Inspection Services

We work to provide the citizens of Waco with a safe and healthy environment in which to work and live through the enforcement of model construction codes, local code amendments, along with other City Ordinances facilitated through our Planning Division.

In order to fully understand the personnel and productivity of Inspection Services, it is necessary to first understand the organization of the department, and the function of the various personnel.

The City of Waco has adopted the following codes as of March 1, 2021:

• International Codes, 2018 Edition
• National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020 Edition

The Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act requires the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) to adopt the revised National Electrical Code (NEC) as the electrical code for the state of Texas. On June 30, 2020, the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees TDLR, adopted amendments to Chapter 73.100 of the Electricians administrative rules and established the 2020 NEC as the "minimum standard" for all electrical work in Texas covered by the Act.

Any non-exempt electrical work started on or after November 1, 2020 must be installed in accordance with the 2020 NEC. For purposes of clarification, the “start” of electrical work is the day the electrician begins installing electrical materials or equipment within the residential or commercial building structure. Inside the corporate limits of a municipality, electricians must abide by city permitting requirements and adhere to any local code amendments.

MGT Consulting of America was chosen to conduct an efficiency study of the Waco Development Services Department. They interviewed staff and stakeholders, reviewed permitting data, and compared Waco's services to other cities. Findings suggest that while customer service is generally positive, technological improvements and process standardization could enhance efficiency. External stakeholders expressed satisfaction with the permit application process but identified room for improvement in online resources and accessibility.

Read the Development Services Efficiency Study(PDF, 486KB)

Planned Development Services Improvements

• Replacing the existing permitting software with Maintstar. The new software will integrate the permitting process for planning and zoning, inspections, licenses, code compliance, and Waco-McLennan Public Health.
• Expand the user base of VuSpex, the virtual inspection software, so that developers can more efficiently complete the inspection process.
• Expansion of third-party inspections to support City of Waco staff.
• Public outreach efforts through the Develop Waco Newsletter, regular stakeholder meetings, trade workshops, and pre-construction meetings.
• Thank you to everyone who provided feedback during this study. We will continue to work to improve our processes and services to better serve the community.