How To Look At A House

McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of  

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What is a Private Provider building inspector?

Thursday, August 15, 2019

The State of Florida allows property owners to hire a private inspector and avoid relying on the local building department for plan approval and inspections on a residential or commercial building project. Florida Statute 553.791, entitled “Alternative Plans Review And Inspection,” which became effective October 1, 2002,  allows a person licensed as a Building Code Administrator, Architect, or Engineer to be act as a building inspector and/or plans examiner. The law labels the alternative inspector a “Private Provider."


    You must submit a form to the building department, called a “Notice to Building Officials of Use of Private Provider,” at the time of building permit application. Also, the law allows the local building department to check the plans reviewed by a private provider and do their own review of the private provider’s inspections, but sets a time limit on their oversight.

   The big advantage of using a private inspector is the time saved that would otherwise be lost waiting for a building department inspector to complete a plan review or inspection before continuing work on the construction project. Time saved is money saved, especially on a large project.

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  To learn more strategies for getting the best possible home inspection, here’s a few of our other blog posts:

How can I make sure I don't get screwed on my home inspection? 

Should I trust the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement?

Can I do my own home inspection?

How can homebuyers protect themselves against buying a house over a sinkhole? 

What makes a house fail the home inspection?

The seller gave me a report from a previous home inspection. Should I use it or get my own inspector? 

    To read about issues related to homes of particular type or one built in a specific decade, visit one of these blog posts:

What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1940s house?

What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1950s house?

What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1960s house?

• What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1970s house?

What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1980s house?

What are the common problems to look for when buying a 1990s house?

What problems should I look for when buying a country house or rural property? 

What problems should I look for when buying a house that has been moved?

What problems should I look for when buying a house that has been vacant or abandoned?

What are the most common problems with older mobile homes?

    Visit our HOME INSPECTION page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.

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