Broward County Now Open for Virtual Inspections

If you're a contractor working in Broward County, you've probably noticed the inspection backlog. Jobs sitting idle while you wait for an inspector. Customers calling to ask why their project isn't moving. Crews twiddling their thumbs when they should be on to the next job.

Well, here's some news that might change how you schedule your week: Broward County is now fully open for virtual inspections through private providers. And if you haven't tried one yet, you might be surprised at how different the experience is.

What Actually Changed

Broward has technically allowed private providers for years—that's been Florida law since 553.791 passed. But adoption was slow. A lot of contractors didn't know about it, and some building departments made the process more complicated than it needed to be.

That's shifted. The county has streamlined how they accept private provider approvals, and more importantly, virtual inspection technology has matured to the point where it's genuinely practical. Not a gimmick. Not a workaround. Just a faster way to get the same inspection done.

We've been doing virtual inspections for contractors across Broward for a while now, and the reaction is almost always the same: "Why didn't I know about this sooner?"

How It Actually Works (No Fluff)

Let's skip the marketing speak and talk about what actually happens when you schedule a virtual inspection.

You finish your work—let's say it's an HVAC changeout. Instead of calling the building department and getting a date three days from now (if you're lucky), you call us. We schedule you for later that day, or whenever your crew is still on site and ready.

At your appointment time, you open the app on your phone. Our inspector—a licensed professional, same credentials as anyone at the building department—appears on video. They tell you exactly what they need to see: "Show me the disconnect. Now pan over to the unit. Can you get closer to that label?"

You walk them through it with your phone camera. They're taking notes, capturing screenshots, documenting everything. Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes later, you're done. Approval comes through the same day.

That's it. No waiting for a truck to show up. No two-hour windows. No rescheduling because the inspector got pulled to an emergency.

The Skeptic's Questions (Answered)

When contractors first hear about virtual inspections, they usually have the same concerns. Let me address them upfront.

"Is this actually legal?" Yes. Florida Statute 553.791 explicitly authorizes private providers to perform inspections. Building departments are required by law to accept our approvals. This isn't a gray area.

"Will the building department give me trouble?" Broward has gotten much smoother about this. We handle the paperwork and coordination. You show up, get your permit signed off, and move on.

"Can inspectors really see everything through a phone?" For most residential work? Absolutely. Modern phone cameras are remarkably good. Our inspectors know exactly what angles to request, and they'll ask you to zoom in or adjust lighting if needed. We've done thousands of these—the process is dialed in.

"What about cost?" Our inspection fees are competitive, and when you factor in the time savings—crews not sitting around, projects closing faster, fewer scheduling headaches—most contractors come out ahead. Plus, you typically pay reduced building department fees when using a private provider, since they're not doing the inspection work.

Who's Using This

Honestly? A mix of everyone. HVAC contractors love it for changeouts—quick jobs where waiting days for inspection makes no sense. Roofers use it to get final inspections while the crew is still on the ladder. Pool builders use it for barrier inspections. Even general contractors doing larger residential projects are mixing in virtual inspections where it makes sense.

The common thread? Contractors who've realized that time is money, and waiting for the building department isn't the only option anymore.

Getting Started

If you've got a project in Broward and you're curious, the easiest thing is just to try one. We also handle plan reviews if you want to speed up the front end of the permit process too—but start wherever makes sense for you.

The contractors who've made the switch aren't going back. Once you've experienced getting an inspection done in twenty minutes instead of waiting three days, the old way starts to feel pretty frustrating.