Providence, RI Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Inspection fee
- $40 per division
- Reinspection fee
- $50 per division
- CO fee, new building
- $115
- CO fee, existing building
- $175
- Inspecting agency
- Dept. of Inspection and Standards
Summary
Providence charges $40 per division for each required building inspection and $50 per division if a failed or incomplete inspection needs a reinspection.
Fee for Section 108.1.5, inspections. The fee for inspection performed in accordance with Section 108.1.5 of the Rhode Island State Building Code or performed at the request of the Providence Bureau of Licenses prior to license issuance or renewal shall be forty dollars ($40.00) for each division making an inspection of the premises. The fee for reinspection for a failed or incomplete inspection shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) for each division making an inspection of the premises.(j)Appeal to the building board of review and zoning board of review. The fee for an application to the building board of review shall be four hundred forty dollars ($440.00). The fee for an application to the zoning board of review shall be as follows. The application fee shall be the sum of the advertising fee plus the processing fee. The advertising fee shall be one hundred fifteen dollars ($115.00). The processing fee shall be as follows: One-family dwelling .....$175.00
Two-family dwelling .....345.00
Three-family dwelling .....430.00
Multi-family dwelling for first four units .....520.00
Plus, for each additional unit .....80.00
Other residential uses .....430.00
Institutional, governmental, cultural, entertainment, recreational, general trade, transportation, communications, utilities, and manufacturing .....870.00
Appeal from decision of director of inspection and standards .....260.00
Appeal from city historic district commission .....260.00
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7).
Full Breakdown
The Department of Inspection and Standards, headed by the chief building inspector under Home Rule Charter § 1008, runs every inspection function in the city, from electrical and plumbing to general building inspection. Under Code § 5-7(i), each division that inspects a site for Section 108.1.5 compliance (or before a Bureau of Licenses license issues or renews) charges $40 per visit. Fail or leave an inspection incomplete and the reinspection runs $50 per division, on top of the original fee.
Violations & Fines
A failed or incomplete inspection doesn't itself carry a fine, but it triggers a mandatory $50-per-division reinspection charge under § 5-7(i) before the project can move forward, and occupying without a required certificate of occupancy separately exposes the owner to enforcement under § 5-7(h).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who inspects buildings in Providence?
What happens if my building inspection fails?
How much does a certificate of occupancy cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Providence
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Building Inspections in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle building inspections.