Division of Building Safety Training Program Helps Homebuilders Pass More Inspections
Thanks to a program called “Project Superintendent,” Orange County’s Division of Building Safety is offering training opportunities for those who want to learn more about the Florida Building Code and Orange County Division of Building Safety’s inspection process. The 14-session program, which is open to the public, is specifically designed to help construction superintendents pass inspections.
Project Superintendent sessions take place either virtually through Zoom (since COVID-19) or at the Greater Orlando Builders Association (GOBA) headquarters in Maitland. There are no prerequisites necessary to participate in the sessions. An additional benefit is the possibility of earning Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) continuing education units (CEUs) for license holders such as architects and engineers, contractors, inspectors, plans examiners, etc.
The County, which has been running Project Superintendent since 2019, also offers an internal Code Compliance and Inspection Training Program to help licensed County employees earn CEUs and ensure consistency in the application of code and increase understanding of the inspections process for all other employees.
“We believe code compliance is a partnership, which is why we’ve worked to gain buy-in from our local construction industry,” explained Allyn Bencen, multimedia coordinator, Division of Building Safety. “We’re here to regulate and educate. We want to help customers succeed in passing inspections, and internally, we want to ensure the consistency in the application of code.”
All sessions are designed to demonstrate what items are checked during inspections in accordance with the Florida Building Code. Sessions are organized to generally cover building inspections in the order they occur for a residential construction project and sub-trade inspections are covered at the end of the course. Course syllabus:
- Site Work and PPP Inspections
- Footing / Stemwall Inspection
- Slab / Mono Slab/ Post-Tension Inspection
- Lintle / Tie-Beam Inspection
- Exterior Frame / Lath Inspection
- Window / Sliding Doors Inspections
- Framing Inspection
- Insulation Inspection
- Roof Inspections
- Single Family Residence Final Inspection
- Pool Inspections
- Mechanical Inspections (No CEU credit available yet — approval in progress)
- Plumbing Inspections (No CEU credit yet — approval in progress)
- Electrical Inspections
“Project Superintendent has been an incredible benefit, not just for GOBA Members, but for all of our Homebuilding Industry colleagues,” asserted Ricardo Rodriguez, Government and Industry Relations Advisor, Greater Orlando Builders Association. “I get calls all the time from members thanking us for providing this opportunity to improve code understanding and pass more inspections in the County.”
Alan Plante, Orange County Division of Building Safety Manager, praised the benefits of these training programs, “Reducing re-inspections helps our customers and speeds projects to completion,” he said. “I am proud of our inspections teams for developing this content to assist customers and employees of Orange County.”
For more information on upcoming courses, updates and opportunities to earn CEUs, subscribe to the Division of Building Safety’s email list.