State Housing Law: remote inspections.

Removed amendment history dates (June 10, June 22, July 2 Senate amendments; March 16, March 26, May 18 Assembly amendments) and coauthor/introduced-by information, which is standard when a bill becomes enrolled.

Added passage dates (Assembly August 24, 2026; Senate August 20, 2026), Governor's approval block, and Chief Clerk/Secretary of the Senate signatures, consistent with enrolled bill formatting.

Removed line-by-line numbering (line 1 through line 40) that was present in the amended version for legislative tracking purposes.

Page numbers changed from 93 to 92 and page layout was reformatted throughout, reflecting re-pagination of the enrolled document.

Removed the provision (former item F) that required local agencies to offer remote inspections for all inspections related to accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units under 800 square feet, including its exceptions for foundation and framing inspections. This significantly narrows the types of projects eligible for remote inspection.

Added a cap on photovoltaic systems eligible for remote inspection: now limited to systems with an alternating current nameplate rating less than or equal to 15 kilowatts. Previously there was no size limit on photovoltaic systems.

Removed the provision allowing local agencies to set up onsite audit processes to confirm that a homeowner or contractor accurately represented work subject to a remote inspection. The temporary ban for willful misrepresentation remains, but the audit mechanism that would have triggered it is gone.

Changed the definition of 'qualifying city or county' from a federal census-based definition (not a metropolitan city or part of an urban county under Title 42 U.S. Code Section 5302) to a simpler population threshold: a city with a population of 50,000 or fewer that is not exempt under the small-population exemption.

Replaced vague 'necessary minor electrical work' language in the heat pump water heater and HVAC provisions with more specific language: 'the alteration, extension, or replacement of components of an existing electrical system to support the installation.'

Simplified the inspector's authority to terminate a remote inspection and require an in-person visit. Removed the 'best efforts' standard and the requirement that the inspector first determine they cannot verify compliance before terminating.

Minor residential electrical work (main/subservice panels, rewire work, whole-house fans, ceiling fans, new circuits) and minor residential plumbing work (sewer repair, replumbing, fixture replacement) were removed from the list of projects eligible for remote inspection.

An entire second tier of projects was removed: drywall, exterior siding, insulation, signs, window replacements, light foundations and footings, fireplace inserts, patios or decks, temporary power poles, demolition, removing gas lines, residential additions under 800 sq ft, and storage sheds under 800 sq ft.

Heat pump water heater and HVAC entries were expanded to include alteration, extension, or replacement of components of an existing electrical system to support the installation, but local agencies are not required to allow remote inspections of new or upgraded main electrical services (they may at their discretion).

A new provision states that nothing in the section prohibits a local agency from adopting remote inspections in a manner more permissive than provided, or allowing additional types of building permits to be inspected remotely.

A new exemption exempts cities with a population of fewer than 5,000 and counties with a population of fewer than 150,000 (including each city within that county) from all requirements of the section.

'Qualifying city or county' was redefined from an area that is not a metropolitan city or part of an urban county under federal law (42 U.S.C. 5302(a)(4) and (6)) to simply a city with a population of 50,000 or fewer that is not exempt under the new small-jurisdiction exemption.

A contractor must now provide written consent from the homeowner before requesting a remote inspection. Previously, either a homeowner or contractor could request one independently.

If a local agency requires (rather than offers as an option) that an inspection be performed remotely, the contractor must disclose this requirement to the homeowner.

The amendment to Government Code Section 65400 requiring cities and counties to include remote inspection implementation data (number of remote vs. in-person inspections, failure rates, audit counts) in their annual reports due April 1, 2028, was entirely removed from the bill.

The first tier of mandatory remote inspections was narrowed: 'residential water heaters' changed to 'residential heat pump water heaters' and 'residential HVAC' changed to 'residential heat pump HVAC,' both now including necessary minor electrical work. This limits the mandate to heat pump systems specifically rather than all water heaters and all HVAC systems.

A tiered compliance deadline structure was added for the second tier of inspections: metropolitan cities and urban counties (non-qualifying) must comply by January 1, 2028, while non-metropolitan areas (qualifying cities or counties) have until July 1, 2028. The Assembly version had a flat July 1, 2027 deadline for all jurisdictions.

Two new definitions were added: 'local agency' (meaning a city, charter city, county, or city and county) used throughout the bill in place of the longer phrase, and 'qualifying city or county' (meaning an area that is not a metropolitan city or part of an urban county as defined by federal Title 42 U.S.C. Section 5302(a)(4) and (6)).

A new provision allows local agencies to adopt reasonable protocols governing the technical conduct of remote inspections, including ensuring adequate field of view and image quality, verifying the work is at the permitted location (video must begin at the street showing the property address), and confirming technology and broadband connectivity are sufficient for reliable observation.

Explicit language was added clarifying that a construction inspector may terminate a remote inspection and require an in-person inspection after making best efforts to verify compliance remotely but determining they cannot do so.

Three legislative findings were removed: the finding about the City of Palo Alto audit identifying two-week inspection lead times, the finding citing ICC best practices and NFPA/HUD standards, and the ICC quote stating all inspections may qualify for remote virtual inspection.

Removed 'commercial' from the reroof inspection category, changing it from 'Residential and commercial reroofs' to 'Residential reroofs,' narrowing the types of inspections that must be offered remotely.

The old version had two separate categories of remote inspections: mandatory items under subdivision (a) and additional discretionary items under subdivision (b) including drywall, siding, insulation, signs, window replacements, light foundations, fireplace inserts, patios or decks, temporary power poles, demolition, removing gas lines, residential additions under 800 square feet, and storage sheds under 800 square feet. The new version consolidates the structure, suggesting the discretionary category was merged or removed.

Flattened the nested numbering structure in Section 17970.9 from a complex (1)(A), (2)(B) format to a simpler lettered list (A), (B), (C), etc., making the statute easier to read.

Section numbering was reorganized: what was previously Section 3 (adding Health and Safety Code Section 17970.9) is now Section 2, with a new Section 3 appearing after it. The amendment to Government Code Section 65400 (annual reporting requirements) appears to have been removed or restructured.

Added Senators Allen and Stern as Senate coauthors, and Assembly Member Tangipa was added to the Assembly coauthor list, indicating broader legislative support for the bill.

Commercial water heaters were removed from the list of inspections for which remote inspection must be offered. Only residential water heaters remain in the required category.

Residential plumbing work was narrowed to 'minor residential plumbing work,' limiting the types of plumbing that must be available for remote inspection.

Assembly Member Tangipa was added as a coauthor of the bill.

The ADU/JADU requirement was expanded from offering remote inspection for a subset of inspections to requiring it for ALL inspections in the permitting of accessory dwelling units or junior accessory dwelling units under 800 square feet.

The requirement for local agencies to submit annual compliance reports to HCD by July 1, 2027 and annually thereafter was removed, along with HCD's authority to post those reports, request information from local agencies, and take enforcement action to ensure compliance.

New legislative findings were added describing the benefits of remote inspections (reduced travel costs, faster permitting, lower renovation costs, improved inspector safety, streamlined disaster recovery) and noting that ICC, NFPA, and federal HUD have issued remote inspection standards.

Remote inspection option expanded from homeowners only to 'homeowner or contractor' throughout the bill, including for requesting inspections, failing inspections, onsite audits, temporary bans for willful misrepresentation, and inter-jurisdictional enforcement agreements.

New Section 2 amends Government Code Section 65400 to require cities and counties to include a remote inspection compliance report in their annual Planning and Zoning Law reports beginning April 1, 2028. The report must include the number of inspections done remotely versus in person, failure rates for both types, and the number of audits conducted.

Bill now amends two code sections (Government Code 65400 and Health and Safety Code 17970.9) rather than just adding one, and the legislative digest notes two separate state-mandated local programs instead of one.

The new Government Code amendment leverages the existing annual report enforcement framework, which includes HCD's ability to request corrections within 90 days, reject non-compliant reports, and court-ordered compliance with potential sanctions for continued non-compliance.

Terminology updated from 'building inspector' to 'building construction inspector' in multiple provisions of Section 17970.9.