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NEW DCRA PLATFORM CONNECTS CUSTOMERS AND INSPECTORS Find Third-Party Inspection Services With Tertius by Elizabeth O’Gorek
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n Tuesday, Nov. 9, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory products create better experiences for our customers.” Affairs (DCRA) announced they will launch an online marketThe agency was transitioning from paper-based to digital services well before place for construction inspections. the pandemic pointed the direction, saying they wanted to leverage technology to Called Tertius, the Latin word meaning ‘third,’ the system improve their operations. Tertius is only one of several new technological applicais designed to easily connect residential and commercial proptions that will make the DCRA customer journey seamless for many agency services. erty owners and managers with certified and approved third-party inspectors. In addition to Tertius, DCRA has other new products: “Think of Tertius as an online marketplace for construction inspections, with oversight from the regulator. Its innovative design allows us to speed up the timeline for a project and provide transparency into third party inspection processes,” explains DCRA Director Ernest Chrappah. “As a result, residents and businesses have wider options and improved customer service, and that is our top priority.” Tertius provides customers with direct access to private inspectors. Customers create an account, identify their projects and accept bids from inspectors that are matched to their projects. DCRA says this results in competitive prices from commercial inspection agencies. Customers can communicate with inspectors and pay for the inspection through the site. DCRA-conducted construction inspections are free, but customers pay independent inspection agencies for services. The system costs each private company a platform fee amounting to 10 percent of payments received, to be used to maintain and upgrade the platform. DCRA said the system will provide more convenient options for customers, shortening the timeline to complete inspections. It also provides Ernest Chrappah, Director of the District Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), speaks at the a platform to conduct and report inspection activity. Nov. 9 launch of the Tertius platform. Courtesy: DCRA Customers are not required to use Tertius or third party inspectors. They can still go directly to DCRA’s website (https://dcra.dc.gov/page/inspection-services-residents) and • Dispatch (https://dcra.dc.gov/dispatch): DCRA’s inspection-on-demand system. use an agency-approved inspector. But there are so few inspectors that in 2019, • An expanded Permit Wizard (https://dcra.dc.gov/permitwizard) - DCRA’s DCRA initiated the Resident Inspector Program, a pilot program to train inspecinnovative, faster, easier-to-use permitting application which helps users detors in an effort to meet demand. termine what permits are required for a project DCRA said the Tertius system creates a more efficient platform to conduct • The Pre-Approved Plans platform (https://dcra.dc.gov/preapprovedand report inspection activity. It can streamline and speed up the process, reducplans)will allow customers to choose from a selection of plans that are ing the time and effort it takes to complete inspection reports and get that inforpre-approved for code compliance by DCRA and shorten the plan review mation to customers and the agency. time. Learn more about DCRA and access online resources at dcra.dc.gov “DCRA continues to lead in the development of transformative platforms u that deliver better and faster service to our customers,” said Chrappah. “These
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