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6/20/2019
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Assembly OKs bill to allow third-party inspections to prevent construction delays
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STATE HOUSE – The General Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio and Rep. Stephen R. Ucci to allow contractors and builders to have inspections performed by third-party inspectors if a municipal building official does not perform required inspections swiftly.
The bill (2019-S-0687A, 2019-H 5989A), which now goes to the governor, is meant to ensure developers can get their projects inspected in a timely manner.
The legislation enables contractors or builders to hire a third-party inspector or use a state inspector if a municipal building official fails to perform required inspections within 48 hours. The municipality would be required to reimburse the state in the event a state inspector is used.
“In construction, time is money. Delays make projects more costly and may discourage development altogether,” said President of the Senate Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-Dist. 4, North Providence, Providence). “Inspections can be required at multiple points during a building project, and delays in these inspections cost contractors in terms of lost productivity, personnel, and more. This legislation ensures that developers can proceed on locally-approved projects without needless delays.”
The bill is part of the Senate’s “Building A More Vibrant Rhode Island” package of economic development legislation.
“Making sure developers and builders aren’t left in limbo for days or weeks waiting for a municipal inspector will make our state a better place to do business. It will also help municipalities, which sometimes don’t have the staffing levels to respond as quickly as they’d like, so they too can more quickly feel the benefits of new construction,” said Representative Ucci (D-Dist. 42, Johnston, Cranston). “Making it possible to get an inspection swiftly is a way to make it easier to do business here in Rhode Island and in all our cities and towns.”
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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