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Expert Interview Series

From Skeptic to Pioneer: A Building Official's RVI Journey


Retired Building Official Rick Hopkins shares his pioneering journey with Remote Video Inspections—from skeptic to champion—revealing how RVI transformed efficiency, saved countless hours, and built stronger contractor relationships across multiple jurisdictions.
35+
Years Experience
14
Years Using RVI
75-80%
Inspections Virtual
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Rick Hopkins
Retired Building Official · Expert Interview Series
35+
Years Exp.
14
Years RVI
75–80%
Virtual
❝
"Getting over the initial discomfort is the biggest thing — once you do, both the jurisdiction and contractor benefit."
 

Remote Video Inspections (RVI)

 

35 Years of Building Inspection Wisdom: Rick Hopkins on Remote Video Inspections

 

Watch the Interview Series

Hear directly from Rick Hopkins as he shares his decades of experience with remote video inspections.
Retired Building Official Rick Hopkins shares his journey from skeptic to pioneer, revealing how Remote Video Inspections (RVI) transformed his department's efficiency, saved countless hours, and built stronger relationships with contractors.

Episode 1 of 18

Intro to Rick Hopkins 

Rick introduces himself: 35+ years as a building official, a background in construction and contracting, and a deep passion for training others in virtual inspection methods.


Rick Hopkins · Blitzz RVI Series
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Episode 2 of 18

How did you start RVI?

A ski resort in Pierce County, WA required 8–9 hour round-trip for a 30-minute inspection. Rick's secretary suggested FaceTime — and that spark started everything, including using Google Earth to verify contractor locations.

Rick Hopkins · Blitzz RVI Series
▶ YouTube

Episode 3 of 18

Which jurisdiction did you try it with first?

From Pierce County, WA, to Bend, OR, and then to Florida, Rick traces his path using and refining virtual inspections across multiple jurisdictions and the challenges of training staff along the way.
Rick Hopkins · Blitzz RVI Series
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Rick Hopkins

Retired Building Official | 35+ Years Experience

Rick Hopkins brings over 35 years of active and passive building inspection experience across multiple jurisdictions, including Pierce County (Washington), Bend (Oregon), Venice, and Northport (Florida). A pioneer in remote video inspections, Rick has trained countless building officials and inspectors on virtual inspection techniques since 2012.

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Key Takeaways from This Interview

✓ RVI started from necessity when ski resort inspections took 8-9 hours round trip—now done in 30 minutes
✓ One jurisdiction saved a full-time employee (FTE) by conducting 10-12 virtual inspections daily
✓ 75-80% of follow-up inspections can be completed virtually, saving significant time and resources
✓ Contractors in Bend, Oregon, willingly paid a 1-1.5% surcharge to fund RVI software implementation
✓ RVI serves as a powerful training tool for new inspectors working alongside experienced professionals
✓ The biggest hurdle isn't technology—it's building confidence and learning how to give clear directions
 

How It All Started: Necessity Breeds Innovation

Rick Hopkins didn't set out to revolutionize building inspections. Like many innovations, his journey with remote video inspections (RVI) began with a simple problem that needed solving.

"We had a ski resort, and during the wintertime, they were doing some remodeling on the interior. When I would send an inspector up, they would have to drive up to the mountain, get about halfway up if there was snow up there, meet somebody on a snowmobile, drive the rest of the way, do maybe a 30-minute inspection, come back down on a snowmobile, get in the truck and come back. And usually that was eight to nine hours."

— Rick Hopkins
The solution came from an unexpected source. Rick's secretary suggested using FaceTime for inspections. What started as an experiment quickly became a game-changer. To verify inspector locations and build trust with the city council, Rick incorporated Google Earth—dropping "the little guy" in front of houses to confirm exactly where contractors were standing.
 

The Numbers Don't Lie: Real Results from RVI

After implementing virtual inspections in Pierce County, Washington, the results spoke for themselves. The department was conducting 10-12 virtual inspections daily, which effectively freed up a full-time employee. Even when summer arrived and the ski resort was accessible, the six-hour round trips made virtual inspections the preferred option.

Q:  What was the impetus behind adopting RVI?

"Mostly necessity. We didn't have the staff at the time. Building departments always have a budget crunch. They can never find qualified people. By freeing up a full-time employee, we could do that. There's a lot of resistance with inspectors because they feel that it's taking their job away. If you use it properly, it's not it's actually aiding the inspector."

 

COVID-19: The Unexpected Catalyst

When the pandemic hit, building departments across the country suddenly faced a backlog of inspections they couldn't conduct in person. For Rick, who had been championing RVI for nearly a decade, the phones started ringing.

Departments wanted to know how to implement virtual inspections, what software to use, and how to present the concept to their councils. The technology that some had dismissed as unnecessary suddenly became essential.

"We were forced not to be able to go into houses. We had a backlog of inspections. We had homeowners helping us out. We'd call the homeowners and walk them through everything. And it was pretty successful."

— Rick Hopkins
 

Overcoming Resistance: The Human Element

Perhaps the most candid part of Rick's interview addresses the resistance many departments face when implementing new technology. He shares a memorable story about handing an iPad to a seasoned inspector:

"He looked at it, looked at me, and handed it back to me because 'you'll have my two-week notice.' And I go, 'You don't want to use it?' And he goes, 'I don't like technology. I have a flip phone. I'm happy with my flip phone."

Rick acknowledges that seasoned inspectors often prefer hands-on approaches. But he's found that the younger generation embraces the technology readily, and even reluctant veterans come around when they see the benefits firsthand.
 

The Direction Challenge

One of the most underestimated challenges in RVI isn't the technology—it's communication. Rick has developed a unique training method:

"How I've trained people, building officials, and inspectors, is I blindfold them and let somebody else guide them through an office. You learn real quick how to give directions—how to tell them to stop, go forward, turn left, turn right, take a couple steps back, pan right, pan left, up, down. It's pretty comical because you'll get some characters that'll bump into walls."

— Rick Hopkins
 

Addressing the Skeptics: Can Contractors Hide "Bad Stuff"?

One of the most common concerns about remote inspections is whether contractors can manipulate what inspectors see. Rick's response is refreshingly direct:

"It's no different than when we go out in person because the contractor may try to sideline you, try to pull you away or distract you in some way. You still control the narrative. You tell them what you want to look at. You zoom in, you zoom out."
He estimates that 90% of contractors are proud of their work and eager to show it off. For the minority who try to misdirect, the inspector maintains control and can always cancel the inspection and schedule an in-person visit if something seems off.
 

Best Practices for Implementation

For building officials considering RVI adoption, Rick offers practical advice distilled from years of experience:
 

Start Small

Begin with "low hanging fruit"—room additions, drywall installations, water heater changeouts, and mechanical swaps. These simpler inspections build confidence and demonstrate value before tackling more complex projects.
 

Match Inspectors to Their Strengths

"Not necessarily having a list that says we're going to do all commercial electrical virtually. You may get an inspector on there that has no clue what to look for in commercial. It's all going to be wrapped around who can do what—their experience level, their confidence level."
 

Engage the Construction Community

Rick found that contractors became the biggest champions of RVI once they understood the benefits. In Bend, Oregon, contractors actually contributed to the software costs through a 1-1.5% surcharge because they could see the direct benefit to their timelines and bottom line.
 

Consider Standalone Software First

"My suggestion would be just standalone—that way you don't have to worry about selling it to the council or in your budget packet. You can get this software in and start using it the same day."
 

RVI as a Training Tool

One of the most innovative applications Rick has developed is using RVI for inspector training. With qualified inspectors increasingly hard to find, departments can hire people with construction knowledge who don't yet have enough experience for licensing.

"They're hiring two, possibly three people to drive around with a phone in hand and go do the inspections. You have a person in the office who has experience. If we have a person who wants to learn more about plumbing, maybe he's worked as an assistant plumber, they can walk around with a plumbing inspector on the phone and learn more about what's going on."

— Rick Hopkins
This approach allows experienced inspectors to train multiple people simultaneously, creating a multiplier effect that helps departments develop talent while maintaining inspection quality.
 

The Anywhere Inspector

Rick's enthusiasm becomes particularly evident when discussing the flexibility RVI provides. He shares stories of conducting inspections while running a 5K race, going down the Matterhorn at Disney World, and performing inspections for jurisdictions across the country from his home in Florida.

"I'm in Florida. I can do inspections in Washington. It's that easy—anyplace. I've done them in Texas, Georgia, South Carolina from my house in Florida."
 

Final Words of Wisdom

After 35+ years in the industry and nearly 14 years using virtual inspections, Rick's message to building officials is clear:

"Getting over the initial discomfort of doing an inspection like this and thinking that you're robbing somebody of a job—if you utilize it in a proper perspective, you're actually going to be benefiting both the jurisdiction and the contractor. That's the biggest thing: getting over your own discomfort of what you're doing."

— Rick Hopkins
He concludes with a practical perspective: 75-80% of inspections can be completed virtually rather than requiring a return visit. "What does that save you?" Rick asks. The answer, for any building department willing to embrace the technology, is significant in time, money, and resources that can be redirected to where they're needed most.