MIDLAND BUILDING DEPARTMENT IMPROVES
INSURANCE RATING

The City of Midland’s Building Department is the second City department in two years to improve its insurance rating, yielding positive results for Midland citizens’ safety and their pocketbooks.

In May, the Building Department was notified of a two-point decrease in the City’s Insurance Service Organization (ISO) rating for effective building code administration, plan review and field inspections of any new or renovated buildings in Midland. The improved rating – which dropped from 5 to 3 on a 10-point scale – occurred following an ISO Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS) audit. The insurance rating improvement may result in insurance credits for commercial fire and allied lines, business owners, homeowners and dwelling lines.

Only 50 communities out of a possible 343 Statewide have reached the BCEGS rating of 3, according to the ISO. The vast majority of communities – 292 of them – fall into the 4 or 5 rating.

The Building Department’s efforts to achieve the rating include the following:

• inspectors conduct inspections of all new and renovated buildings within the city to ensure compliance with State of Michigan building codes;
• inspectors review plans for projects and follow up on building plan deficiencies;
• literature is available at the Building Department Office, 333 W. Ellsworth St., on how to better construct buildings;
• staff is available at the Building Department Office to offer technical advice to builders;
• staff is available to offer free information and technical advice during monthly meetings of the Home Builders Association of Midland and at the Midland Home and Garden Show each spring; and
• building inspectors and department staff participate in ongoing training and education.

These efforts will help promote safer buildings and ensure less damage to property from natural hazards such as tornadoes and windstorms.

“The Building Division staff should be congratulated for their hard work in achieving this outstanding rating,” said Assistant City Manager Jon Lynch, who heads the Building Department. “Building department efforts not only help to better protect Midland citizens, but also helps citizens out financially, too.”

The Building Department’s improved score mirrors a similar ratings improvement in 2003 for an effective City community outreach program on flooding. Last year, the Planning Department achieved a three-point improvement in its rating through the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System. The improved score could result in a 20 percent reduction in flood insurance premiums for property owners and renters in Midland, and provides citizens with a greater sense of security in times of flood.

For more information on Building Department services, call 989-837-3383. Inquiries about the Planning Department may be directed to 989-837-3374.