Building Inspection Program

What buildings are inspected?

• Commercial spaces and high occupancy residential buildings within the City Of Olympia.

Why are businesses inspected?

• Fire inspections reduce damage and loss of life while reducing the demand for emergency responses in the city.
• Compliance with the fire code is required by state law.
• The fire code requires inspection and maintenance of businesses within a jurisdiction.

What does the inspection include?

• The inspections cover business areas, public areas and exterior space of businesses and multi-family residential buildings.
• Business owners have direct contact with fire inspectors allowing for open dialog on fire related topics.

What is the purpose of a fire inspection?

• The goal of inspections is to reduce the loss of life and property by fire.
• Fire inspections are an opportunity to educate business owners and the public about fire and life safety issues.
• Information collected during these inspections is used by fire personnel to make decisions in the event of emergencies.
• Fire code violations are prevented by providing information on fire code requirements during routine inspections.

Is there a fee for regular fire inspections?

• In the City of Olympia there is a fee for a scheduled fire inspection.
• The fees pay for a portion of the cost of the fire inspection program and staff
• The fee ranges from $25 to several hundred dollars depending on business size and inspection difficulty.

What version of fire code applies?

• The current fire code adopted by Washington State is The International Fire Code 2009 edition.
• The Fire Code applies to new construction and existing businesses.
• The fire code is revised every 3 years. The City of Olympia will review and adopt the appropriate code.

How often are fire inspections performed?

• Businesses are inspected annually or semiannually depending on the hazards and complexity if the inspection.

What happens if fire code violations are noted during an inspection?

• Businesses have 14 days to comply with the fire code as noted on the fire inspections.
• Report corrections to your fire inspector within 14 days of the inspection.
• Life threatening or repeat violations may need to be corrected immediately or within a short timeline.

What happens if fire code violations do not get corrected within 14 days?

• Businesses are liable for problems noted during the fire inspections.
• A Fire Inspector will contact you in an effort to correct the items that are outstanding.
• You may be billed for additional time spent on issues due to noncompliance.