and Tom Ridella asked whether the rates were comparable to other Building Code Officials (BCOs) and suggested checking COG rates for diversity; Kerry Jobe said the BCO submitted the proposal and noted increases were driven by higher insurance, fuel and other expenses. The board recorded that the fee schedule will be approved by resolution at the Re-Organization Meeting if the BCO is appointed then.
