Construction and Building Inspectors
Overview
SaveJob Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
Inspect structures using engineering skills to determine structural soundness and compliance with specifications, building codes, and other regulations. Inspections may be general in nature or may be limited to a specific area, such as electrical systems or plumbing.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $101K |
| Median: | $62K |
| Low: | $37K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Approve building plans that meet required specifications.
- Review and interpret plans, blueprints, site layouts, specifications, or construction methods to ensure compliance to legal requirements and safety regulations.
- Inspect bridges, dams, highways, buildings, wiring, plumbing, electrical circuits, sewers, heating systems, or foundations during and after construction for structural quality, general safety, or conformance to specifications and codes.
- Issue permits for construction, relocation, demolition, or occupancy.
- Monitor installation of plumbing, wiring, equipment, or appliances to ensure that installation is performed properly and is in compliance with applicable regulations.
- Confer with owners, violators, or authorities to explain regulations or recommend remedial actions.
- Inspect and monitor construction sites to ensure adherence to safety standards, building codes, or specifications.
- Measure dimensions and verify level, alignment, or elevation of structures or fixtures to ensure compliance to building plans and codes.
- Maintain daily logs and supplement inspection records with photographs.
- Conduct inspections, using survey instruments, metering devices, tape measures, or test equipment.
- Train, direct, or supervise other construction inspectors.
- Monitor construction activities to ensure that environmental regulations are not violated.
- Evaluate project details to ensure adherence to environmental regulations.
- Inspect facilities or installations to determine their environmental impact.
- Examine lifting or conveying devices, such as elevators, escalators, moving sidewalks, hoists, inclined railways, ski lifts, or amusement rides to ensure safety and proper functioning.
- Conduct environmental hazard inspections to identify or quantify problems, such as asbestos, poor air quality, water contamination, or other environmental hazards.
- Estimate cost of completed work or of needed renovations or upgrades.
- Evaluate premises for cleanliness, such as proper garbage disposal or lack of vermin infestation.
- Sample and test air to identify gasses, such as bromine, ozone, or sulfur dioxide, or particulates, such as mold, dust, or allergens.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Building and Construction
94%
Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Public Safety and Security
81%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
English Language
80%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service
73%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Design
70%
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Law and Government
70%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Mathematics
69%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management
68%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mechanical
67%
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Administrative
66%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Top 10 Skills
Reading Comprehension
80%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Critical Thinking
78%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Listening
75%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
75%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Complex Problem Solving
68%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
68%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Systems Evaluation
65%
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Time Management
65%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Active Learning
63%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Persuasion
63%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Top 10 Abilities
Problem Sensitivity
83%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Inductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Deductive Reasoning
78%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Near Vision
78%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension
78%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Expression
78%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
65%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
65%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Top 10 Work Activities
Getting Information
89%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
86%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
86%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
86%
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Documenting/Recording Information
84%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
84%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
81%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Working with Computers
81%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
79%
Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
79%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Detailed Work Activities
- Authorize construction activities.
- Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.
- Evaluate construction projects to determine compliance with external standards or regulations.
- Inspect work sites to identify potential environmental or safety hazards.
- Inspect plumbing systems or fixtures.
- Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
- Monitor construction operations.
- Communicate with clients about products, procedures, and policies.
- Verify alignment of structures or equipment.
- Evaluate projects to determine compliance with technical specifications.
- Measure work site dimensions.
- Record operational or environmental data.
- Inspect completed work to ensure proper installation.
- Train construction or extraction personnel.
- Direct construction or extraction personnel.
- Inspect industrial or commercial equipment to ensure proper operation.
- Estimate construction project costs.
- Test air quality at work sites.
Education
Interests
Realistic
91%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Conventional
78%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Investigative
59%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Enterprising
30%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Social
21%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Artistic
16%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Work Values
Support
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
65%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Recognition
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Colleges
SAGE Scholars Member Schools that offer majors leading to this career.
Check out the College Search to see the full list of schools with majors for this career.