California Mandates Remote Building Inspections Under New Law

The statute permits local agencies to conduct inspections via live videoconferencing or asynchronous photo and video submissions. This mandate applies to specific residential projects, including reroofing, minor electrical or plumbing work, and the installation of energy-storage systems or smoke detectors. While the law streamlines the permitting workflow, it preserves the final authority of local inspectors, who retain the right to demand in-person visits if remote evidence proves insufficient to verify compliance.

Legislators designed the framework to modernize municipal building departments while keeping costs neutral for applicants compared to traditional on-site visits. To support this transition, technology providers like VuSpex are positioning their platforms to integrate with existing municipal permitting systems. The company, which already serves jurisdictions representing over 3 million Californians, offers tools for scheduling, real-time documentation, and offline reporting to assist agencies in meeting the new statewide standards.