Inspection Services and Plan Review
Building Official Services
The Town of Orchid provides Building Official services twice-weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Inspections can be scheduled for either of those days as best suits the contractor and property owner. If an inspection is prudent to be conducted on another day of the week, a special inspection may be requested for a fee. The fee applies per job site and may include multiple inspection types (for instance for both plumbing and electrical).
The Building Official is available to the Town by phone and email any day of the week, so you are encouraged to reach out to our Building Clerk for assistance with questions at your convenience. You may want to meet with the Building Official in-person and this can also be accommodated. Please contact our Building Clerk to schedule a meeting either at Town Hall or on-site in Orchid.
The Building Official attends to plan review twice-weekly. Most permit applications are issued on the Tuesday or Thursday following submission, whichever is sooner. Applications for extensive projects may require engineering and planning review as well, which can take longer because there is a greater opportunity for additional information to be needed to ensure total compliance with the Florida Building Code and the Town's Code of Ordinances. You are always welcome to contact the Building Clerk for an update on the status of your permit application. Once weekly, the website is also updated with the status of received applications through their issuance.
Private Providers
Pursuant to Section 553.791 Florida Statutes, the fee owner of a building or structure, or the fee owner’s contractor upon written authorization from the fee owner, may choose to use a private provider to provide building code inspection and/or plan review services with regard to such building or structure. A fee reduction is available under specific circumstances. Please feel free to reach out to the Town Manager for more information.
Please note that when using a private provider, written notice must be given to the Town at the time of permit application or by 2 p.m. at least two business days before the first scheduled inspection by the Building Official that a private provider has been contracted. The notice must include the services to be performed by the private provider, the name, firm, address, telephone number, and email address of each private provider performing services, his or her professional license or certification number, qualification statements or resumes, and a certificate of insurance demonstrating that professional liability insurance coverage is in place for the private provider’s firm, the private provider, and any duly authorized representative. The following statement must also be included.
I have elected to use one or more private providers to provide building code plans review and/or inspection services on the building or structure that is the subject of the enclosed permit application, as authorized by s. 553.791, Florida Statutes. I understand that the local building official may not review the plans submitted or perform the required building inspections to determine compliance with the applicable codes, except to the extent specified in said law. Instead, plans review and/or required building inspections will be performed by licensed or certified personnel identified in the application. The law requires minimum insurance requirements for such personnel, but I understand that I may require more insurance to protect my interests. By executing this form, I acknowledge that I have made inquiry regarding the competence of the licensed or certified personnel and the level of their insurance and am satisfied that my interests are adequately protected. I agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the local government, the local building official, and their building code enforcement personnel from any and all claims arising from my use of these licensed or certified personnel to perform building code inspection services with respect to the building or structure that is the subject of the enclosed permit application.
If any changes to the listed private providers or the services are made, the notice must be updated to reflect the changes within one business day after any change or within two business days before the next scheduled inspection. No fee applies to making such changes.
