Commercial Inspections
Effective immediately The Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD) no longer accepts paper/hard copy submittals of construction permit applications or plans/drawings due to the current health crisis. To apply for a permit with the FWFD, visit this website and either log in if you already have an account or register as a new user. Then, just click on Fire - Create Application and follow the steps. You will upload your plans electronically via PDF to include drawings, calculations and product data as needed (just like your normal hard copy submittal would include), as well as pay your permit fee via credit card. All contractors are expected to begin using the electronic permit application and plan review submittal method now. There are no exceptions. All contractors shall maintain a set of digitally-approved hard copy plans, that you have printed off from Accela, on the project site at the time of any Fire Inspection required. The intent of this change is to comply with social distancing as recommended/required by the CDC, the State of Texas and the City of Fort Worth at this time in an effort to protect all parties involved in this process of permitting and plans review with the FWFD.
It is a goal of the Fire Department to inspect all businesses in the City of Fort Worth on a yearly basis. The Commercial Inspection Unit of the Bureau of Fire Prevention is charged with the inspection of the following occupancies:
- Buildings with four or more stories
- Buildings with more than 200,000 square feet of floor space.
- Day care and nursing home facilities with occupant loads of over 100 people.
- Hospitals
- Public assembly occupancies with an occupant load of over 200 people.
- Other occupancies under special circumstances.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention coordinates inspection of other businesses by personnel from their local fire station and assists with compliance efforts as needed.
For more information, call 817-392-6840.
Specific Occupancy Types
High Rise Building Inspections
In the City of Fort Worth, a high-rise building is defined as any building more than 75 feet in height. The owner, building manager, or property manager representative of any such building is required to have a valid Certificate of Inspection for the entire building, structure, or facility.
A high-rise inspector from the Fort Worth Fire Department typically performs the inspection. If no hazardous conditions or violations of the Fire Code are detected at the time of inspection, the occupant, owner, or manager of the inspected business shall be issued a Certificate of Inspection.
If, at the time of inspection, a building is found to not be in compliance with this code, a Certificate of Inspection will not be issued. After notification of the violations that were detected, the owner, manager, or occupant shall be required to remedy the conditions of violation and a re-inspection shall be conducted not more than 30 days from the time of the original inspection.
Hospital Inspections
All accredited hospitals are mandated by state regulatory agencies to have a current fire inspection certificate each year, therefore, these occupancies are a high priority for our office.
Besides inspecting for hazards, violations, and/or deficiencies based on the locally adopted fire code, the fire department’s hospital inspector is familiar with requirements of other regulatory agencies that affect the day-to-day operation of a medical facility. These inspections require coordination between the Fire Department, other local and state agencies, and the hospitals’ management and maintenance teams.
Day Care Inspections
The Bureau of Fire Prevention inspects all day care facilities in the city that have an occupant load of at least 100 people on a yearly basis. Smaller facilities are inspected annually by fire station officers. Due to licensing requirements of these businesses, the Fire Department prioritizes the inspections of these occupancies accordingly.
Nursing Home Inspections
The Bureau of Fire Prevention inspects all nursing home facilities in the city that have an occupant load of at least 100 people on a yearly basis. Smaller facilities are inspected annually by fire station officers. Due to licensing requirements of these businesses, the Fire Department prioritizes the inspections of these occupancies accordingly.
High Rise Building Inspections
In the City of Fort Worth, a highrise building is defined as any building more than 75 feet in height. The owner, building manager, or property manager representative of any such building is required to have a valid Certificate of Inspection for the entire building, structure, or facility.
A highrise inspector from the Fort Worth Fire Department typically performs the inspection. If no hazardous conditions or violations of the Fire Code are detected at the time of inspection, the occupant, owner, or manager of the inspected business shall be issued a Certificate of Inspection.
If, at the time of inspection, a building is found to not be in compliance with this code, a Certificate of Inspection will not be issued. After notification of the violations that were detected, the owner, manager, or occupant shall be required to remedy the conditions of violation and a reinspection shall be conducted not more than 30 days from the time of the original inspection.
Hospital Inspections
All accredited hospitals are mandated by state regulatory agencies to have a current fire inspection certificate each year, therefore, these occupancies are a high priority for our office.
Besides inspecting for hazards, violations, and/or deficiencies based on the locally adopted fire code, the fire department’s hospital inspector is familiar with requirements of other regulatory agencies that affect the day-to-day operation of a medical facility. These inspections require coordination between the Fire Department, other local and state agencies, and the hospitals’ management and maintenance teams.
Day Care Inspections
The Bureau of Fire Prevention inspects all day care facilities in the city that have an occupant load of at least 100 people on a yearly basis. Smaller facilities are inspected annually by fire station officers. Due to licensing requirements of these businesses, the Fire Department prioritizes the inspections of these occupancies accordingly.
Nursing Home Inspections
The Bureau of Fire Prevention inspects all nursing home facilities in the city that have an occupant load of at least 100 people on a yearly basis. Smaller facilities are inspected annually by fire station officers. Due to licensing requirements of these businesses, the Fire Department prioritizes the inspections of these occupancies accordingly.