SB 333, rules governing certain construction inspections, authored by Sen. Mark Messmer (R - Jasper), would allow the Indiana Fire Prevention & Building Safety Commission to provide rules for construction inspection. SB 333 was heard in the Senate Homeland Security and Transportation Committee on January 24 and voted out of the committee 8-0 on February 14. AIA Indiana Executive Director Jason Shelley, Hon. AIA testified in favor of the bill. 

The current Indiana Building Code explicitly omits nationally recognized building inspection requirements for “Class 1” structures, creating a great risk to public safety. “Class 1” structures are buildings occupied by the general public and/or three (3) or more tenants. Indiana is one of two states with a statewide building code that currently does not incorporate Chapter 17: Special inspection into its Building Code. The other state is Wisconsin.

The omitted requirements are a critical part of the quality assurance standards of the International Building Code (IBC), the model upon which the Indiana Building Code is based. The purposeful deletion of these inspection requirements has put Indiana out of step with national construction practices and has left Indiana without a defined minimum standard for structural inspection of building construction. 

Benefits of incorporating Special Inspections include: establishment and adherence to a minimum standard for structural inspection would send a strong message that Indiana prioritizes public safety; identification of potentially dangerous structural deficiencies that may otherwise go unnoticed and allow contractors to take timely corrective action; and alignment of Indiana's building code with accepted practices throughout the U.S.

CLICK HERE to access talking points on SB 333. 

Please contact your state senator and ask them to support SB 333. See the sample message below that we are asking you to send to your state senator no later than COB, Monday, February 27.

Dear Senator _________:

I urge you to vote in favor of SB 333! The current Indiana Building Code explicitly omits nationally recognized building inspection requirements for “Class 1” structures, creating a great risk to public safety. Indiana is one of only two states that does not incorporate special inspections into its Building Code. Please see the key points below.

• “Class 1” structures are buildings occupied by the general public and/or three (3) or more tenants. This bill does not apply to one-and-two-family residential structures. 

• Cost Analysis: Based on cost data from an ACEC-Indiana 2022 study, fees for special inspections services generally range from approximately 0.11 percent to 0.80 percent of the total cost of construction.

• Project Timeline: Design professionals who conduct this work in 48 other states shared that the inspections and tests are sequenced to NOT impact the project schedule when the inspection party is in communication with the owner and contractor. The contractors do not need to stop work unless an issue is identified.

• Who Will Conduct the Inspections: A third party contracted by the owner/ developer. Personnel with relevant experience or training under the direction of a registered design professional.

• The omitted requirements are a critical part of the quality assurance standards of the International Building Code (IBC), the model upon which the Indiana Building Code is based.  

• This bill's intent is to Amend IC 22-15-3-2 (4)(D), may-- but not shall-- allow the Fire Prevention & Building Safety Commission to provide rules for construction inspection.  

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any follow-up questions.

Again, please support SB 333! 



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