Expert: Education, not government rules, important for building maintenance

The city of Columbia has no requirement to inspect commercial properties for routine maintenance, but one advocate says new laws may not be the answer.

Bill Warner, president of the National Association of Commercial Building Inspectors, told ABC 17 News that property owners should take seriously the cost and safety risk to keeping buildings fixed up. Wanrer said he supported practices like routine inspections by fire departments and other health and safety regulators, but said financial restraints and many problems being “out of sight, out of mind” stop many property owners from conducting repairs.

“They kind of sweep it under the rug and push it down the road, so to speak, and wait for somebody else to pick up the tab,” Warner said.

Businesses must pass a series of inspections during construction or a major remodeling, according to the Building and Site Development website. The city has no oversight, though, to ensure the businesses remain structurally sound. The department often gets involved when a complaint is filed or during an emergency.

The fire department does perform inspections for possible fire code violations. Assistant Chief Brad Fraizer said businesses are checked every 12 months, 18 months or 24 months, depending on the business.

“We have over 4,000 businesses that we have to inspect,” Fraizer said. “So all the fire trucks and the fire marshals are involved in that inspection process. So, we’re out every quarter, almost every day looking at that space for fire code compliance.”

Warner said property owners should be educated on the risks they take on by letting a building fall into disrepair. He said the insurance industry could be more involved in requiring routine inspections.

“What needs to occur is more education and proof in the pudding, so to speak, that they are cost effective in both financially and in a safety aspect,” Warner said.