An Act To Ensure Uniform Code Compliance and Efficient Oversight of Construction in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1025
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: HALL, KOFFMAN

Legislative Document 
No. 1025 
S.P.356 
In Senate, February 26, 2003 
An Act To Ensure Uniform Code Compliance and Efficient 
Oversight of Construction in the State 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator HALL of Lincoln. 
Cosponsored by Representative: KOFFMAN of Bar Harbor. 
Printed on recycled paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 32 MRSA c. 8 is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 8 
OFFICE OF BUILDING CODES 
§411. 
Definitions 
As 
used 
in this 
chapter, 
unless 
the 
context 
otherwise 
indicates, the following termS have the following meanings. 
1. 
Licensed 
building 
inspector. 
"Licensed 
building 
inspector" means 
an individual who has been licensed by the 
Office of Building Codes under this chapter to inspect commercial 
and residential b~ildings and to certify to the office that the 
building and energy codes have been met. 
2. 
Office. 
"Office" means the Office of Building Codes 
established in section 412. 
3. 
Owners or developers. 
"Owners or developers" means 
th~ 
owners or developers of commercial or residential buildings. 
§412. 
Office of Building Codes established 
The 
Office of Building Codes 
is established within the 
Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to carry out 
the functions of this chapter. 
The purpose of the office is tu 
ensure uniform code compliance and efficient oversight of the 
construction of new residential and commercial buildings in the 
State. 
§413. 
Certification requirement 
All owners or developers shall certify to the office through 
either the code enforcement officers of the municipality in which 
the building is located or licensed building inspectors that a 
newly constructed residential or commercial building meets all 
applicable 
local 
or 
state 
building 
and 
energy 
codes. 
A 
municipality may choose to provide inspection services through 
municipal 
code 
enforcement 
officers 
for 
buildings 
that 
are 
located in that municipality but is under 
no 
obligation to 
provide these services. 
If a municipality chooses not to provide 
these services, owners or developers shall contract with licensed 
building inspectors to provide these services. 
§414. 
Licensing requirement 
A person may not provide building inspection services to 
owners or developers unless that person is a licensed building 
inspector. 
§4l5. 
Service fees 
The office shall establish a 
fee schedule for inspection 
services provided by licensed building inspectors to owners or 
developers based on the sQuare footage of a building. 
§4l6. 
Rules 
The office shall adopt rules to implement this chapter. 
The 
rules 
must 
include 
a 
fee 
schedule 
for 
services provided 
by 
licensed 
building 
inspectors 
and 
standards 
for 
testing 
and 
licensing building inspectors. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this 
section are designated as routine technical rules as defined in 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2. Reorganization plan. 
The Department of Professional 
and Financial Regulation shall develop and submit a plan to the 
Joint 
Standing 
Committee 
on 
Business, 
Research 
and 
Economic 
Development prior to the Second Regular Session of the 121st 
Legislature 
to 
merge 
into 
the 
Office 
of 
Building 
Codes 
established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, chapter 8 
the 
plumbing, 
electrical, 
fire 
and 
energy 
code 
inspection 
functions of state agencies as exist on the effective date of 
this Act. 
Sec. 3. Effective date. 
Section 1 of this Act takes effect July 
L 
2004. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes the Office of Building Codes wi thin 
the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to ensure 
the 
uniform 
code 
compliance 
and 
efficient 
oversight 
of 
construction of new residential and commercial buildings in the 
State. 
The 
office is 
responsible 
for 
providing testing 
and 
licensing 
standards 
for 
private 
building 
inspectors 
and 
establishing 
a 
fee 
schedule 
for building inspector services. 
This bill also requires owners and developers of residential and 
commercial buildings to certify to the Office of Building Codes 
that a newly constructed building meets all applicable building 
and energy codes. 
It also requires the department to submit a 
plan to the Joint Standing Committee on Business, Research and 
Economic Development prior to the Second Regular Session of the 
121st Legislature to merge into the Office of Building Codes 
functions 
within existing agencies 
that 
are 
responsible 
for 
plumbing, electrical, fire and energy code inspections.