Florida Passes New Bill Allowing Virtual Inspections

Government entities agree virtual inspections are inexpensive and require minimal equipment

June 21, 2021

2 min read

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The world has seen a shift toward remote work over the past year, a reality that has ushered in the use of modern technology to accomplish tasks without needing to be physically present. As construction and governmental departments have been deemed an “essential service,” Inspected, a virtual inspection software company, has seen an uptick in permitting and virtual inspections.

Florida recently passed The Florida Building Codes Act, which authorizes any government entity with the authority to enforce the Building Code to perform virtual building inspections, except for certain structural inspections. When signed by the Governor, the bill will go into effect on July 1, 2021.

Mike Bickimer, co-owner of Bickimer Electric, which performed virtual estimates way before the start of the pandemic, says he was always able to walk customers through certain things over the phone — but the technology was never there. Now that it is, this alternative saves him lots of time in the right situations. This screenshot is an example of what the electrical contractor might send back to the end-user on a virtual estimate call.

“The utilization of Inspected has been growing as more companies and jurisdictions are seeing the numerous benefits of using our virtual platform. This news out of Florida is another major step toward advancing remote inspections and implementing compliance procedures for the technology across the nation,” said Anthony Perera, founder of Inspected. “With Florida and other states embracing virtual inspections, we will continue to see others adopt similar guidelines.”

The Florida Building Codes Act defines “virtual inspection” as an inspection that uses visual or electronic aids to allow a building official or inspector to perform an inspection without having to be physically present at the job site during the inspection. The bill also requires local building code enforcement agencies to allow requests for inspections to be submitted to the local agency electronically via e-mail, electronic form, or mobile application.

Inspected is designed specifically for inspectors to connect with onsite personnel to help achieve a safe alternative to in-person inspections. Visit the company' website for a demo of the new app.