Upon taking office, Mayor Muriel Bowser set an ambitious agenda for a more responsive and accountable government in the District of Columbia, and I am proud to be leading an agency that strives to live up to that aspiration.
Our Purpose
DCRA is tasked with very important responsibilities, including serving residents and businesses in the areas of consumer protection, business licensing and regulation, and building permitting and enforcement, and we take our role in ensuring public safety and promoting business growth in the District very seriously.
Voices matter and we work hard to ensure that we are listening to our customers – understanding their needs, learning from their experiences, and using their feedback to improve.
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 Our Promise to Our Customers
Recently, I testified before the Committee of the Whole of the DC Council about our agency’s performance over the past year. I am proud to report that, for the second fiscal year in a row, DCRA exceeded every performance target established for the agency. Across the board, our strong performance is indicative of the positive changes we have made this past year, and using those same performance metrics, we are on track for meeting our benchmarks yet again this year.
Our Progress
One of the achievements of the past year that I am most proud of relates to DCRA’s improved suite of digital tools – something we know our customers care about. Later in this newsletter, you can read more about several new technological applications that have made the customer journey seamless for many of the services the agency offers. I am proud of how these platforms have replaced prior, often complex processes and better inform customers as to what is required when they undertake a project.
Looking ahead and guided by a pursuit of perpetual improvement, there’s more to come in our transformation, and that includes transitioning into the new Department of Buildings and Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection that will begin operation on October 1, 2022.
At DCRA, and as successor agencies who will build on our success, we remain an innovative partner with residents, businesses, and stakeholders – the customers we proudly serve every day.
Stay safe,
 Ernest Chrappah, Director
 Owning a home requires maintenance, repairs and renovations. How do you know if you are hiring the best contractor to do the job? To help District residents and businesses hire contractors and building professionals with more confidence, DCRA introduced the DCRA Contractor Rating System one year ago this month.
Built on our expressed policy of transparency, the DCRA Contractor Rating System uses objective data to assign a rating of between one and five stars to licensed building professionals doing business in the District. Armed with this information, consumers can hire experienced, licensed professionals with proven track records, thus preventing the pain and hassle of dealing with a bad contractor.
 In November, DCRA launched Tertius, an online marketplace for construction inspections. Tertius, Latin for “third,” is an innovative platform that easily connects residential and commercial property owners and managers with certified and approved inspectors at their convenience and within their budget.
Tertius Improves DCRA Oversight Capabilities
While Tertius presents more convenient options for customers and generally shortens the timeline to complete inspections, it also provides a platform to conduct and report inspection activity and brings more transparency into the third-party inspections program. This helpful tool is critical to the oversight process, which when lacking, contributed to the types of building failures that we have seen recently.
Tertius Now Includes Special Inspections
Special Inspections provide a higher degree of scrutiny for aspects of construction associated with certain, complex work. This includes, but is not limited to, certain soil suitability, fabrication and installation of structural steel, certain concrete and masonry construction, fabrication and installation of certain wood structural elements. Special Inspections are required in addition to regular inspections that are part of the routine building process.
Customers can now find professionals certified to conduct these important inspections in Tertius.
If you are undertaking a building project and ready to schedule inspections, we invite you to try Tertius today!
 There is a great deal of opportunity in the District of Columbia, and here at DCRA, we applaud those who embrace change and are seeking to grow their careers by taking on new challenges.
On Wednesday, March 16 and Thursday, March 17, DCRA will participate in the DC Department of Human Resources “New Year, New Career Virtual Hiring Fair.” The event is free, however registration is required for jobseekers.
The event will provide a sophisticated virtual simulation that enables real time interaction between District recruiters and qualified candidates. From 10:00 am to 6:00 pm each day of the fair, job seekers can chat with DCRA representatives and selected qualified applicants will have an opportunity to interview via the confidential video platform. Jobseekers will be able to claim additional preference for District residency, military service, and foster care as applicable in any other hiring event.
We strongly encourage you to register early and upload your resumes for this event as DCRA will be selecting and scheduling qualified applicants for interviews on March 16th and March 17th.
View Openings Available Through the Hiring Fair
In addition to the positions available through the Virtual Hiring Fair, view current openings and learn more about our hiring efforts at dcra.dc.gov/jobs. When clicking on the link for each position you will see a position description as well as closing dates, and can easily apply. We encourage timely application as we will be moving forward with filing each position quickly after their closing dates.
Additionally, we are also identifying positions that are anticipated to be posted in the near future. If you would like to be notified when these positions become available for application, please upload your resume and we will notify as relevant positions open.
Did you know that since 2020, 18% of District landlords are responsible for 100% of the violations cited for non-compliance with DC Housing Code and Property Maintenance Standards?
We Want Your Home To Be Habitable and Safe
If you are renting and are experiencing an issue in your home, and your landlord has not resolved the issue, we encourage you to schedule an inspection through our new inspections-on-demand system, Dispatch, by following the steps below:
- Contact your landlord share property maintenance concerns and needs.
- Contact DCRA by completing the Housing Inspection and Property Maintenance Request Form
- Review the DC Housing Code Standards in preparation for your inspection.
How Dispatch Benefits District Residents
Now, when a customer submits a request for an inspection using the inspection request forms available on dcra.dc.gov, an inspection is automatically scheduled, and the Dispatch system will:
- Send a confirmation of the request directly to the customer.
- Confirm the date and timeframe when the inspection will occur and provide the name of the inspector.
- Provide a link tracking the status of the inspection.
- Push notifications to a customer when the service is complete or needs to be rescheduled.
Dispatch may be used to request illegal construction, housing and property maintenance, Basic Business License inspections, and vacant or blighted property inspections.
We have recently received questions from licensees about where to find their approved occupational or professional licenses. To view your approved license, open the Occupational and Professional Licenses application platform using your Access DC login credentials, and then click on the “My Licenses” tab. Along with viewing your license, you will also be able to print it.
If you are having trouble logging into your Access DC account, please use the one of the following account recovery tools:
If you encounter any issues with this process or have questions, please contact customer service at 202-442-4320. Thank you for doing business in the District of Columbia.
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DCRA's Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) is the go-to source for information on how to get your business established and up and running. For existing and aspiring businesses, the SBRC is here for you, and we welcome you to join us for these upcoming workshops and events:
SBRC One-On-One Call Session: Steps to Obtaining a Business License
Mondays through Fridays, by appointment between 10 am – 4 pm
SBRC One-on-One Call Session: Talk Business After Hours
Mondays and Wednesdays, by appointment between 4 pm – 6 pm
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