Commercial Inspections

Inspections are conducted after permits are issued for a construction project. This includes work being done on a school, hospital, mixed-used building, commercial building, apartment building, restaurant, or office building. Having work inspected lets everyone know that the work has been done safely and correctly.

Code enforcement officials use North Carolina Building Codes to address the design, construction, and installation of building systems. These codes are designed to keep our community safe. The City of Raleigh employs state-certified inspectors to enforce these codes equally on all construction projects. Inspectors focus their efforts on a single trade such as Building, Electrical, Mechanical, or Plumbing and are provided with the latest training to maintain their certifications.

Our goal is to provide a courteous, fair, timely, and reliable application of building codes.

Special Projects Team

The City of Raleigh values its development community! While all projects are important, some have unique circumstances and/or technologies that require greater attention to complete the project within a reasonable amount of time. These projects are referred to as “Special Projects” and will have a team of inspectors assigned to them. These teams will maintain consistency and availability throughout the project. Each team member has the authority to accept some types of changes to the project in a different manner than typical projects which may assist in keeping schedules on track. Requirements and availability for Special Projects assignments are determined during the review process. Any special circumstances that may qualify your project for these assignments should be discussed during the design and plan review stage.

Tips for a Successful Inspection

Provide notes on inspection requests – site contact # and areas needing inspection.
Provide access to the space(s) requiring inspections – sometimes it is necessary to have someone familiar with the project to navigate the areas for inspections.
Make city approved plans available to inspector at time of inspection.
Communicate any issues or concerns (current or future) related to the work with your inspector.
BE READY! The work and area scheduled for inspection should be complete and ready for approval.
Have documentation available for the inspector such as: 3rd party reports, engineered details, manufacturer data. These items may help to approve an inspection if a question arises.

Forms

City of Raleigh Non-Residential/Commercial Forms
After Hours Inspection Application
Alternate Material, Design, or Methods
Certificate of Occupancy Application (Temporary, Partial, or Full CO)
Conditional Service Application
Change of Contractor/Subcontractor Form
Non-Residential Permit Application
Plan Revision Application
Pre-Construction Meeting Application Stocking Permit Application
Third-Party Inspection Agreement
Appendix G Form - Design Professional Component Inspection

Code Interpretations

Code interpretations that have had any correspondence with the Engineering Division of the Department of Insurance (DOI) are considered having an “interpretation already issued”. The interpretations are intended to create consistency for field inspections and contractors to help streamline the inspection process. Interpretations posted are City of Raleigh Code Enforcement Officials (City Inspectors) interpretation of the referenced code section as the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). If DOI issues a formal interpretation relating to the AHJ interpretation, the DOI interpretation takes precedence.

NCOSFM code interpretations
ICC code interpretations
Technical Bulletins

Remote Inspections

Please provide contact information with inspection request. The commercial inspections that can be performed remotely are limited to 1) re-inspection of non-life safety items; 2) Temporary construction pole service; 3) partial inspections (footings, partial walls, slabs, etc.). Please note that if an inspector determines that the remote inspection is not sufficient, then an on-site inspection will be required which may affect project schedules. It is best to discuss these options with your inspector prior to attempting any remote inspections.