City of Tampa launches virtual inspections for homeowners, contractors

Builders and homeowners in the city of Tampa can say goodbye to days spent waiting around for an in-person inspection. 

Now, all it takes to secure an official building inspection is a smartphone and a new app introduced by the city’s Development and Growth Management team earlier this month. 

VuSpex is a virtual building inspections tool designed to streamline the process and reduce lengthy wait times, allowing contractors and homeowners to get inspections completed on the spot, without ever leaving their site. 

The VuSpex GO app is available for free on Apple or Android smartphones and offers two ways to complete an inspection, depending on the permit type needed. 

Users can either submit an “offline field report” by uploading photos and videos of completed work for a city inspector to review later, or conduct a “live virtual inspection.” That requires users to schedule a video call with a city inspector to allow them to “walk through” the building in real time, with the inspector directing the user on where to point the camera.

The app then auto-generates an inspection report and uploads all results to the city’s Accela permitting system, eliminating the need for lengthy paperwork. 

“Virtual inspections are a game-changer for how we serve Tampa’s residents and contractors,” JC Hudgison, the chief building official for the city of Tampa, says in a release. “On average, we perform 124 inspections for trade permits daily, so by embracing tools like VuSpex, we’re making inspections faster, more convenient, and more accessible. This is about meeting people where they are, reducing wait times, and using technology to improve the way we build Tampa together.”

Hudgison’s department consists of about 34 people, he says, which means heavy work loads, hours driving from site to site and a high probability of burnout. Now, inspectors can move from one report to the next with computers instead of cars. 

For now, the virtual inspections can only be used by those applying for trade permits, which include building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and roofing, the city says. City officials anticipate that more than 16,000 trade permits will now be eligible for virtual inspections using the VuSpex app. 

Tampa isn’t the first city to introduce VuSpex to its permitting process. Similar programs are also being used throughout Pasco, Pinellas and Manatee counties, the city says. 

A full list of permits that qualify for the new virtual inspections can be found on the city’s website.