Safety Codes Inspection Services

Request an Inspection

Anyone who holds a residential or commercial building permit is responsible for requesting inspections at specified stages of construction (please refer to the stages of construction: types of inspections section in the above about this service accordion).

A permit must be obtained prior to requesting an inspection. Permit holders can request an inspection within their SelfServe project dashboard under the 'Inspections' heading, or if necessary, call 311.

When requesting an inspection, available dates will be offered for selection. Contact information is required for updates and for communicating the inspection outcomes. 
Homeowners have the ability to request a morning or afternoon time preference.

Inspection Protocols

To help protect the safety of staff and our customers, the City will be continuing with the below adjustments to building and trade permit inspection protocols.

In-person Inspections

As of April 4, 2022, the City has resumed in-person building and trade inspections for all project types. Remote Video Inspections (RVI) continue to be available for first inspections of select alterations and renovations, depending on the scale and scope of the project. See ‘Virtual Inspections’ below.

In-person inspections continue to be the primary inspection method for commercial and residential sites.  Where no other inspection options are visible in the SelfServe project dashboard or offered by 311 (if outside Edmonton by calling 780-442-5311), then it must be an in-person inspection.

To prepare for in-person inspections in occupied homes, please ensure:

• An individual 18 years of age or older who is responsible for the property is present during the inspection
• Property address is clearly visible
• Clear and unobstructed access to all areas of inspection is provided
• All pets are securely contained

Please note: inspectors are required to wear shoes while performing their duties in your home.

Virtual inspections

The City offers virtual inspection options for certain construction projects. If available, the virtual inspection options will automatically appear under the 'Inspections' heading within the SelfServe project dashboard.

• Remote Video Inspections (RVI) are available as an alternative to an in-person inspection for the first building and trade permit (HVAC, plumbing, gas and electrical) inspection for certain alterations and/or renovations to existing residential and commercial spaces where occupancy has previously been granted. RVI may be available for re-inspection of any project type where deemed eligible by the Safety Codes Officer who conducted the previous inspection. RVI enables virtual inspections through connected cellular mobile devices: one operated at the building location by the permit holder and the other by a Safety Codes Officer at a different location. The City uses Google Duo to conduct RVIs.
• Verification of Compliance (VOC) may be available for re-inspection of any project type where deemed eligible by the Safety Codes Officer who conducted the previous inspection. VOC involves submitting a self-declaration form to the city for review, affirming that previously-identified infractions have been resolved. It is available for building and trade permit inspections (HVAC, plumbing, gas and electrical) in buildings of any type. 

Inspections Timeline

Request inspections by visiting the inspections tab of the SelfServe project dashboard.  Inspections can be requested based on the capacity of a given day and are typically completed on the requested day. 

Occupancy Permit for New Home Construction

Effective September 22, 2022, the City will no longer be placing white occupancy stickers on site as confirmation that a new home is deemed legally ready to occupy. In place of the sticker, the City will now issue an occupancy permit by email following successful completion of all mandatory inspections.  
 
A copy of the occupancy permit will also be made available in the documents section of the job in the self serve application portal. Copies can then be provided to any authorized party (example: lender, new owner) as needed. 
 
This process improvement is specific to low-density residential construction including single-detached, semi-detached and side by side row houses. Other building types like stacked row houses, multi-unit residential, commercial, industrial, institutional or mixed-use buildings will be considered at a later date.

Extra Inspections

A fee of $270 is assessed for every re-inspection required as a result of any of the following at time of scheduled inspection:

• No address on site, building or unit as required. See the Commercial Construction Address Sign Standards
• Inspector unable to access the building 
• Project not ready for inspection 
• Previously identified deficiency has not been corrected 
• Previously identified deficiency has not been corrected when the inspector has indicated that a re-inspection is required and a reasonable time period has elapsed (typically 30 days) and a request for inspection has been initiated by the City of Edmonton

Cancel an Inspection

You may cancel an inspection within your SelfServe project dashboard or, if necessary, by calling 311 (if outside Edmonton by calling 780-442-5311). The cut-off time for requesting a cancellation without reinspection fees is noon on the business day prior to the day the inspection is scheduled. Reinspection fees apply to cancellation requests received later than that.