SMR Research’s Code Violations Database

by SMR Research
June 2022

The Importance of Building Codes and Inspections

In June of 2021, the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida collapsed due to structural failure. Ninety-eight people were killed. In subsequent months, the municipalities in the Miami area increased the frequency of their building inspections, finding many violations of the local building codes in other nearby structures. The lesson was that when you pay attention to code violations, you may save lives.

Every U.S. state has building codes, and many larger cities also maintain their own set of codes. Codes are most often enforced at the local level, either by scheduled, periodic inspections, or as a response to complaints made by citizens. When inspectors determine that a code violation has occurred, the property owner is given a set amount of time to fix the problem. In most cases, these issues are resolved. But they are not always resolved quickly. And in any case, a large number of violations at one property over time can indicate systemic neglect.

A Uniform, Nationwide Database of Code Violations

Many cities maintain records of code violations that are accessible to the public. But these records are all stored in different locations, there is no unified record format, and no uniform categorization of violations by type. SMR Research has gathered more than 18 million building code violation records from most of the larger U.S. cities and has created a national system to categorize them.

We have 32 violation categories. Some relate to maintenance and appearance issues – overgrown weeds, graffiti, or trash in a yard. Others are serious structural issues: leaking roofs, unsafe floors, or even buildings in imminent danger of collapse.

Aside from the violation data, we’ve matched these incidents to our commercial and residential property records. Then, one can also see building owner names, the age and size of buildings, estimated market value, and other information.

Valuable Data for Property Insurers and Investors

Insurance companies may know a lot about a property before underwriting. But what’s happened to that property in the years since underwriting? Is it now riskier?

Property appraisers, too, would have a more complete view of value if they checked for code violations. Home inspectors would benefit as well. And it wouldn’t hurt for mortgage lenders to know as well about code violations.

Of course, buyers also ought to be aware of any code violations. Realty brokers ought to check on the buyer’s behalf.

Contact SMR Research Corporation for more information about Code Violations – and about our other products.

About SMR Research

● Founded in 1984, SMR Research Corp. operates enhanced versions of U.S. commercial and residential property databases.

● We also maintain data on 35 million U.S. businesses, most of them matched to property records as tenants.

● SMR clients include some of the world’s largest insurers and lenders. We also serve prestigious organizations such as the National Association of Realtors.

● For more information about the new Code Violations Database, contact SMR President Jim Kasprzak: 908-852-7677 or write to James.Kasprzak@SMRresearch.com.

SMR Research is a data analysis firm located in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

For additional information, please contact James Kasprzak, President of SMR