FAQ - For Municipalities

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A key principle of common law is that a Local Authority (municipality) has a “duty of care” to the people who live, work or travel through the area over which the Local Authority governs. The Construction Codes Act (the CC Act)  confirms this duty of care and gives local governments minimum standards and a framework for dealing appropriately with construction within their municipality to ensure the health, safety or welfare of persons.  Adopting building bylaws and appointing Licensed Building Officials greatly reduces a municipality's liability should anything go wrong with a construction project. 

Every municipality in Saskatchewan has a legal obligation to administer and enforce the building standards. Building standards include the CC Act and Regulations, National Building Code of Canada, National Fire Code of Canada, and municipal building bylaws. In 2019, Code requirements regarding energy efficiency were implemented by Building Standards in Saskatchewan.
 

PBI has over 25 years experience working with RMs, cities, towns, villages and resort villages to review, inspect and enforce the building standards. For details about our Building Code Inspection & Enforcement Program, please click here.

Council members cannot provide building services in municipalities where they are elected. Municipal staff cannot provide building services if they are not licensed as a Building Official.  Building Officials are licensed by the province to provide specific services governed by the CC Act and Regulations.

There are 3 primary classes of license in Saskatchewan under which Building Officials are authorized to provide plan reviews, site inspections and enforcement services based on the major occupancy use (Group), size (horizontal area at grade) and height of buildings. 

• Class 3 - Can inspect all buildings covered in the National Building Code of Canada (NBC).
• Class 2 - Can inspect  buildings in occupancy Groups C, D, E, F2 & F3 that are up to 600 m² in building area and 3 storeys or less in building height that apply to Part 9 of the NBC (Housing and Small Buildings).
• Class 1 - Can inspect one and two-unit dwellings (e.g. duplex) up to 3 storeys and 600 m² in area.

The major occupancy groups are:

Group A – Assembly (places where people gather, like restaurants, church, schools, etc.)

Group B – Care, Treatment & Detention (places where people receive special care, like hospitals, etc.)

Group C – Residential (places where people sleep, like dwellings, condos, apartments, hotels, etc.)

Group D – Business & Personal Services (offices, medical clinics, banks, hairdresser shops, etc.)

Group E – Mercantile (places where retails goods are sold or displayed, like stores & markets.)

Group F1 – High Hazard Industrial (buildings with highly combustible or explosive materials).

Group F2 – Medium Hazard Industrial (buildings with moderate combustible content or materials).

Group F3 – Low Hazard Industrial (buildings with low combustible content or materials).

It is vitally important for liability reasons that municipalities hire or contract Licensed Building Officials with the proper 'Class' credentials appropriate for the building projects being constructed in their municipality.

Residential housing rates are based on size (m2) of developed area in the dwelling, rather than on value of construction, because it is the easiest method for determining permit fees.  Smaller residential projects (i.e. decks, garages, etc.) generally have a set fee based on the required inspections for the project type.
 

We charge a fee per $1,000 value of construction for commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential permits that are not covered under our residential rates/parameters (although minimum fees do apply).  We have a sliding fee schedule for large multi-million dollar projects.
 

PBI submits invoices, active permit reports, and completed permit reports to the municipality each calendar month, charging only for reviews and inspections completed that month.  There are no upfront costs to contract PBI as your service provider and no long-term contractual obligations.  We want you to work with us because you are happy with our service ... not because you are bound to us by contract.

 We would be happy to provide you with a proposal, fee schedule and sample agreement for your consideration.  You can call our office at 306-536-1799 or e-mail us at: office@pro-inspections.ca 

Yes!  We carry Commercial Liability, Automobile Liability, and Professional Liability (Errors and Omissions) insurance.  Our Building Officials are also covered through Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board.

PBI employs several Licensed Building Officials ... with at least two of every class. This allows us to give you uninterrupted service in the case of vacation leave, illness, or absence for any reason. 

PBI provides:

• forms and checklists to assist municipal staff and ratepayers.
• monthly reports to keep you informed of inspection activity and progress.
• competitive rates, billed monthly and only when inspections are conducted (no upfront costs).
• toll-free support managed by PBI’s administration staff (3 full-time and 2 part-time).
• regular newsletters to keep municipal staff informed.
• consultations with Contractors, Engineers, Architects, Building Standards, SBOA, etc.
• information and resources on our website and private log-in area.
• insurance coverage, including Errors and Omissions.

For your ratepayer’s peace of mind, our Building Officials:

• have proper site safety equipment (PPE).
• carry first aid kits and have first aid training that meets OH&S standards.
• are covered by Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board.
• have photos on their Building Officials Licence and on our website.
• have passed a Criminal Record Check.