News
City of San Antonio Achieves Building Department Accreditation from IAS
The City of San Antonio Development Services Department has been granted accreditation of its building department by the International Accreditation Service (IAS). The IAS accreditation program provides a trusted, independent assessment and verification that the department is operating at the highest legal, ethical, and technical standards.
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“I am very proud of the work we have done over the past five years to improve the business practices at Development Services. Receiving this accreditation highlights the City’s commitment to make San Antonio a great city to expand or relocate your business,” said San Antonio City Manager Sheryl Sculley.
The City of San Antonio Development Services Department provides services for a population of 1,328,984 and covers a geographic area of approximately 647 square miles. In 2009, the department issued a total of 65,491 permits and conducted 117,545 inspections. Located in south-central Texas, San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the United States.
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In recognition of the accreditation, IAS President Chuck Ramani (right in photo) presented a plaque to San Antonio Director of Development Services Roderick Sanchez at the International Code Council Annual Conference Awards Luncheon, October 27th in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ramani said, “Earning Building Department Accreditation is a great achievement and demonstrates the City of San Antonio’s commitment to public safety. It is also a testament to the city’s drive to provide a high level of service in an efficient and measurable manner.” Sanchez commented, “San Antonio’s goal is to have one of the best development processes in the nation. Our partnership with IAS helped identify areas where we could make improvements to better serve our customers while building a safer San Antonio.”
The IAS Building Department Accreditation Program is based on the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Building Departments/Code Enforcement Agencies (AC251) and the International Code Council’s (ICC) International Building Code®. San Antonio was assessed across twelve distinct categories of accreditation criteria including basic jurisdictional information, department staff, permitting, budget, construction codes, plan reviews, professional credentials/licenses, inspections, certificates of occupancy, on-site evaluations, annual reports, and complaints/appeals. IAS evaluators assessed work activities in the department’s offices, reviewed documents and policies, and interviewed department customers, staff, and city officials. The IAS on-site teams also visited construction sites to appraise the performance of the city’s inspection process. IAS conducted a pre-evaluation review in May 2010 and a full on-site evaluation in June 2010. The department received accreditation on October 21, 2010. The IAS Certificate of Accreditation for the City of San Antonio Development Services Department may be viewed on the IAS website.
IAS accredits building departments and building department service providers, special inspection agencies, product certification agencies, inspection programs for metal building manufacturers, fabricator inspection programs, testing and calibration laboratories, inspection agencies, training agencies, curriculum developers, and field evaluation bodies. A recognized accreditation body since 1975, IAS is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation and a subsidiary of the International Code Council (ICC). IAS is one of the leading accreditation bodies in the United States and a signatory to several international mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs).
For more information about IAS or the Building Department Accreditation Program, visit www.iasonline.org or call 1-866-427-4422.