Special inspection forms by city

Direct answer: Most US cities start from IBC Chapter 17: the design professional prepares a Statement of Special Inspections, and the owner hires an approved agency (IBC 2024 §§1704.2–1704.3). Each city then has its own form. Below are the official forms for Miami-Dade County, San José, San Francisco DBI and Philadelphia, linked straight from each building department, with who signs each one and when it's due.

Quick reference

Miami-Dade County special inspection forms

Where: Miami-Dade's Inspections page lists the Special Inspector Employment Notice and the Threshold (Special) Inspector Building Affidavit, plus lightweight insulating concrete (LWIC) forms.

Special Inspector Employment Notice

From the form (Rev. 03/16):

• The special inspector is a Florida-registered architect or professional engineer retained by the owner. Inspections are in addition to the department's mandatory inspections (Miami-Dade).
• Check-box items cite Code of Miami-Dade County sec. 8-22. They include piling; trusses over 35 ft long or 6 ft high; reinforced masonry; steel connections; soil compaction; precast and attachments (including tilt-up reinforcement); curtain wall; structural glazing; LWIC; and composite floor systems.
• The form lists the inspector's authorized representatives and their qualifications.
• A special inspector inspection log for each building must be displayed on the site. At final, the completed log and a sealed statement are submitted.

Threshold buildings

• Florida defines a threshold building as one more than three stories or 50 feet tall, or an assembly occupancy over 5,000 sq ft with an occupant content over 500. A "special inspector" is a licensed architect or registered engineer certified under ch. 471 or ch. 481 (Fla. Stat. 553.71).
• Miami-Dade's Threshold (Special) Inspector Building Affidavit references F.S. 553.79. The threshold inspector is responsible to the Building Official and inspects per the approved structural inspection plan.

San José special inspection forms

Where: the City of San José Building Division Bulletins & Forms page, under "Special Inspection."

The city's forms page still posts Form #345 as the 06/29/22 edition citing the 2019 CBC. No newer CBC revision of that form was listed on Oct 31, 2026. Match the form edition to your permit's code year.

Key requirements on Form #345 (PDF):

• The owner or owner's agent, on the RDP's advice, completes the form, collects signatures, and submits 2 copies to the Permit Center.
• The testing agency sends lab and inspection reports weekly to the Building Division and the RDP. Only the lab takes samples.
• Inspectors not pre-approved go on an Inspector List, and the agency issues inspector badges.
• The final report is kept on site.
• Includes the contractor's statement of responsibility (CBC 1704.4), seismic (1704.3.2) and wind (1704.3.3) sections, and a continuous/periodic summary.

San Francisco DBI special inspection form

Where: SF.gov Inspection Services key documents.

What the form says (PDF):

• Employment of special inspection is "the direct responsibility of the OWNER, or the engineer/architect of record acting as the owner's representative". The inspector's name must be furnished to the DBI District Inspector before the work starts.
• Structural observation is required per Sec. 1704.6, and a preconstruction conference is recommended.
• A numbered checklist of inspection items, e.g., concrete, bolts in concrete, welding, high-strength bolting, masonry, shotcrete, grading, shoring/underpinning, holdowns, shear walls, structural observation, and firestops in high-rise buildings.
• "Prepared by: … Engineer/Architect of Record."

Closing out in SF (Special Inspections Process):

1. Find the required special inspections on the approved drawings or the permit's online "Special Inspections" section.
2. Get the final compliance letter and test reports from your architect, engineer or agency. DBI provides a sample letter that lists each inspection code to be cleared.
3. Email the letter and supporting documents to dbi.specialinspections@sfgov.org, with the address and permit number in the subject line.
4. Allow 10 business days, then check online for a "Completed Date" and inspector initials. Don't resubmit.

Philadelphia special inspections (L&I)

Where: Philadelphia L&I's Special Inspections information page. The owner or design professional must hire a special inspection agency for some projects. L&I monitors compliance, and special inspections don't replace L&I inspections.

How the process works (per L&I's 2023 program presentation):

• One Design Professional in Responsible Charge of Special Inspections (DPRC-SI) per project. That person identifies the required inspections and frequency and signs and seals the Statement. Extra inspections go on page 3 or added sheets.
• In eCLIPSE, the applicant enters the license categories and agencies. Only agencies with an active approval for that category can be retrieved.
• A hold appears on the permit once special inspections are recorded. It's a hold for the Final Compliance Form, submitted after all inspections are complete.
• Registration fees: L&I currently publishes $253 for a special inspection agency and $63 per inspector category (maximum $252). Confirm the current amounts on the license fee schedule and the Special Inspections publication (modified May 2026, effective July 1, 2026).

Note: Philadelphia's business-services page for the program (business.phila.gov/special-inspections-program/) didn't load on Oct 30, 2026, so it isn't cited here.

Before you submit any city's form: checklist

FAQ

Where do I get the Miami-Dade special inspection form?

From Miami-Dade's Building Inspections page. The Special Inspector Employment Notice is here, and threshold buildings also need the Threshold (Special) Inspector Building Affidavit.

What is the City of San José special inspection form?

San José uses a Special Inspection and Testing Form for new buildings and one for existing buildings, posted on the Building Division's Bulletins & Forms page. The owner or agent completes it on the RDP's advice and submits two copies to the Permit Center.

Where is the SF DBI special inspection form?

The Special Inspection and Structural Observation Form is on SF.gov's Inspection Services key documents page (direct PDF). It's prepared by the engineer or architect of record.

How do special inspections work in Philadelphia?

A single DPRC-SI signs and seals the SI-001 Statement. The owner, contractor and DPRC-SI sign the SI-003 agreement, which is filed with the permit. Agencies are entered in eCLIPSE, and a hold for the Final Compliance Form stays on the permit until all inspections are complete (L&I; 2023 program presentation).

Who hires the special inspector?

Generally the owner. The IBC says the owner or owner's agent (not the contractor) employs the approved agency (IBC 2024 §1704.2). Miami-Dade and SF state the same on their forms (Miami-Dade; SF DBI).

Different form in every city, same proof at closeout

SpecProven doesn't fill out city forms. It builds the inspection plan from your specs. When a section is silent on a usual IBC Chapter 17 special inspection, it adds a note (how it works). After the plan is built, SpecProven matches incoming inspection reports to the plan lines they prove. A paid pilot is $2,900 to start and covers four projects, then $500 per project per month after the four included. Pricing.

Sources

• Miami-Dade Inspections page: https://www.miamidade.gov/global/economy/building/inspections.page
• Miami-Dade Special Inspector Employment Notice: https://www.miamidade.gov/permits/library/forms/special-inspector.pdf
• Miami-Dade Threshold Building Affidavit: https://www.miamidade.gov/permits/library/forms/threshold-building-affidavit.pdf
• Florida Statutes 553.71: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0553/Sections/0553.71.html
• San José Bulletins & Forms: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/planning-building-code-enforcement/building-division/bulletins-forms
• San José Form #345 (new): https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/25951/637921167393400000
• San José Form #344 (existing): https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/25949/637921165216900000
• San José recognized agencies: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/planning-building-code-enforcement/building-division/inspections/special-inspection-and-testing-agencies
• SF DBI Inspection Services key documents: https://www.sf.gov/resource--2022--inspection-services-key-documents
• SF DBI Special Inspection and Structural Observation Form: https://www.sf.gov/documents/42849/Special_Inspection_and_Structural_Observation_Form.pdf
• SF DBI Special Inspections Process: https://api.sf.gov/documents/38158/Special_Inspections_Process.pdf
• SF DBI-recognized agencies: https://api.sf.gov/documents/64260/DBI-approved-special-insp-testing-agencies-100226.pdf
• Philadelphia L&I Special Inspections information: https://www.phila.gov/departments/department-of-licenses-and-inspections/resources/special-inspections-information/
• Philadelphia SI-001: https://www.phila.gov/media/20260616195424/SI_001_F_Statement-of-Special-Inspections-Schedule-2021-Code-FINAL-v.1-fillable.pdf
• Philadelphia SI-003: https://www.phila.gov/media/20260113091844/SI_003_F_Special-Inspections-Duties-and-Responsibilities-Agreement-Updated-1.2026.pdf
• Philadelphia L&I Special Inspections Program 2023: https://www.phila.gov/media/20230322140928/Special-Inspections-2023.pdf
• Philadelphia L&I license fee schedule: https://www.phila.gov/documents/fees-for-li-permits-and-licenses/
• Philadelphia Special Inspections publication (modified May 2026): https://www.phila.gov/media/20260526151700/Special-Inspections-Publication-2021-Code-FINAL.pdf
• IBC 2024 Ch. 17 (UpCodes): https://up.codes/viewer/general-services-administration/ibc-2024/chapter/17/special-inspections-and-tests
• SpecProven homepage: https://specproven.com/