Inspection Requirements

Inspections shall be requested in the normal course as required by the Acknowledgement of Conditions of Approval signed by the applicant at time of payment for the permit. Depending on construction methods and sequence, additional inspections may be required.

Inspections of Occupied Residential Dwellings: Due to the ongoing risk of COVID-19 transmission, residents will be required to complete and sign a brief COVID-19 checklist prior to inspection. Download the checklist (PDF)

  • Inspections must be requested by calling the Inspections and Permits office at 410-535-2155.
  • Inspections must be requested prior to 3 p.m. in order to be scheduled for the following business day.
  • While every effort is made to perform inspections on the day they are scheduled, extenuating circumstances may result in a delay.
  • To schedule inspections, please have the appropriate AP# available and/or applicable address.
  • A specific time the inspection will occur cannot be given at the time that the inspection is scheduled.
  • If you have job-specific questions during construction please contact the inspector assigned to the area in which the project is located.
  • Section 109.3 of the International Building Code states: It shall be the duty of the permit holder or their agent to notify the building official that work is ready for inspection. It shall be the duty of the person requesting any inspections required by this code to provide access to and means for inspection of such work. Work requiring an inspection that has been covered or concealed prior to receiving a required inspection may have to be exposed.
  • A re-inspection fee will be assessed after an inspection type has failed twice. This fee must be paid prior to requesting any further inspections. Inspections which cannot be performed because the inspector cannot gain access or where the work is incomplete will be considered failed, which counts toward the two allowed fails.
  • The final building inspection cannot be requested until the final grading, electrical, and plumbing inspections are completed and approved.

Certificate of Occupancy

Once the final building inspection has received final approval, the Inspections and Permits Division will issue the owner a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) permit.

  • A new single-family dwelling shall not be occupied until all building, grading, electrical and plumbing final inspections are completed and approved AND a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) permit is issued by the Division of Inspections and Permits.