2013 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 29 - Public Safety and State Police
Chapter 541 - Building, Fire and Demolition Codes. Fire Marshals and Fire Hazards. Safety of Public and Other Structures
Section 29-261 - (Formerly Sec. 19-397). Qualifications of building official and assistant building officials. Powers and duties. Return of building plans and specifications.

(a) The building official, to be eligible for appointment, shall have had at least five years’ experience in construction, design or supervision and assistant building officials shall have had at least three years’ experience in construction, design or supervision, or equivalent experience as determined by the Commissioner of Construction Services. They shall be generally informed on the quality and strength of building materials, on the accepted requirements of building construction, on the accepted requirements of design and construction relating to accessibility to and use of buildings by the physically disabled, on good practice in fire prevention, on the accepted requirements regarding light and ventilation, on the accepted requirements for safe exit facilities and on other items of equipment essential for the safety, comfort and convenience of occupants and shall be certified under the provisions of section 29-262.

(b) The building official or assistant building official shall pass upon any question relative to the mode, manner of construction or materials to be used in the erection or alteration of buildings or structures, pursuant to applicable provisions of the State Building Code and in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Construction Services. They shall require compliance with the provisions of the State Building Code, of all rules lawfully adopted and promulgated thereunder and of laws relating to the construction, alteration, repair, removal, demolition and integral equipment and location, use, accessibility, occupancy and maintenance of buildings and structures, except as may be otherwise provided for.

(c) A building official may request proof of licensure from any person at a construction site for which a building permit was issued. If such official finds any person engaging in or practicing work in an occupation for which a license is required under chapters 393 and 393a, without first having obtained an apprentice permit or a license for such work or occupation, the building official may notify the Commissioner of Consumer Protection of such violation and may issue a written order and personally deliver such order or send such order by certified mail to the person holding such building permit. Such order may require that any person working at such site without the required permit or license shall cease work at the site immediately. The unlicensed person may perform such work or occupation at the construction site upon submission of documentation satisfactory to the building official of compliance under said chapters 393 and 393a.

(d) The building official or his assistant shall have the right of entry to such buildings or structures, except single-family residences, for the proper performance of his duties between the hours of nine a.m. and five p.m., except that in the case of an emergency he shall have the right of entry at any time, if such entry is necessary in the interest of public safety.

(e) Notwithstanding any provision of the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200, or the State Building Code, upon receipt of a written request signed by the owner of plans and specifications on file for a single-family dwelling or out-building, the building official shall immediately return the original plans and specifications to the owner after a certificate of occupancy is issued with respect to the plans and specifications.

(1949 Rev., S. 4108; 1969, P.A. 443, S. 6; 1971, P.A. 573, S. 1; 802, S. 5; P.A. 82-279, S. 1, 4; P.A. 86-372, S. 4; P.A. 87-55; P.A. 88-356, S. 3; 88-364, S. 45, 123; P.A. 92-164, S. 1; P.A. 97-47, S. 34; P.A. 02-115, S. 1; P.A. 03-205, S. 1; P.A. 09-153, S. 1; P.A. 11-51, S. 90.)

History: 1969 act required that building official be certified under Sec. 19-397a and revised conditions under which qualifications need not be fulfilled, i.e. in case of official holding office before October 1, 1970, provided certification is achieved within four years (October 1, 1974), previously officials holding office before municipality adopted state building code were excused from qualifications; 1971 acts replaced “October 1, 1970” with “October 1, 1971”, made provisions applicable to assistant building officials and required them to have at least three years’ experience in construction, design or supervision and required officials to act “pursuant to applicable provisions of the state building code and in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the board of materials review”; P.A. 82-279 transferred regulatory functions from board of materials review to public safety department, effective July 1, 1983; Sec. 19-397 transferred to Sec. 29-261 in 1983; P.A. 86-372 subdivided the section into Subsecs. and added provision requiring return of plans and specifications; P.A. 87-55 amended Subsec. (a), requiring building official and assistant building officials to be informed on design and construction requirements concerning handicapped accessibility; P.A. 88-356 and 88-364 amended Subsec. (a) to eliminate exception for building officials or assistant building officials holding office in any municipality prior to October 1, 1971; P.A. 92-164 inserted new Subsec. (c) authorizing building officials to request proof of licensure from any person at a construction site and relettered the remaining Subsecs.; P.A. 97-47 amended Subsec. (e) by substituting reference to “the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in Sec. 1-18a” for “chapter 3”; P.A. 02-115 amended Subsec. (a) to allow building official and assistant building officials to have equivalent experience as determined by the Commissioner of Public Safety; P.A. 03-205 amended Subsec. (e) to make a technical change and replace former provisions re return of plans and specifications with provisions requiring the return of original plans and specifications to the owner of a single-family dwelling or out-building after a certificate of occupancy is issued and a signed written request is received; P.A. 09-153 amended Subsec. (c) to authorize building officials to notify Commissioner of Consumer Protection of licensure violations, effective July 1, 2009; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Public Safety” and “Department of Public Safety” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Construction Services” and “Department of Construction Services”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011.

Cited. 15 CA 323.