Building and Fire Codes Training
Announcement: Certification Exam Update
ICC - Effective immediately ICC exams, administered by Pearson VUE, are based on the 2009 I-Codes. Refer to the ICC Candidate Bulletin for specific allowable exam resource materials and additional exam information.
ICC will continue to offer exams based on the 2006 International Codes through 2010. These 2006 code-based exams will be available via paper-and-pencil testing only. Visit www.iccsafe.org/inspector for more details.
NCPCCI - Effective March 15, 2010 all NCPCCI exams, administered by Prometric, will be based on the 2009 I-Codes. Please refer to the NCPCCI Candidate Bulletin for additional information.
Building Plans Examiner certification category Effective Jan. 1 the Board of Housing and Community Development will offer a comprehensive Building Plans Examiner certification category to include residential, commercial, and a combination building plans examiner. Presently code enforcement personnel conducting either or both residential or commercial plans review are required to obtain the only available certification - building plans examiner. The certification is heavily concentrated in commercial and offers minimal residential plan review content.
With the establishment of a more complete plans examiner category, code enforcement personnel seeking certification will benefit from the specific certification relative to commercial or residential. In addition, plan examiners conducting both residential and commercial building plans review can obtain a combination certification.
With the introduction of the ICC R3 (Residential Plans Examiner) test and the recently added two-day residential plan review course to the Jack A. Proctor Virginia Building Code Academy (VBCA) schedule, all the necessary components of this certification are in place.
The training and certification requirements for each certificate are as follows:
Commercial Building Plans Examiner (no change in requirements)
VBCA CORE
VBCA Structural Plan Review course
VBCA Non-structural Plan Review course
ICC B3 or NCPCCI 1C examination
Residential Building Plans Examiner
VBCA CORE
VBCA Building Inspection course
VBCA Structural Plan Review course
VBCA Residential Plan Review course
ICC R3 examination
Combination Building Plans Examiner
VBCA CORE
VBCA Building Inspection course
VBCA Structural Plan Review course
VBCA Non-structural Plan Review course
VBCA Residential Plan Review course
ICC R3 examination
ICC B3 or NCPCCI 1C examination
Code enforcement personnel hired or assigned on or after Jan. 1, 2010 to conduct commercial, residential, or combination plan reviews are required to obtain the appropriate certification within 18 months of hire or appointment based on specific job duties/responsibilities.
Currently certified Building Plans Examiners may continue to conduct both the commercial and residential building plans review under the existing certification for the same locality and in the same capacity until such time that the individual accepts employment in a different locality or in a different capacity for the same locality. At such time, the current certification requirements will apply.
For more information or with questions on the Building Plans Examiner certification category please contact the Training and Certification Office at (804) 371-7180.
Permit Technician Certification (optional)
Effective immediately the Board of Housing and Community Development (BHCD) is pleased to offer an optional certification in the category of Permit Technician. Although the Virginia Building Code Academy has offered the two-day Permit Technician course for a number of years, this course will now be required for those individuals seeking the optional Permit Technician certification.
The requirements for certification are as follows:
Permit Technician
VBCA CORE
VBCA Permit Technician course
ICC #14 examination
This is an optional certification not required by the BHCD for the Permit Technician; however individuals obtaining this certification will adhere to the continuing education and ongoing training requirements as required for mandated certifications. For more information or with questions on the Permit Technician certification, please contact the Training and Certification Office at (804) 371-7180.
2006 code change training presentations online
The 2006 Code Change Training presentations and Question and Answer (Q&A) sessions have now been posted online. Training presentations and Q&A sessions are available on the link below, which offers archived versions of each training session stored by week and session. Once there you can locate the session you attended, or other sessions, and benefit from the code information provided as the PowerPoint and instructor presentation.
Online presentations >> URL
DHCD announces Continuing Education Policy for
Code Enforcement Personnel Certificate Holders
Effective May 1, 2008, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) requires continuing education as a component of maintaining compliance with the state regulations relative to certain certifications granted by the Board of Housing and Community Development. All building officials, property maintenance officials, and technical assistants employed by a jurisdiction to enforce the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) as well as local building department personnel certified to enforce the Virginia Amusement Device Regulations shall obtain 16 hours of continuing education every two years. This is in addition to the mandatory and/or periodic training required for certificate issuance and maintenance.
Downloads >> URL
2006 Virginia Codes now available through ICC
The 2006 Virginia Codes are now available through the International Code Council (ICC) and are available for purchase in individual volumes or complete sets. To take advantage of the early bird reduced price, orders must be finalized by July 31.
The 2006 Virginia Codes and the related regulations will also be available on the ICC e-Codes Web site. Unlimited electronic access to the 2006 Virginia Codes will be provided at no charge to Virginia’s customers as they are finalized.
The 2006 Virginia Codes incorporate the customized text of the Virginia administrative and technical amendments within the base text of the ICC model codes. Each code discipline will consist of a single volume, inclusive of the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) amended language. However, downloadable links to the USBC and the related regulations continue to be available on the DHCD Web site.
ICC Product Store >> URL
ICC fee schedule >> PDF
The Training and Certification Office (TCO) is pleased to announce a new Training and Certification Online System. Prospective and current code enforcement personnel and others seeking certification are now able to:
- view the upcoming academy schedule and other related training offerings;
- apply for training;
- view and print individual training and certification records; and
- download related forms and schedules.
With the online system, applicants for academy programs will now receive electronic notification of attendance status as well as pertinent program logistics. It is now necessary for applicants to have access to e-mail. The online system provides more information on establishing an e-mail account if needed.
The Training and Certification Office (TCO) within the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Division of Building and Fire Regulation provides training, certification and accreditation for code enforcement personnel throughout the Commonwealth.
Training:
Training, mandated by the Virginia Certification Standards, is provided through DHCD’s Virginia Building Code Academy (VBCA). VBCA training courses are targeted for personnel who are required to obtain certification in order to enforce the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC), and Virginia Amusement Device Regulations (VADR).
VBCA courses run in multi-day formats and are held at locations throughout the Commonwealth to ensure thorough and convenient training opportunities for the state’s code enforcement personnel.
A complete course listing and descriptions can be found by visiting the online system .
Examples of offerings include:
- Core
- Advanced Official
- Property Maintenance
- Plan Review
- Mechanical Inspection
- Electrical Inspection
- Plumbing Inspection
- Building Inspection, and
- Amusement Device Inspection
Certification:
Certifications required to enforce the building and fire codes are issued by DHCD as mandated by the Virginia Certification Standards. All candidates for certification must demonstrate successful completion of all course and exam requirements as defined by the Virginia Certification Standards. A complete listing of certification titles and related requirements can be found on the Training and Certification Matrix.
Certifications are issued in the areas of:
- Virginia Certified Officials
- Building Inspector
- Fire Inspector
- Plans Examiner
- Elevator Inspector
- Amusement Device Inspector
Additional Information:
Eligibility for participation in the DHCD administered training and certification programs is unrestricted. However, preference for enrollment is given to those persons from local jurisdictions that require the training for certification for their jobs.
In some cases applicants from the private sector and from jurisdictions not participating in the levy program will be invoiced for the full costs of the training program which currently ranges from $125 for a one day training program to $850 for a four day training program.
Code Connections Newsletter:
The Code Connection newsletter is a periodic publication developed and distributed by DHCD to keep clients and interested parties aware of the latest news related to building code, fire code, training, certification, and other code enforcement matters.
For more information
For information or questions on training, certification, accreditation, and the Code Connection newsletter, contact: tco@dhcd.virginia.gov.
Related Links
Forms
The Training and Certification Office is pleased to announce its new Training and Certification Online System. Prospective and current code enforcement personnel, and others seeking certification are now able to view the upcoming academy schedule and other related training offerings, apply for training, and view or print their individual training and certification records as well as download related forms and schedules all online. With the online system applicants for academy programs will now receive electronic notification of attendance status as well as pertinent program logistics – therefore it is now necessary for you to have an e-mail account. The online system provides you with more information on establishing an e-mail account if needed. See the users manual for more information.
Publications
Code Connection
(Fall08)
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