Final SDCI inspection + Certificate of Occupancy

What the final inspection checks

The SDCI inspector walks the addition (and any altered portions of the existing house) with the GC and verifies:

• All prior inspections passed and signed off.
• Required tests (blower-door, duct leakage) on file.
• Smoke and CO detectors installed and operational throughout the house — not just the addition.
• Address numbers visible from the street.
• Egress operable at every required opening (windows that count as egress open as required).
• Stair and guard heights / spacing on the new stair.
• All systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) finished and functional.
• Site work — drainage, hard surfaces — matches the approved plan.

If anything fails, the inspector issues a punch list. The GC corrects, then requests re-inspection.

When you get the CofO

When the final inspection clears, SDCI issues the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) — or a Certificate of Final Inspection on alteration-only projects. From that moment on, the new space is legally occupiable.

CofO is usually issued within 1-3 weeks of the final inspection request — short relative to the rest of the project.

Why the CofO matters before move-in

Two concrete reasons to wait:

• Code status. SDCI treats pre-CofO occupancy of the new space as a code violation.
• Insurance coverage. Builder's Risk policies generally exclude occupied buildings, and homeowner policies generally exclude unfinished ones. A loss in the gap is uncovered.

For an addition where the existing house was fully demoed of furnishings and the family moved out, the CofO is the moment everything legally and practically resets.