City of Oakland launches new app to schedule building inspections

The City of Oakland’s Planning and Building Department has launched a new application, Oakland Building Inspection Request, to make it easier for customers to schedule building inspections.

Once downloaded to a mobile device, applicants and contractors can use the new tool at their convenience to schedule inspections.

“The changing nature of our work environment calls for us to regularly adopt new and better ways to engage our public,” William Gilchrist, director of the Planning and Building Department, said in a statement. “This is one more way that customers may easily access our services, minimize wait times for appointments, and allow staff to better support customers in other ways.”

The day of the scheduled inspection, users will receive notification of the inspector’s arrival window period, minimizing long, ambiguous wait times. The app is available for both Android devices and iPhones.