HomeMy WebLinkAbout26-0056 - 2026-04-28 - Informal ReportINFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 26-0056
di;Ttp To the Mayor and Members of the City Council April 28, 2026
r',° Page 1 of 2
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rrn SUBJECT: PROPOSED FEE FOR MISSED OR SKIPPED BUILDING
INSPECTIONS ON PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide information regarding current practices and
potential options related to permitted development projects that do not comply with required
building inspection procedures, and to recommend establishing a fee for concealed work without
an inspection. Inspections are essential to protect the health safety and welfare of the public by
ensuring that concealed structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems have been
installed correctly and will function as designed. While missed or skipped inspections are
infrequent, they do occur periodically. Violations can be as simple as sheetrock installed over
uninspected electrical work on a single wall, or as complex as constructing an entire building
without inspections.
When a permitted development project with missed inspection(s) is identified, City staff evaluates
the situation and tries to find the least destructive path to determine if the building complies with
City regulations. Typically, that process involves uncovering representative samples of the work
for inspection or forensic analysis by qualified engineers. Historically, the City's approach has
focused on confirming compliance with building regulations rather than imposing punitive
measures.
As requested by Council, staff researched applicable regulations as well as comparison city
processes and fees to identify potential revisions to Fort Worth's approach to handling concealed
work without inspections.
A survey of local jurisdictions including Plano, Irving, McKinney, Dallas, Frisco, Lewisville,
Rockwall, Arlington, and Sachse found that only Dallas has a specific fee associated with work
concealed without an inspection(s). All other responding cities indicated that their standard practice
is to stop all work at the site until the missed inspection is resolved. The lost time, required rework,
and expense of engineering analysis is the "penalty" for missing the inspection. In the City of Dallas,
the fee for concealing work without an inspection is $200 for each concealed trade.
The City can issue citations for covering work prior to inspection, failing to notify the Building Official
that work is ready for inspection, and for continuing to work on building beyond the point of each
inspection without the approval of the Building Official. However, the citation process is outside the
building permitting process and does not directly impact the project. However, a fee that must be
paid prior to receiving a final inspection or certificate of occupancy is expected to serve as a more
significant deterrent.
Staff recommends that the City continue the collaborative process to determine if a building
complies with city regulations. Additionally, staff recommends adopting a fee of $200/hour for work
concealed without an inspection to reflect the cost of the Building Officials and senior staff time.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 26-0056
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
April 28, 2026
Page 2 of 2
SUBJECT: PROPOSED FEE FOR MISSED OR SKIPPED BUILDING
INSPECTIONS ON PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Please contact Evan Roberts, Assistant Development Services Director, by e-mail to
Evan. Robe rts(a)fo rtwo rt htexas. a ov for questions, concerns or comments.
Jesus "Jay" Chapa
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS