The proposed bill would update current statutes by allowing property owners, or their contractors or agents, to utilize private permitting providers for building plan reviews and inspections of single-trade residential construction projects without requiring approval from municipalities or counties. The bill mandates that these private permitting providers issue private permits and private certificates of completion, which must be submitted to local authorities within 48 hours. Municipalities are required to track these private documents similarly to their own and are prohibited from imposing fees related to the review or processing of these private permits, except for reasonable recording fees. Additionally, the bill defines key terms and outlines the responsibilities of private permitting providers, including maintaining professional liability insurance and utilizing technology for inspections. It requires municipalities to post all building codes and permitting fee schedules on their websites, and if they fail to comply, they cannot charge fees for projects permitted under this new framework. The bill also prohibits discriminatory actions by municipalities against property owners or contractors using private permitting providers and allows the use of automated software for the review process without additional manual checks.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 9-461.21, 11-810.02