Under the Stafford  Act, FEMA can consider the increased demand for Building Inspection services as an eligible  emergency protective measure if such inspections are directly  related to the  disaster  and  are necessary to establish  if a damaged structure poses an immediate threat to life, public health, or safety. Eligible costs for safety inspections are written as “Category B” emergency work on the Project Worksheet.

The  following inspections are ineligible for funding under the  Public

Assistance Program:

 To determine if the building was substantially  damaged beyond repair under the National Flood Insurance Program

 To determine if the building should  be elevated or relocated

  To determine if the repairs are needed to make the building  habitable

Generally, when building inspections of FEMA funded permanent repairs are required, they are included in the Project Worksheet funding for permanent repair.

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Post-incident safety inspections for public and private facilities are eligible, as well as posting appropriate placards (e.g., “red-tagging” a building that is unsafe).

The specific purpose of the inspection must be to determine whether the facility is safe for entry, occupancy, and lawful use. The Applicant must clearly substantiate that the purpose of the inspection was for safety and not to assess damage. Building inspections are not eligible if the purpose of the inspection is to:

• Determine whether the building is Substantially Damaged for the purpose of compliance with the community’s floodplain management ordinance;

• Determine whether the building needs to be elevated or relocated, in accordance with the community’s floodplain management ordinance; or

• Ensure that repairs are completed in accordance with the community’s building code or standard.

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