September 10, 2025
The City of Lawrence Planning & Development Services (PDS) Department is introducing two customer service enhancements to improve the City’s inspection services: Video Recorded Inspections (VRI) and SelecTXT.
Video Recorded Inspections (VRI) are an expansion to Remote Video Inspections (RVI), which the City began using during the pandemic. This new inspection option now permits the inspection to be recorded by the contractor and submitted for review and approval – making it possible for the contractor to record, submit and move on to another project while waiting for the review.
Video Recorded Inspections (VRI) will still be scheduled by the contractor through the City’s Enterprise Permitting & Licensing (EPL) software. More information on how to record and submit videos is in the Applicant Guide to Video Recorded Inspections.
SelecTXT is a new option for contractors to schedule inspections and check inspection results via texting. It replaces the IVR phone scheduling system with a much simpler solution. With SelecTXT, contractors no longer need to login to EPL – they can schedule, reschedule or cancel inspections with a simple text message.
The City anticipates SelecTXT becoming available in October. Instructions for signing up will be on the Building Inspections webpage once available: lawrenceks.gov/pds/building_permits
“Our team is continually evaluating ways to improve our processes to ensure we’re delivering the best services we can for our development community,” said Brian Jimenez, Assistant Director of Planning & Development Services. “Both of these enhancements improve flexibility and make it easier for contractors – and anyone needing an inspection – to work with our team more efficiently.”
Media Contact: City Communications, citycommunications@lawrenceks.gov
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