Areas are zoned for commercial or residential use. To ensure your project complies with state and local building codes, a certificate of inspection is issued. Basically, an existing building or a newly erected structure is eligible for inspection but have not yet been approved for residency or business use. When the certificate of inspection is approved, a certificate of occupancy will be issued.
A certificate of occupancy, or certification of occupancy, is essentially the stamp of approval from a local government entity stating that the residential structure has passed all necessary building codes and is approved for occupancy or business use.
It is often required to obtain a certificate of inspection and certification of occupancy with each and every upgrade and additions made to current structures.
Though each state’s building codes will vary here is a basic checklist in order to obtain a certificate of occupancy:
- Complete the necessary application paperwork and submit it to the building inspection division for your county.
- Provide copies of the building or expansion plans.
- Pay the permit fee.
In some cases, if a structure has failed approval but it considered safe for operations; a conditional certificate of occupancy can be issued that gives the business a specific timeframe to remain open for operations so long as the codes that failed are being corrected.
Once the issues are completed a letter is written from the operations manager or CEO requesting a new certificate of inspection.
Confirm with your local county the appropriate parties to contact to have a certificate of inspection or certification of occupancy issued prior to beginning any work on a new building project.