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Building Inspection Information

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ISO Report Grades San Mateo County Building Code a High Score!   San Mateo County has been awarded an Insurance Service Office ISO rating of 2 (in a range from 1 to 10 with 1 being the best). Please see ISO's site for more information, and what that means to you as a home owner and the community you live in. The concept is simple: municipalities with well-enforced, up-to-date codes should demonstrate better loss experience, and insurance rates can reflect that. The prospect of lessening catastrophe-related damage and ultimately lowering insurance costs provides an incentive for communities to enforce their building codes rigorously - especially as they relate to windstorm and earthquake damage. The Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS) program assigns each municipality a BCEGS grade of 1 (exemplary commitment to building-code enforcement) to 10. ISO develops advisory rating credits that apply to ranges of BCEGS classifications (1-3, 4-7, 8-9, 10). ISO gives insurers BCEGS classifications, BCEGS advisory credits, and related underwriting information. ISO began implementing the program in states with high exposure to wind (hurricane) hazards, then moved to states with high seismic exposure, and then continued through the rest of the country." Please see the link below for more information. Express Permits Now Available! - Electric Service Changes - Furnace Replacements - Gas, Water or Sewer Line Repair/Replacements - Kitchen and Bathroom Remodels - Re-Roofing - Termite Reports (which do not include replacement where plans are required) - Water Heaters These permits are now issued "over the counter" at the time when the application is made. This process not only expedites the issuance of these simple permits but reduces the wait times for other permit applicants because the two types of permits are no longer in the same que. The Department developed this improved process with input from customers such as architects, contractors and homeowners.   San Mateo County Planning & Building Department County Office Building 455 County Center Redwood City, CA 94063 Phone: (650) 363-4161 Fax: (650) 363-4849