Six ways we support your building department.

When a CBO position is vacant, in transition, or temporarily unavailable, GBH provides fully certified leadership that can step in and assume the statutory duties of the office without disruption.

This includes representing the department to council, signing off on permits and orders, managing staff, and ensuring continued compliance with the Building Code Act.

• Short-term and long-term contract appointments
• Statutory duty coverage under the Building Code Act
• Council and committee representation
• Staff supervision and decision authority
• Permit and order sign-off
• Department continuity through transitions

Beyond the CBO role itself, healthy building departments rely on well-organized workflows, clear policies, and reliable day-to-day operations. GBH provides the operational backbone.

From reviewing permit application processes to drafting departmental policy and preparing council reports, we help municipalities run efficient, defensible building departments.

• Permit workflow review and improvement
• Policy and procedure development
• Council and committee reporting
• File and records management
• Fee schedule review
• Departmental planning and budgeting input

Plans examination is where projects get on the right track — or fall behind. GBH delivers thorough, code-compliant plan reviews with the kind of clear, professional documentation that supports the issuance of permits.

Our reviews cover the full project spectrum: detached homes, multi-unit residential, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and institutional projects.

• OBC Part 9 and Part 3 reviews
• Residential plan examination
• Commercial and industrial reviews
• Institutional and assembly occupancies
• Cross-disciplinary code coordination
• Detailed deficiency lists and review notes

On-site inspection is where code intent meets reality. GBH performs the full range of building inspections — from footings and framing through occupancy and final — with the practical eye of a 40,000-inspection career.

Reports are delivered promptly with photo documentation, clear findings, and constructive direction for builders and homeowners.

• Footing, foundation, and structural inspections
• Framing, insulation, and air-barrier inspections
• Plumbing and HVAC stage inspections
• Occupancy and final inspections
• On-site sewage system inspections
• Photo-documented compliance reports

When voluntary compliance breaks down, the Building Code Act provides clear enforcement tools. GBH knows how to use them — having issued orders for compliance and pursued legal prosecutions throughout a long municipal career.

We help municipalities move from notice through to resolution with documentation that holds up under scrutiny.

• Orders for compliance and stop-work orders
• Investigation and evidence documentation
• Legal prosecution support
• Court testimony and expert evidence
• Compliance follow-through and verification
• Bylaw and code coordination

The next generation of building officials needs guidance from those who have done the work. GBH brings 25+ years of college-level instruction together with real-field mentorship to help your team develop confidence and competence.

We work alongside junior staff on actual projects, walking through the reasoning, code references, and practical decisions that shape good building official practice.

• One-on-one mentorship for new building officials
• Ride-along training on inspections
• Plans review coaching
• Code-interpretation discussion
• Career-development guidance toward certification
• Department-wide training sessions