A new law initiated by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will allow developers to hire their own inspectors to check for environmental, safety and building violations on construction sites — bypassing city codes departments and the state fire marshal’s office.
Lee, who made the measure a key policy priority this year, said it is intended to streamline the building process, particularly in rapidly growing Tennessee communities.
“Time is money,” he said introducing the plan in his State of the State address earlier this year.
“Just take it from someone who spent 35 years in the construction industry,” Lee said. “A bureaucratic permitting process is bad for everybody but the government.”
Opponents of the law, including the statewide association of codes officials, say privatizing building inspections introduces risks.