What Parking Garage Owners Need to Know
In Cleveland, Ohio, owners of parking garages are now required by Codified Ordinance 3143.04 to conduct qualified inspections of parking garages every five years.
Parking garage owners must file timely reports. All Cleveland parking garages must have an initial inspection and report complete and filed by February 6, 2025. After filing that report, successive inspections and reports must be completed every five (5) years from the date when the last inspection report was filed.
Additionally, Cleveland parking garage owners must register with the Director of Building and Housing. Registration requires submitting the conditions identified in the inspection report.
Who can perform the assessments?
Only qualified professionals are authorized to conduct these inspections. All inspections must be performed according to the ASCE 11 standard. As stated in the Cleveland Parking Garage Ordinance, assessors must be either:
- A design professional certified in evaluating parking garages and licensed in Ohio
- A specialized assessor or firm experienced in parking garage inspections and licensed as per Ohio Building Code requirements
What is needed in the report?
Parking garage owners must submit a written report prepared by the qualified inspector who conducted the inspection. The report must indicate:
- Clear documentation of the condition of the walls, floors, ceilings, ramps and appurtenances as either safe, unsafe or safe with incorporation of a repair and maintenance program.
- The location of the parking garage by address and permanent parcel number
- The year the parking garage was built
- The date the building was last inspected
- The name, address and title of the person or firm who conducted the inspection
- A complete description of the inspection and details must be provided as to whether any remedial work is required
What is the failure-to-file penalty?
Whoever violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. Each day during which noncompliance or a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. Organizations convicted of an offense shall be fined as provided by Cleveland Codified Ordinance Sections 601.10 and 601.99.
Parking Garage Evaluation Services
You do not have to wait to get your parking garages assessed. Technical Assurance is a State of Ohio licensed building envelope consulting and structural engineering firm. We are local to Cleveland and ready to help the community’s parking garage owners meet the ordinance requirements.
Technical Assurance can partner with you to perform the assessment and provide the engineered drawings and specifications for required repairs that are identified in the assessment. Our repair and restorative solutions are designed to protect the structural integrity and aesthetic design of your building’s parking garage structures. Following the assessment, our team can perform bid services to find appropriate contractors to perform the repairs and can provide quality assurance/observation services to make sure the work is properly completed in accordance with the drawings and specifications.
The goals of the parking garage evaluation services are to:
- Comply with the defined Cleveland ordinance requirements, including the evaluation and filing of appropriate documentation
- Evaluate and understand the current conditions of the parking garages
- Improve safety and quality conditions
- Identify necessary repair, maintenance and/or restoration needs required to improve the structural integrity of the parking garages
