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DSD received the results of the Insurance Services Office (ISO) Building Code Effectiveness Grading System (BCEGS) classification mid February. San Antonio, once again, received the highest available rating of 1 for commercial and industrial property and a classification of 2 for one- and two-family residential property.

ISO reclassifies cities every 5 years with BCEGS classifications ranging from 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest rating signifying exemplary performance of building-code enforcement. We are one of only 12 cities in the country to earn the highest classification for commercial, and are in the top 3% of cities for our residential rating of 2. 

In late January, we received the results of our 18-month review by the International Accreditation Service (IAS). We also maintained our IAS accreditations for both building and Code Enforcement.

Our department is only one of three nationwide to hold both the IAS and ISO certifications. The other two are Roanoke, VA, and Clark County, NV.

The Planning Commission Technical Advisory Committee (PCTAC) meetings have begun. On the Feb. 8 meeting, the committee recommended to forward 40 of the 43 external amendments received to the Planning Commission for sponsorship. The remaining three amendments were deemed to be in the "edit" or "clarifying" categories and will continue to move through the UDC process.

On Feb. 23, the Planning Commission heard these proposed amendments. Of these:

• 35 were sponsored and will continue moving through the UDC process
• 2 were continued to be heard at the Mar. 9 Planning Commission meeting
• 3 were not sponsored and will not move forward in the process

You can preview the items slated for the Planning Commission ahead of time. Once posted, final agendas can be seen at SASpeakUp.

City Council approved all recommended changes on Feb. 17 and became effective as of Feb. 27.

This new, amended noise ordinance not only sets newly revised work hours for construction throughout the city, but also provides means for working outside of these hours when approved by DSD. Part of this process includes a requirement that all residents, within 300 ft. of the construction site, be notified of dates and times work will be completed outside the set hours, which are:

• Monday through Friday - 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturday - 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sunday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Submitted by Councilman John Courage on Aug. 8, 2019, this Council Consideration Request asked our department to review and amend Section 21-52 (a)(6) of the Local Government Code to prohibit exterior overnight construction within 300 feet of an inhabited residential property. 

More information information is available online or call Jeremy McDonald at 210.207.0265.

The process started in February with the Mechanical Committee meetings to review the 2021 International Code Council (ICC) mechanical code.

This month, the Electrical, Building, and Plumbing Committees will hold meetings to discuss and review significant changes to the respective codes. All meetings are livestreamed and recorded for reference. To keep up to date of upcoming meetings and latest information, visit our ICC website.

The Building-Related and Fire Codes Appeals and Advisory Board advises the department and the Building Official on adoption of the codes, and recommends amendments to each as needed.

Review of the San Antonio Property Maintenance Code and Sign Code will begin in April. Community meetings on each of these codes will be scheduled for early April. We will communicate more information as the meetings approach.

Development Services continues to host monthly BuildSA training based on recent customer survey responses. Last month we hosted another virtual training session, focusing on the MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) Trade Permit process. To date, more than 600 customers have attended these virtual training sessions.

The next virtual training will focus on Solar Permits, scheduled March 29 at 9:30 a.m.

All users receive invitations for upcoming training automatically. If you are not receiving them, and want to know more about upcoming training events, email us at

buildsaocmteam@sanantonio.gov

Information covered this past training session

An MEP Trade application is used to obtain a stand-alone permit for either mechanical, electrical or plumbing, although there is an exception.

• You can request an MEP Trade permit as a stand-alone when the request is for either a Residential or Commercial TML- Temporary Meter Loop or a TOPS- Temporary on Permanent Set.

Some examples of stand-alone (residential and commercial) projects include:

• Mechanical – Contractor is replacing an existing Condensing Unit
• Electrical – Contractor is wiring a swimming pool
• Plumbing – Contractor is changing out a water heater

To obtain an MEP Trade Permit, you must be a Licensed Professional (LP) in the specific trade. The LP must be registered with Development Services and be current with their registration (insurance and state license).

This permit type is used for projects that are NOT part of a combination building permit. If you are not sure, please contact your general contractor to check if the building permit includes trade inspections and fees. You can also contact DSD at 210-207-1111.

If you did not attend the training, don’t worry. We have the PowerPoint presented at the training, along with the Q&A’s submitted during the session. For additional BuildSA training materials, please visit our BuildSA website.

Here is the schedule for 2022:

• Mar 10 – Plumbing
• Mar 24 – Electrical
• Apr 14 – New Residential (Spanish)
• Apr 28 – Existing Residential

DSD has scheduled several in-person training sessions. Each session runs from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sign up in advance by calling 210.207.1111 or by signing up during one of your visits at our counter. For more information, visit our website.

The latest Information Bulletins (IB) are posted below:

IB 235 Commercial Minor Structures, posted 02/15/2022

Modified to reflect the BuildSA permitting process.

IB 135 - Fire Alarm Modifications Involving Five (5) or Fewer, posted 02/10/2022

Updated to incorporate the department’s new process for submitting applications to the Fire Marshal’s office, electronically through BuildSA.

IB 109 - Sprinkler Modifications involving 20 heads or less, posted 02/09/2022

Updated to incorporate the department’s new process for submitting applications to the Fire Marshal’s office, electronically through BuildSA.

IB 110 - Accessing Permit Information and Plan Review Comments, posted 02/09/2022

Rewritten for the electronic Plan Room within the BuildSA permitting system.  

IB 226 - Commercial Letter Submittal, posted 02/09/2022

Updated to add submittal of letters through the BuildSA system.

IB 102a - PE Certification of Fire Alarm Plans, posted 02/07/2022

Updated to include mandatory requirement to perform a Pre-Submittal Completeness Review prior to submission of certified plans under IB 102. This meeting takes the place of the SAFD/DSD “Spot-Check” previously conducted after the FPE’s certified plans were submitted and permit issued.  

IB 102b - PE Certification of Fire Sprinkler Plans, posted 02/07/2022

Updated to include mandatory requirement to perform a Pre-Submittal Completeness Review prior to submission of certified plans under IB 102. This meeting takes the place of the SAFD/DSD “Spot-Check” previously conducted after the FPE’s certified plans were submitted and permit issued. 

IB 130 - Required Building Permits and Inspections for One and Two Family Dwellings, posted 02/07/2022

Updated to reflect the combination permit for BuildSA.

IB 185 - Smoke Control System Submittal, posted 02/07/2022

Updated to reference electronic submittal through the BuildSA system.

IB 190 - Gaseous Suppression Permit Information and Checklist, posted 02/07/2022

The application is removed since the application is online in BuildSA

IB 218 - Multipurpose Residential Fire Protection Sprinkler Systems (MRFPSS), posted 02/04/2022

Revised to include editorial changes related to code updates and submittal through BuildSA.

IB 107 - Fire Sprinkler Permit Application and Checklist, posted 02/03/2022

Development Services Department (DSD) and the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) updated this bulletin to incorporate the department’s new format for Information Bulletins. 

IB 122 - Fire Alarm Permit Application and Checklist, posted 02/03/2022

Development Services Department (DSD) and the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) updated this bulletin to reflect the 2018 Building Codes.

IB 132 - Special Permits and Inspections Program Policies, Procedures & Guidelines Form, posted 1/18/22

Provides a more user-friendly tool customers can use when researching the policies, procedures, guidelines, lists, notice forms and report forms required for the Special Inspections program found in Section 1704 and amended Section 1704.2 of the 2018 International Building Code.

For a complete list of additional online resources, visit the following sites:

• Forms & Applications
• Information Bulletins**
• Code Interpretations
• Rule Interpretations
• Annual Report

Currently looking for planners, engineering technicians, plans examiners, trade inspectors and code enforcement officers. To learn more about our job openings or to apply online, visit the city's career site.

The complete Performance Measures report is available online.