Home inspections via video chat roll out in North Las Vegas
A new North Las Vegas program rolled out this month aims to make home project inspections a little less painful.
City officials are touting North Las Vegas’ video inspection program — designed to expedite the process for homeowners and contractors — as the first of its kind for a Las Vegas Valley municipality.
Now residents will be able to have projects such as rooftop solar panels, water heaters and air conditioner installations inspected by video chat. The program is expected to reduce the amount of time they have to wait around for inspections, but it also comes as a cost savings to the city, officials said.
“I think it will even increase the amount of people who don’t pull permits, to pull permits, because it makes is so easy for them just to schedule the inspection,” North Las Vegas Building Official Valarie Evans said last month.
To sign up, people must make an appointment through a service on the city’s website called Appointment Plus. A city inspector will then call the requester over Skype, guiding them through the inspection process. Residents or their home contractor must have a 4G smartphone or tablet to use the service.
City inspectors will be able to handle the inspections either remotely from a desk, or between appointments while they are out in the field, Evans said.
If an inspector cannot complete the task remotely, the city will try to send someone out to the home on the same day.
Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.