Broome County, NY Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Section 210-4A(1) requires that work performed under a Broome County building permit be inspected for approval before any portion is enclosed or covered, and again at completion of each stage of construction, including building location, site preparation, excavation, foundation, framing, superstructure, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning. The owner, applicant or agent must notify the Code Enforcement Officer that the work is ready and schedule the inspection; nothing happens automatically.

Buildings not covered by that permit-triggered schedule, meaning existing structures within the county's narrow § 210-1 jurisdiction (county-owned buildings, special-purpose county units, and the Off-Track Betting Corporation), fall under § 210-4A(2)'s periodic firesafety/life-safety schedule instead: every 12 months for areas of public assembly, buildings containing public-assembly areas, and the common areas of multiple dwellings; every 12 months for buildings open to the general public; and every 24 months for all other buildings. The code explicitly carves out occupied dwelling units from routine inspection, though an inspection can still happen at the occupant's invitation or when conditions threaten public health, safety or welfare.

Inspections must be performed by the Code Enforcement Official or an inspector the Official approves, per § 210-4B(1); the Official can order a violation corrected in writing, served in person or by registered mail, and a party who misses the deadline is subject to the § 210-6B penalty. The Official can also require, at the property owner's own expense, that a registered architect, licensed engineer or other qualified inspector perform an inspection, in which case the county's own inspection fee under § 210-7 does not apply.