The new law enhances homeowners' and contractors' access to both live videoconference and asynchronous video/photo inspections, streamlining approvals across a wide range of residential installations.

WATSONVILLE, Calif. and SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1738, establishing a statewide mandate that expands access to remote building inspections for specified residential projects while preserving the authority and professional judgment of local Inspectors.

Authored by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo, AB 1738 passed the California Senate by a 29–6 vote and received final Assembly concurrence by a 68–0 vote. The new law requires covered cities and counties to offer a homeowner—or a Contractor with the homeowner's written consent—the option to request a remote inspection for all or part of an inspection required by a building permit. This can speed up residential and renewable energy developments by offering remote inspections for qualified residential installations. This lowers expenses, saves time, and maximizes Inspector availability without compromising safety.

At the jurisdiction's discretion, an inspection may be conducted through live videoconferencing or recorded photos and videos. The law covers specified work in single-family and two-family dwelling units, including residential reroofs, qualifying photovoltaic and energy-storage systems, minor electrical and plumbing work, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. AB 1738 creates a statewide framework to modernize building departments and streamline residential permitting workflows.

"AB 1738 is an important step toward faster, more accessible building inspections without compromising Inspector control," said Dane Demicell, founder and CEO of VuSpex. "California agencies do not need to build a remote-inspection program from scratch. VuSpex already provides the live video, field documentation, reporting, scheduling and permitting-system integrations needed to put a dependable program into operation."

The law allows local agencies to establish reasonable protocols for image quality, camera coverage, location verification, technology and connectivity. It requires the remote option to be offered at no greater cost and with no greater delay than an in-person inspection. An Inspector may end a remote inspection and require an in-person visit whenever compliance cannot be verified remotely.

Under the newly enacted measure, California's new remote inspection standards will phase in statewide, creating a streamlined digital pathway for homeowners and contractors while giving local building departments the necessary lead time to adopt compliant workflows, with exemptions provided for small jurisdictions.

A Complete Remote-Inspection Solution

VuSpex is purpose-built for public agencies, where our team fully configures the platform to match the jurisdiction's specific inspection policies, permit types, staffing models, and existing workflows. Capabilities include:

• Flexible inspection modes: Live, two-way video inspections; real-time on-demand queues; scheduled appointments; recorded photo and video inspections; and offline field reports that synchronize when connectivity returns.

• Detailed reports and documentation: Configurable inspection reports complete with photos and video give agencies a clear record of the work reviewed and the inspection result.

• Permitting-system integration: Connections with platforms including Accela, Tyler Technologies, Intuitive Municipal Solutions, CentralSquare, Cityworks, Citizenserve, OpenGov, Infor, Govwell, Maintstar, Salesforce, Computronix and others allow Inspectors to launch inspections from familiar systems and automatically attach inspection photos and results to the permit record.

• Scheduling and intelligent routing: DaySmart and Outlook scheduling can route appointments by discipline, record type, inspection type or other agency-defined criteria while allowing manual control when needed.

• Low-connectivity support: Patented technology supports inspection work in low-bandwidth and offline environments, including rural areas and locations where a reliable signal is unavailable.

• Easy field participation: Contractors and homeowners can join from a phone, tablet or computer, communicate with the Inspector and provide the visual evidence requested from the jobsite without specialized inspection hardware.

For agency leaders, the combination of configurable reports, photos, video, results and permit-record integration helps create a consistent review process and reduces separate logins, duplicate data entry and manual transfer of inspection records. By using browser-based links, VuSpex eliminates app downloads for instant virtual inspections. Initial adoption is streamlined through phased rollouts on simple permits, backed by complete training toolkits and live support.

California Agencies Are Already Using VuSpex

California jurisdictions already using VuSpex include major metropolitan areas as well as rural areas, with a total combined population of over 3 million residents. Their adoption demonstrates that VuSpex remote-inspection technology can benefit jurisdictions of any size, with different workflows, staffing levels and connectivity conditions.

"Remote inspections are not a replacement for Inspector judgment; they are another tool that helps Inspectors use their time where it matters most," Demicell said. "With AB 1738 now law, VuSpex is ready to help California jurisdictions move from policy to implementation with a platform already being used by agencies in the State."

VuSpex invites California building officials, technology leaders and inspection managers to schedule a demonstration and begin evaluating workflows, technical protocols, system integrations and reporting needs ahead of the law's implementation deadlines. Visit https://www.vuspex.com to learn more and arrange a meeting to use the VuSpex cost savings calculator for remote video inspections.

About VuSpex

VuSpex's award winning platform provides configurable virtual inspection software for government agencies and private-sector inspection teams. Its platform supports live, on-demand, scheduled and offline inspection workflows; detailed reports with photos and video; permitting and scheduling integrations; and low-connectivity field operations. VuSpex helps inspection teams improve access, reduce travel and administrative work, and maintain Inspector control throughout the review process. VuSpex has authored 4 issued patents in the domain of remote video inspection technology with two additional patents pending.

Contact: Brad Pennington, VuSpex Vice President of Sales and Business Development, brad@vuspex.com

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SOURCE VuSpex