The Bureau of Development Services is committed to improving its service delivery to customers. We are continuing to provide more services online to improve access and convenience for our customers. As part of this commitment, residential inspection times are now available online through PortlandMaps.comon the scheduled date of the inspection.
Making inspection times available online increases consistency and accessibility for Residential Inspections customers while reducing workload on staff who previously completed each customer notification manually.
“Often we would call the general contractor listed on a permit about a scheduled inspection visit, but they would then need to relay that information on to a resident or subcontractor who was going to be at the job site that day to provide access to the work area when our inspectors arrive,” said Residential Inspections Division Manager Dave Tebeau. “Making inspections schedules available online lets us reach all customers involved in a permit inspection – general contractors, subcontractors and residents – simultaneously and at their own convenience, without anyone needing to wait for a call or remember to check their voicemail.”
To view today’s schedules for when BDS residential inspectors expect to arrive at a job site, search for the permit IVR number on PortlandMaps.com Advanced Permit Search. After 8 a.m. on the day of a scheduled inspection, an alert banner will display the time window of the expected visit by an inspector. Step-by-step instructions with screenshots for both desktop and mobile web users are available here.
The completion of this project also represents a step forward using technology in the BDS Residential Inspections Divisions. Inspections scheduling and workload balancing, previously coordinated in person on paper, is now being completed online through a web-based GIS application and the AMANDA permit system which BDS upgraded on Feb. 10, 2020. This allows Residential Inspections staff to collaborate on inspection scheduling remotely, improving safety and efficiency.
There are currently no planned changes to customer notifications for Commercial Inspections. Residential and Commercial permit-related inspections will continue to be scheduled online through Development Hub PDX when applicable, and for all permits by phone through the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. Please call 503-823-7000 to schedule an inspection using the IVR system.