Title 21, Real Property

Approved plans and specifications shall not be changed, modified or altered in any manner affected by the provisions of this or other applicable laws, without express written authorization from the building official, and all work shall be done in accordance with the approved plan…

The building official shall retain one set of approved and endorsed plans and specifications with their attached data and return the other set to the applicant. The applicant’s set shall be kept at the work site at all times during which the authorized work is in progress, and sh…

COL 2026-06-10 (a) The issuance of a building permit or approval of plans and specifications shall not be construed to be a permit for, or approval of any violation of the provisions of this Chapter or of the terms and conditions imposed by the Guam Land Use Commission or the Dep…

The building official may, at his discretion, after receipt of an application for a building permit and pending issuance of such building permit, issue a special permit for the foundations, and without assurance that a building permit for the superstructure will be granted. Such …

Whenever there is a cessation in the authorized construction of any building or structure of more than twelve (12) months, the building official, by written order served upon the permit holder and the owner of the premises, shall require the holder of the permit or said owner to …

No building or structure hereafter erected shall be occupied or used, in whole or in part, until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the building official and posted on the premises certifying that such building confirms to the provisions of this Chapter. SOURCE:…

No building or structure hereafter enlarged or extended, or so altered, wholly or in part, as to change its classification or occupancy, shall be occupied or used, in whole or in part, until a COL 2026-06-10 certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the building official…

In addition to the certification as to compliance with the provisions of this Chapter, the certificate of occupancy shall state the purposes for which the building may be used in its several parts, the maximum permissible live loads on the several floors, the number of individual…

(a) No change of occupancy shall be made in a building or structure hereafter erected or altered that is not consistent with the last issued certificate of occupancy, unless a new certificate of occupancy is secured. No change of occupancy that would bring a building or structure…

Any person desiring a certificate of occupancy as hereinabove required shall, after completion of the work for which the building permit was issued, file with the building official a signed application therefore on a form furnished by the building official stating, in writing, th…

The building official, upon receipt of an application for a certificate of occupancy, shall promptly inspect or cause to be inspected the construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, conversion, movement or improvement of the building, structure or appurtenances, or the install…

(a) If after inspection as provided in § 66306, it is found that the proposed work has been completed in accordance with the requirements of the building permit, the terms and conditions set by the Guam Land Use Commission for use of the property, and the provisions of this Chapt…

The building official or his authorized representative, insofar as may be necessary in the performance of his duties, upon showing proper credentials, may enter at any reasonable time any building, structure or premises in the Territory of Guam to perform any duty imposed upon hi…

(a) The building official, in order to accomplish the express purpose of this law as set forth in § 66102, shall inspect or cause to be inspected from time to time, but not less than once every three (3) years, all buildings, structures, appurtenances and equipment in order to ve…

(a) The building official shall inspect or cause to be inspected from time to time during the progress of work thereon, all buildings or structures for work on which a building permit has been issued and is outstanding. A record shall be made of every inspection and of all violat…

(a) Whenever there is insufficient evidence that any material or any construction does not conform to the requirements of this Title, or in order to substantiate claims for alternate materials or methods of construction, the building official may require tests as proof of complia…

Where the unit or component parts of a prefabricated building are not readily accessible to inspection, the building official may accept a certification from an approved national testing agency that the building is identical with a specimen previously approved by the national aut…

(a) Upon notice from the building official that work on any building or structure is being prosecuted in violation of the provisions of this or other applicable laws, or rules and regulations issued pursuant thereto, or in violation of any of the terms and conditions imposed upon…

The building official shall revoke a permit or approval issued under the provisions of this law: (a) in any case of a false statement or misrepresentation as to a material fact in any application or COL 2026-06-10 plans and specifications in which the permit was issued, or approv…

Building Permit Fees. A fee for each permit issued by the building official in connection with any work covered by this Chapter shall be paid to the Treasurer of Guam. The building Official shall charge fees as set forth in Table 3A of the latest edition of the Uniform Building C…

(a) Legislative Findings and Intent. The Legislature finds that the Building Permits and Design Analysis Section of the Department of Public Works is currently backlogged with plan reviews and building inspections, which backlog causes developers many problems with their loans an…

(a) All unsafe buildings and structures are hereby declared to be illegal, and shall be vacated and either repaired or demolished, in accordance with the procedure established by this Chapter. (b) For the purpose of this Chapter, unsafe buildings are all buildings and structures …

The building official shall examine or cause to be examined every unsafe or damaged building or structure. He shall make or cause to be made, a written record of such examination, which shall set forth a factual description of the premises and specifically enumerate the particula…

(a) The building official, whenever he shall make a finding, as a result of the examination required in § 66502, shall: (1) Notify in writing, by personal service, certified mail, or registered mail, the owner, occupant, lessee, mortgagee, agent, and other persons having an inter…

The building official, whenever he determines that a building, structure, or portion thereof, constitutes an unsafe structure, as defined in § 66501 of this Article, shall order the buildings, structure, or portion thereof, to be vacated at once and not reoccupied until issuance …

(a) The building official, on the vacation of any building in accordance with the provisions of § 66503 or § 66504, shall post or cause to be posted at each entrance to the building, a sign stating: “This building is unsafe and its use or occupancy is prohibited by the Director o…

(a) In case there shall be, in the opinion of the building official, actual and immediate danger of failure or collapse of a building or structure, or any part thereof so as to endanger life or property, he shall promptly cause such building or structure to be made temporarily sa…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, alter, repair, move, remove, demolish, equip, use, occupy or maintain any building or structure or portion thereof in Guam contrary to any provision of this Chapter. (b) Any person violating the provisions of this Chapter shal…

Commission; Appeals. (a) Guam Building Code Council. The Guam Building Code Council shall sit as a Board of Appeals (Board) to hear appeals of any decision of the building official relative to the suitability of alternate materials and methods of construction, and to provide for …

No member of the Commission shall pass on any question in which he is engaged as contractor, material man, preparer of the plans and specifications or in which he has any personal interest. SOURCE: GC § 31056.

During absence of a member by reason of disability or disqualification, the Governor may designate a qualified substitute; which substitute shall, insofar as possible, represent the same type of expert knowledge as the member replaced. SOURCE: GC § 31057.

The Department of Public Works shall provide the Commission with such clerical personnel and office facilities as may be reasonably necessary to carry out the provision of this Chapter. SOURCE: GC § 31059.

The Commission shall keep permanent and accurate records of all its activities including a record of every tally vote. SOURCE: GC § 31060.

The Commission shall establish rules for its own procedure, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Chapter. SOURCE: GC § 31061.

Any party adversely affected or aggrieved by any order, requirement, decision or determination of the building official or his authorized representative, or any rule, regulation or amendment or repeal thereof, may appeal from such action to the Commission. COL 2026-06-10 SOURCE: …

Any appeal from an action of the building official shall be made within fifteen (15) calendar days, including Sundays and holidays, after the action complained of by filing with the building official and with the Commission a notice of appeal specifying the grounds thereof. SOURC…

The building official, upon receipt of the notice of appeal, shall transmit to the Commission all of the records upon which the action appealed from was taken. SOURCE: GC § 31064.

The Commission shall have power to stay all proceedings in a matter before the building official where an appeal has been duly filed or a review ordered by the Commission. SOURCE: GC § 31065.

The Commission shall fix a reasonable time for hearing appeals and shall give adequate notice to all parties in interest. All hearings shall be conducted according to rules established by the Commission but any party in interest may appear in person, or by a designated attorney o…

Any party in interest may cause a transcript of the hearing to be prepared at his own expense. SOURCE: GC § 31067.

The Commission after hearing an appeal, may reverse or affirm, in whole or in part, or modify the order, requirement, decision, determination, rule or regulation appealed from, and COL 2026-06-10 may make such order, requirement, decision or determination as in its opinion will b…

The Commission shall make decisions on each appeal in writing and within a reasonable time. It shall, without unreasonable delay cause to be served on the parties in interest, a copy of its decision. Additional copies of the decision shall be filed in the building records of the …

The building official shall serve as the agent of the Commission to execute its orders. SOURCE: GC § 31070.

Any party aggrieved by the decision of the Commission shall be entitled to judicial review thereof by application to the Superior Court within fifteen (15) days after the filing of the Commission’s decision in the building records of the Department of Public Works. SOURCE: GC § 3…

Whenever the Building Code, found in Chapter 67 of this Title, or its successor, used by the government of Guam is updated, the Department of Public Works shall notify in a COL 2026-06-10 newspaper of general circulation all parties who have completed construction who have been i…

Amendment. Whenever a building inspection of the Department of Public Works becomes aware of non-conforming construction in buildings which does not meet current safety standards as a result of amendments or updates made to the International Building Code subsequent to approval o…