Apple Valley, MN Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Section 150.05 of the Apple Valley Code of Ordinances states the inspection rule in two sentences. Any work performed under a permit required by Chapter 150 is inspected by the city, and inspection of the work follows the Minnesota State Building Code and what is stated in the permit provided to the applicant at the time of permit application or issuance. The chapter does not print its own stage-by-stage schedule for building work, so the required inspections are the ones the state code adopted in § 150.01 and the permit itself name.

The Department of Building Safety carries out the program under § 150.02, and its administrative authority is a state certified building official designated by the City Council. Section 150.99 gives the city building official and building inspectors specific authority to issue a citation in lieu of arrest or continued detention.

Electrical work has a more detailed sequence in § 150.06(B)(5). The Electrical Inspector inspects it under the National Electrical Code, and the city Building Official sets requirements when compliance issues arise. Any work that involves concealment gets a rough-in inspection before it is covered, and it stays uncovered until the Electrical Inspector approves. No inspection occurs until the applicant pays the inspection fee in the appendix to Chapter 35. Noncompliant work draws a written notice to the permit holder, and the permit holder has 15 days to bring it into compliance before disconnection, unless it poses an imminent safety hazard, in which case the Building Official or designated inspector can order immediate disconnection. The Electrical Inspector can enter a building during reasonable hours to inspect, re-inspect or test equipment under § 150.06(E)(3).

Inspections also feed the permit clock. Under § 150.07, exterior work must be completed within the printed number of days, such as 180 days for a single-family accessory structure and 365 days for new construction, or within the timeframe the Building Official sets, whichever is greater. Separately, § 150.19 covers a different subject: excavation permits, where staff inspect permitted areas at least once a year and report to the Council.