Pleasant Hills residents now can choose what companies perform electrical inspections on their homes.

Council terminated a portion of an exclusive contract with Wexford-based Middle Department Inspection Agency, allowing other companies to do electrical inspections in the borough.

Solicitor Fred Jug said Steel City Inspection Agency, owned by Pleasant Hills resident Carmen DeLucia, filed a lawsuit against a municipality in Fayette County, claiming municipalties should not have exclusive inspection contracts.

The suit was appealed to Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. Decisions were made against exclusive contracts in both courts.

"The decisions were upheld, saying municipalities should have the opportunity to award contracts out to more than one company providing inspections," Jug said.

The decisions were appealed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, where it is waiting to be heard.

"It does not involve the borough," Jug said. "But this company is saying since they were successful in their suit in Fayette County and with the Commonwealth courts, all other municipalties should allow electrical inspections to be performed by more than one company."

Before a residential or commercial building project is considered legally finished, a complete inspection must be conducted to ensure safe electrical, plumbing, mechanical and structural work.

Larger boroughs have full-time building inspectors to conduct these tasks. But smaller boroughs such as Pleasant Hills depend on certified contractors to do inspections.

Jug said Middle Department agreed to terminate the electrical portion of the exclusive agreement.

"We will work this way until the Supreme Court ruling comes down, then abide by the decision," Jug said. "Middle Department gave the borough the chance to work with others to keep it out of litigtion."

DeLucia challenged the contract, which was established in 2006. In October, he approached council saying the contract wrongfully denied his company from performing inspections in the borough.

An exclusive contract eliminates competition from other companies, allowing prices to rise and quality to lower, DeLucia said.

Although the company would continue to do inspections without an exclusive contract, it would not take on incomplete projects, Middle Department representative Chad Michaelson said.

Middle Department does not certify jobs it does not inspect entirely, Michaelson said.

Although it is being considered, the borough officials have not yet taken action toward breaking the contract.