Commercial Site and Subdivision Inspections

The Site and Subdivision Inspection Division performs inspections of site work for commercial development in the right-of-way before building construction begins. The inspectors ensure the proposed public infrastructure, including water and wastewater service, streets, sidewalks, driveways, storm sewer, curb inlets, water quality ponds, ADA ramps, etc. are in compliance with the Land Development Code and the City's Standard Specifications Manual and Standards Manual.

Once the work and infrastructure are complete, and the work passes inspection, an acceptance letter is issued to the property owner. Once an acceptance letter is issued, vertical construction may begin. The completed infrastructure becomes assets of the City to be maintained by the City.

Once construction is completed, a Certificate of Compliance is issued to the property owner, and the site development permit is considered closed.

Services Provided By Site and Subdivision Inspections

Water and wastewater installation and construction inspections
Street, sidewalk, driveway, bridge construction inspections
Storm system inspections

How to Apply - Site and Subdivision and Tap Inspections

Submit your Permit Application

Complete the Project Intake Procedures and Submittal Requirement ^(PDF) application and email it to Site & Subdivision Intake at SiteSubIntake@austintexas.gov

*Note: An updated Project Information Sheet must be submitted when a change in Ownership / Contractor / Sub-Contractor takes place.

Make a Payment

Once the Project Intake Procedures and Submittal Requirements ^(PDF) are met, an invoice will be generated and emailed to the applicant. You will need to log into your AB+C account to make an online payment.

Once fees have been paid, reach out to Site and Subdivision Intake and notify them that the fees have been paid.

Application Review, Processing, and Approval

A Site & Subdivision Inspector will be assigned to the project once it is released based on the project's geographical location.

Inspection Process

After your project has been released and an inspector has been assigned to the project

Pre-Construction (Pre-Con) Meeting

The assigned Inspector will review the permitted plans and project documentation to prepare an agenda and will call to schedule a Pre-Con meeting. The Inspector will meet on-site to explain the inspection process, clarify questions regarding materials, and discuss items discovered during plan review. The Pre-Con meeting may also include the Inspection Supervisor, Engineer, Environmental Inspector, Owner, and other City, County, or public entities as appropriate.

For Austin Water (AW) water meters:

If you need to exchange and upgrade your meter, contact AW Taps Office to ensure requirements have been completed via plan review, permitting, and development fees have been paid.
If you have an existing meter, it needs to be returned to the Inspector. This is a critical component to avoid lost/stolen meters, update the account to ensure accurate billing, and to avoid potential fees for missing City of Austin equipment.

Authorized Construction

Contractor locates existing utilities through OneCall (8-1-1) before digging starts.

Address must be always posted on the site and visible from the street throughout the construction process.
All applicable project permits must always be kept current and available on-site for review.
Prior to the start of construction, erosion, and sediment controls as well as tree protection measures need to be in place if applicable to your project. For more information, please reference the Tree Protection and Erosion/Sedimentation Controls Flowchart.

These inspections may be conducted at any time after the pre-con meeting:

SSI Inspection Process

Inspections and testing occur at critical stages during the construction process. Examples include earthwork and excavation, utility installation including pipe, bedding and backfill, street installation or repairs, concrete placement of curb & gutter, sidewalks, driveways, and drainage structures. The Contractor must ensure excavation is maintained for safety of the public along with coordinating inspections and testing with the assigned DSD Inspector. The Inspector will schedule inspections and testing with a 24-hour notice.

Water/Wastewater Inspection Process

Excavate to expose existing utility for tie-in. Verify approved Right of Way/Excavation Permits.
Coordinate with Austin Water Pipeline Operations to coordinate valve turn testing and formal shutouts and of existing utility infrastructure lines (if applicable).
Set tapping saddle (water line) or cut in “tee” (water/wastewater) according to COA-approved plans.
Tap/cut service main.
Excavate trench for service line.
Place service line from saddle/ ”tee” to meter box or clean out location.
Place backfill in trench of utility tie-in and service line.
Set meter boxes for water service line and/or clean out for wastewater service line.
Execute temporary/permanent trench repairs to excavation and roadway.

Close Out/Acceptance Process

Final Inspection, Closeout/Acceptance

When construction is complete, a Final Inspection walk-through will be conducted to ensure that the project is within the permitted scope and meets code compliance. A list of all deficiencies and corrections is generated via Punch List. The Contractor shall remedy all Punch List items prior to completing the project Closeout documents and submit to the Inspector.

For AW Tap projects greater than $10,000, the Engineer is required to submit the completed Project Construction Summary form. The Contractor is required to submit the Final Cost and Quantities to begin Closeout. The Inspector will review and approve the Closeout documents and verify COA-approved plans.
For residential AW Tap projects less than $10,000, the Contractor is required to submit the completed Final Cost and Quantities and the Inspector will submit the Final Inspection Summary Report to begin Closeout. The Inspector will review and approve the Closeout documents and verify COA-approved plans.
Approved Closeout documents will be issued to the Inspection Supervisor for final review and approval to proceed with drafting the Acceptance Letter. Please note all pending and outstanding Inspection Fees (if applicable) must be paid in order for the Acceptance Letter to be processed. *Note: Additional fees may be generated before acceptance if and when the total inspection hours used surpasses the original estimation.

Acceptance Letter, Water Meters Requested

Once the Acceptance Letter is issued, the Contractor may request AW water meters.

Water Meters 1” and smaller: contact the AW Taps Office to request release of water meter(s). Meters are typically provided within 2-10 business days.

Water Meters 1.5” and larger: coordinate retrieval and installation with the assigned Inspector.

Once the AW water meter has completed installation, the Service Request data confirming installation details, date, meter number, meter size, and premise address will be returned to AW Taps for customers’ billing account to be updated.

Warranty Release

Prior to the end of the 1-year Warranty Bond period, a Warranty walk-through will be held. The walk-through is similar to the Final Inspection process to identify any necessary corrections as well as review of final documentation. Upon completion of all items requiring correction, a 1-year Warranty Release Letter will be provided.

For questions please contact SiteSubIntake@austintexas.gov

Most Common Items that Prohibit and Delay Project Acceptance

Submittal of accurate and matching Final Cost & Quantities, Construction Summary, Intersection Drawings, and As-Built Plans are required to achieve Project Acceptance. Below is a list of the most common items that prohibit and delay project acceptance through the Site and Subdivision Inspection processes. These are listed to provide awareness in assisting the development community to have a smoother and more expeditious project.

Final Cost & Quantities

Incomplete or inaccurate project cost
Discrepancy from original contract cost
Inaccurate project cost and quantities in comparison with plans

Construction Summary

Incomplete or inaccurate project cost
Inaccurate construction summary material or quantities in comparison with plans

Intersection Drawings

Drawings do not match plan set
Inaccurate locations and measurements

As-Built Plan Set

Inspector not provided the with most up-to-date corrected/revised plans
Inaccurate construction summary material, cost, or quantities in comparison with plans
Indecipherable and/or incomplete plan set submitted

Maintenance Bond

Maintenance bond does not match the final reported cost of the project in the right-of-way
Submittal does not follow the template format and required information

Timing

Project close-out documentation is given at different times requiring a lengthier review process
Project connecting into a proposed or unaccepted project

Additional Austin Water Maps & Record Items

Final cost & quantities, construction summary, valve turn report and intersections not matching plans
Invalid or incorrect easement document numbers

Staff Contacts with Phone Numbers

John Cruz
Division Manager
o: 512-974-1590
c: 512-605-9745

Joe Campos
Program Manager
o: 512-974-7235
c: 512-632-1205

Mariya Becker
Customer Service Rep.
o: 512-974-2364
c: 512-228-6983

Robert Musto
Inspection Supervisor
o: 512-974-7235
c: 512-552-2839

Alfredo Govea
Inspector C
c: 512-632-2733

Carl Lind
Inspector C
c: 512-665-0389

Ernesto Cornejo
Inspector C
c: 512-665-3072

John Reyes
Inspector C
c: 512-552-3846

Joseph Nunez
Inspector C
c: 512-431-5924

Kevin Barker
Inspector C
c: 512-596-7854

Kevin Bunton
Inspector C
c: 512-550-1895

Roy Govea
Inspector C
c: 512-574-3095

Tommy Darity
Inspector C
c: 512-632-7495

Keith Ellison
Inspection Supervisor
o: 512-974-9751
c: 512-596-9093

Chris Davis
Inspector C
c: 512-228-6486

Christopher Gonzalez
Inspector C
c: 512-599-2459

Kevin Ray
Inspector C
c: 512-578-8869

Patrick Cadet
Inspector C
c: 512-596-7083

Roberto Torres
Inspector C
c: 512-599-3176

Jerron Wilburn
Inspector C
c: 512-903-1066

Terrence Artis
Inspector C
c: 737-262-5712

Terry Faz
Inspector C
c: 512-658-0902

Vivid Cannon
Inspector C
c: 737-262-4473

Andrew Honerlah
Inspector C
c: 512-633-0233

Jimmy Juarez
Inspector C
c: 512-496-7298

TAPS

Randy Maze
Inspector C
c: 737-881-0053

Perkins Sexton
Inspector C
c: 512-647-8675

Israel Ranero
Inspector C
c: 512-221-6997

Site and Subdivision Resources

Site and Subdivision Process Flowchart ^(PDF)
Site and Subdivision Taps Inspections ^(PDF)
Project Submittal Process^(PDF)
Project Construction Summary^(PDF)
Final Cost and Quantities^(XLS)
Standard Construction Procedures^(PDF)
Engineer's Concurrence Letter ^(PDF)
Maintenance Bond - Example^(PDF)
Fee Schedule

Appointments

If you would like to set up a 20 minute appointment to ask questions regarding the Site and Subdivision Inspection application process.