Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services Receives Record Number of Requests for Residential Deck Inspections During ‘Building Safety Month‘

Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Friday, May 13, 2022
The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) is offering homeowners free residential deck maintenance inspections during the month of May as part of its annual celebration of “Building Safety Month.” Since the deck safety program was announced in mid-April, more than 600 homeowners have requested deck inspections, which is higher than any previous year since the program began in 2009.

The previous record was 422 inspections in 2019. Inspectors have completed more than 300 of the deck safety inspection requests this year to date.

“We want homeowners to know that inspection appointments are being completed in the order they have been received,” said James Sackett, DPS residential inspections manager. “We will continue taking requests during the month of May, and inspections will continue until we meet the demand.”

During the 15-minute inspection, a DPS inspector will check the support structure of the deck, ledger attachment and the overall condition of the structure.

To schedule an inspection online, visit the DPS website and submitting a service request.

The requests may not be anonymous. In the description section of the online form, homeowners should note they are requesting a deck maintenance inspection and include the property address and contact information at the top of the form. Homeowners may also call the County’s central call system at 311 or 240-777-0311.

The County does not provide free deck inspections in the cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville because those municipalities have their own permitting departments and protocols.

Find more information and tips for maintaining your deckby visiting the DPS website.

Earlier this week, County Executive Marc Elrich and the County Council issued a proclamation in Rockville for Building Safety Month. They were joined by DPS leaders and representatives from other County departments, including the Fire and Rescue Service, Housing and Community Affairs and the Department of Transportation. Watch the video on demand and view photos on the County’s website.

DPS Director Mitra Pedoeem and DPS Residential Inspector Bernard Marra recently discussed Building Safety Month and the free residential deck inspection program on the Spanish language radio show, Montgomery Al Dia, with host Lorna Virgili. Watch the show on demand.  Mr. Barra also discussed deck inspections on En Sintonia.

Mr. Sackett appeared live on the “What’s Happening MoCo” podcast with host Derrick Kenny in Wheaton. The show was broadcast live on Facebook and will be available soon on demand on the County’s website and Apple, Google, TuneIn and Spotify.

This year’s Building Safety Month weekly campaign themes include:

• May 1-8: Planning for a Safe and Sustainable Tomorrow
• May 9-15: Exploring Careers in Building Safety
• May 16-22: Understanding the Four Phases of Emergency Management
• May 23-31: Creating a Safe and Abundant Water Supply

Learn more about Building Safety Month at www.buildingsafetymonth.org and join the conversation on social media using #MoCoDPS and #BuildingSafety365.

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