Engineering Inspections Procedures

For Developers, Homeowners, and Contractors

1. Inspections of residential and commercial developments, drainage projects and water and sewer main extensions require that a fee be paid to the Department of Public Works. An "Application for Inspectional Services" must be obtained at the D.P.W. office and submitted to the D.P.W. with the appropriate fee paid to the "Town of Dartmouth" by the applicant/owner before construction begins. This fee is based on the construction costs associated with routine D.P.W. inspections, equal to 5% of those costs, and established from a plan previously approved by the Planning Board and/or the Department of Public Works. At the completion of the project, any balance from the fee will be returned to the applicant. The applicant shall be responsible for payment of additional inspection fees should the estimated fee not be sufficient to cover the project. The contractor shall notify the D.P.W. at least 24 hours prior to the construction of any work requiring inspections.
2. Inspections of residential and commercial water, sewer and drain services and fire lines require individual permits by a contractor licensed by the Department of Public Works. Applications to become a Licensed Utility Layer may be obtained at the D.P.W. office. Permits for utility connection tie-ins, in the amount of $25 each, are completed and paid for at the Tax Collector/Water and Sewer Billing office at the Town Hall. Before permits shall be issued, the developer or homeowner must pay the appropriate fees to connect into the Town's water or sewer system. Applications for the "Water and Sewer Calculation Request and Utility Availability" must be completed at the Tax Collector's office. Payment will also be made at the Tax Collector's office after the D.P.W. office completes the calculation. The contractor must give at least a 24-hour notice prior to any request for an inspection.
3. Any work to be performed within the layout of a public roadway must also be permitted through the Dartmouth D.P.W. office or the State D.P.W., in the case of a State roadway, before construction begins. An application for a "Permit for R.O.W. Disturbance" or "To Obstruct and Disturb Roadway Surface" must be completed together with the appropriate fee before the roadway is disturbed. The contractor must notify Dig-Safe, the Water Department and the Engineering Department at least 72 hours prior to excavation.
4. Extensions of water and sewer mains require testing for leakage and disinfection of water mains. An inspection fee to witness this testing and sampling of the water main is based on the length of these extensions; $200 per 1,000 feet of water main and $150 per 1,000 feet of sewer main. Any fraction of 1,000 feet is to be considered a full 1,000 feet. Example: 1,378 feet = 2,000 feet. The contractor must give at least a 24-hour notice prior to any request for the testing inspection.
5. Before a binder course of pavement is installed, the developer must have samples of the in-place gravel analyzed by a certified engineering firm to determine if the material meets the Town's gradation requirement and has been compacted to a minimum 98% of maximum density for roadways and 95% for sidewalks. A D.P.W. inspector shall witness these samplings and compaction tests. The contractor must give at least a 24-hour notice prior to any request for the testing inspection.