The proposals come when many home buyers and inspectors are calling for tougher policing of home builders. Rep. Beverly Earle, a Mecklenburg Democrat on a legislative committee studying construction issues, says she intends to introduce legislation that would strengthen protections for home buyers. Stories in The Observer last month showed how holes in state regulations left some who bought new houses with costly and dangerous problems. Now, local officials can't deny permits to anyone who has a valid state license and pays the required fees. Mike Carpenter, chief lobbyist for the N.C. Home Builders Association, noted inspection departments had the power to deny a certificate of occupancy if a building had code violations.
Some builders favor the proposal.
Contractors must pass an exam that includes questions about the building code, but critics question whether it's exhaustive enough. County officials say many builders know far too little about what the code requires. During the past two years, home builders have failed about 40 percent of the inspections by the county's code enforcers. Some of the area's larger builders like the idea. Prohibit the N.C. board that licenses general contractors from issuing more than one license to a builder.