(a) The request for a Certificate of Inspection may be made in person at the Bedford Building Department or by telephone. Such request shall include information and date to determine compliance with applicable ordinances and codes concerning the existing use or occupancy and the intended use or occupancy of the premises. The building official may require the submission of an affidavit stating such information, and he shall thereafter cause a general inspection to be made.
(b) The general inspection shall include the review of two general types of violations:
(1) Conditions, usually found inside the dwelling or structure, which constitute a hazard to the life or health of the occupant including but not limited to:
A. Basement walls must be free of cracks, loose mortar and excessive dampness. Floors must be concrete in a generally dry and hazard-free condition. Basement water and waste piping must be free of leaks and maintained in a safe and sanitary condition. Gas and/or water piping to furnace and hot water tank must be equipped with shut off valves within 3 feet of, and in the same room as, the appliance and be free of hazards. All gas valves must be of the quarter-turn ball valve style.
B. Basements and other parts of the structure must be free of infestation by rodents, insects, roaches, or other living organisms such as mold, which are injurious to life or health.
C. All stairways must be free of loose or damaged treads or other parts and be equipped with handrails on at least one side.
D. All plumbing fixtures must be clean and sanitary and must operate properly and be free of leaks. Backflow devices and/or expansion tanks may be required on the water piping in certain instances.
E. Bathroom floors and walls must be water resistant and in a generally safe and sanitary condition. (Ord. 8266-08. Passed 1-5-09.)
F. An operable smoke detector must be currently installed on each heated level of the structure. An additional smoke detector shall be installed in each bedroom. (Ord. 9047-13. Passed 2-19-13.)
G. Doors and windows must provide reasonable security to the occupants. Interior-keyed locking cylinders must be replaced with thumb-turn devices. (Ord. 8266-08. Passed 1-5-09.)
H. The structure must be free of electrical hazards.
1. All electrical equipment such as lights, fans, outlets, switches, etc. must be clean and in working order. Missing globes or other miscellaneous lamp parts shall be replaced or the fixture shall be replaced.
2. The electrical service breaker panel must be properly grounded to the water service piping within five feet of the entrance to the structure and ahead of the water meter using #4 solid copper grounding conductor. The hot and cold water lines and the gas piping must be properly bonded also using #4 solid copper grounding conductor. Sizes of breakers in the panel must correspond with the wiring gauges. The maximum size of a 20-amp breaker will be permitted on a 12-gauge, 110v circuit. A maximum of a 15-amp breaker shall be permitted on any circuit using 14-gauge wiring and on all knob-and-tube circuits. Breakers in the panel shall be indexed.
3. All splices must be enclosed in a workbox. All workboxes must be equipped with covers. All unused holes in panels and workboxes must be plugged.
(Ord. 9047-13. Passed 2-19-13.)
(2) Conditions which can be found either inside or out and which deal with property and building maintenance issues:
A. All exterior property areas must be free of trash, garbage, miscellaneous debris and stored materials as well as unlicensed or inoperative vehicles.
B. Gutters and downspouts on main and accessory structures must be present and in good repair. Storm water must be disposed of properly and in a way that does not adversely impact any neighbor.
C. Masonry assemblies such as foundations, porches and stairs, chimneys and chimney caps must be sound and in good repair. Tuck-pointing and similar repairs shall be performed in a neat and workmanship-like manner with materials that match in material, color and texture.
D. Siding, window and doors and related trim, soffits and fascia, porches and all other related items on the main or accessory structures must be structurally sound and painted.
E. Windows and doors shall be properly glazed and equipped with weather stripping to prevent the intrusion of excessive drafts. At least one window in each habitable room shall be operable and shall be equipped with insect screens. Rope weights and other systems to hold windows in the open position shall operate properly.
F. Concrete walks and drives must be free of cracking and other hazardous conditions. Asphalt drives must be free of excessive cracking and damage. All drives and parking areas must be hard-surfaced. Paving in the public right-of-way, including the drive apron and the public sidewalk, must be constructed of reinforced concrete construction.
G. Roofing and siding must be free of missing or damaged sections and in a condition, which protects the structure from the effects of the weather. Repairs must match the existing surface in color, texture and size. Three or more layers of roofing on a structure are not permitted.
H. Fences, shrubbery and hedges must be maintained or trimmed in such a way as to be structurally sound and present an orderly appearance. Shrubbery and hedges shall not be permitted to extend over the edges of the public sidewalk nor shall they block the line of sight of oncoming traffic at intersections or at the end of driveways. At least 7-feet of clearance is required for tree limbs overhanging a sidewalk, and hedges/bushes adjacent to a driveway or intersection must be trimmed to a maximum height of 30-inches for the first 20-feet of driveway measuring from the edge of the public right-of-way.
(Ord. 8266-08. Passed 1-5-09.)
I. Exterior painted surfaces must be free of cracking, blistering, peeling or other signs of deterioration. The surface of interior walls and ceilings must be clean and sanitary.
(Ord. 9047-13. Passed 2-19-13.)
J. Floor coverings, including carpet and tile surfaces, must be clean and sanitary and free of stains, excess wear or damage. Kitchen and bathroom floor tile must be clean, sanitary and water resistive. Carpeting in the bathroom is not permitted. Floor surfaces must be completely free of the adverse effects of the harboring of pets.
(Ord. 8266-08. Passed 1-5-09.)
K. Kitchen and bathroom cabinets and countertops must be clean and sanitary, free of water or other miscellaneous damage and in good condition. Cabinet drawers and doors must open and close properly and must have all necessary hardware.
NOTE: The City of Bedford is a historical district made up of dwellings and other structures with a distinctive and unique architectural style. It is the intent of Bedford City Council to preserve this architectural style and detail of its existing housing stock. In the repair or alteration of a dwelling or accessory structure, particularly for the purposes of satisfying the Point of Sale requirements, existing architectural details, materials and styles shall be preserved, repaired, matched or reproduced and not removed, altered, destroyed or replaced with alternate materials.
Such Certificate of Inspection shall not be valid beyond the last day of the twelfth month following the date of issuance unless renewed prior thereto in the same manner as required for issuance of the original Certificate.
If corrections cannot be made by the seller prior to the transfer of the title, an escrow account shall be established, into which an amount of money shall be placed equal to one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the value of the uncompleted repairs or corrections. This amount shall be established by procuring at least one estimate from a company capable of performing the work and which is currently registered to work in the City of Bedford. These funds shall be disbursed only after verification from the Building Official that the work is complete. While all estimates must be reviewed by the Bedford Building Department for completeness and adequacy prior to the transfer of title, the Building Department assumes no responsibility that the amount of money held in escrow will be sufficient to finance the necessary corrections. It shall also be noted that the seller, their agents, or in specific cases when authorized by the Building Official, the buyer, shall be held responsible for the abatement of all violations regardless of the amount of money held in escrow. The Building Official shall establish on the Certificate of Inspection a reasonable time frame for the completion of the work. At the expiration date of the time period set forth in the Certificate of Inspection, the Building Official or his authorized representative shall inspect the work to determine compliance.
When it is determined by the Division of Building that a dwelling, building or structure is in compliance with the provisions of these Codified Ordinances and all other applicable rules and regulations applicable thereto, the Building Official shall issue a Certificate of Point of Sale Compliance for the premises.
(Ord. 9047-13. Passed 2-19-13.)