From legislative hearings to medical appointments, most everything it seems has gone virtual amid the COVID-19 pandemic – and building inspections are no exception.

With inspectors in short supply because of COVID-19 and broader industry trends, contractors like St. Louis Park-based Knutson Construction are using such technology to meet their clients’ inspection needs.

Knutson, for example, recently conducted a virtual inspection for the Minnesota Department of Health. With help from a 3D video camera and a follow-up virtual meeting, Knutson completed the work with minimal foot traffic on the jobsite.

Katie Montag, a registered architect, has been leading that effort for Knutson. In the following interview, Montag talks about the process and the future of virtual inspection technology.