Building Inspectors Busy | Video

Chris Williams | 10/16/2012 The Williston building department set a record last year, approving 9-hundred and 29 permits that totaled over 350 million dollars in construction costs.

Not even one year later, that record is on track to be surpassed.

So far this year, there have been 8-hundred and 56 permits approved, and as the building department enters one if it`s busiest times of the year, they expect last years record to be broken.

Piles of building plans are everywhere around the building department`s office.

"We`ve got huge huge projects going on. Steel structures, wood frame. Four, three bedroom apartments four stories high three stories high, and single family residence," said Building Inspector Al Christensen.

There are three building inspectors in the city. Two of them work on commercial buildings, and another on residential housing.

"All day long we`re moving. I might go to the same site everyday for a month straight. Between the three of us we`re trying to do plan review, and we`re grabbing our stuff and heading out," added Christensen.

With winter about 2 months away, construction crews are flooding the building department with permits. They want to get concrete poured before the ground freezes.

They are short staffed, and the permits are coming in at record breaking pace, but the building department is still managing to approve permits rather quickly.

"We`re under six weeks, and that`s pretty good for commercial projects and we`re less than two weeks for houses. That`s unheard of," Christensen added.

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Building Inspectors Busy | Video