A moved or converted water heater is outside this checklist’s scope. Tampa labels its offline water-heater replacement checklist as excluding relocations and conversions. Do not assume that photographing the new appliance makes different work eligible for the replacement procedure. City checklist, March 2026
If your proposal includes either change—or you are unsure how the City classifies it—describe the work to Construction Services before arranging the inspection. Contact 813-274-3100, option 1, or CSDInspections@Tampagov.net. The published checklist does not resolve the classification of a particular job.
Ask the installer what is conditional
Some requested evidence depends on the installation. LSL’s questions below turn those conditions into a short handoff for the installer; they are not instructions to add or remove components yourself.
| Question for the installer | What the City checklist asks for | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Is this a bottom-feed unit? | A vacuum relief valve for bottom-feed units. | The installer’s identification of the unit and the corresponding evidence, or a question for the inspector. |
| Is a backflow device installed? | A thermal-expansion device or a compliant water-heating appliance when that condition applies. | Which listed alternative the installer is documenting; do not assume the checklist always requires a separate device. |
| Which location-dependent protections apply? | Pan and pan drain, stand where required, and impact protection where applicable to the location. | The installer’s explanation of each applicable item and any unresolved inspection question. |
The City’s two-page checklist supplies these conditions, but it does not give all the criteria needed to independently design the installation. An unexplained blank is a question, not evidence of an exemption or a failed installation.
Give the whole installation context
The remaining views extend beyond the appliance label: the home’s front elevation, a wide view of the heater’s location, data plate, temperature-and-pressure relief valve, relief drain and discharge-area measurement, water connections, measured clearances and hot-water-outlet insulation.
Electrical evidence also belongs in the packet: connection and wire size, disconnecting means, and the breaker and panel schedule. Have qualified personnel handle evidence that requires electrical access. Do not remove covers, touch wiring or operate a relief valve to complete this reference.
Use the City checklist as the complete capture list. LSL’s conditional questions explain easily missed distinctions; they are not a substitute checklist or a compliance determination.
When the report reaches the inspector
The checklist says submitting the listed photographs through the VuSpex app automatically schedules the inspection for the following business day. That is a scheduling statement, not a promise of approval. Do not read the program page’s shorter “next day” summary as a guarantee of weekend review.
Tampa’s current program instructions say offline reports require the app and generate the inspection and results in Accela, without separate Accela scheduling. Check the actual inspector response and any request for further evidence.
How this reference was checked: LSL read both checklist pages as text and visually and compared the current program instructions on September 13, 2026. The conditional-question table is LSL’s synthesis. No private permit, installation, app account or manufacturer-specific compliance was examined.