Construction and Building Inspector?
Construction and building inspectors are employed by government
offices and companies to approve homes, buildings, streets, sewer
systems, bridges, and highways for compliance with building and
zoning standards, general safety, and specifications according to
contract and existing law. In addition to being in service for
local government entities such as city and county building
departments, many construction and building inspectors are actually
self employed consultants and contractors.
Inspectors exist in many different types to address all of the
various areas and processes involved with the construction and
repair of buildings and other structures. There are inspectors for
building plans, structural quality, safety, and electrical systems.
There are also inspectors that specialize in homes, plumbing, and
public works like water systems, bridges, and streets. Private
companies hire building inspectors to check to make sure a
construction company built a structure according to an agreed upon
plan or contract.
Construction and building inspectors are responsible for
recording and reporting all findings, using logs and photographs.
They use tools such as tape measures, meters, survey instruments
and other devices to take measurements and investigate issues.
Inspectors usually work alone, and travel to many different
construction sites throughout the week in order to report on
location. Given it is required to visit work in progress
construction sites, or other unfinished or under-repair areas, it
is necessary for inspectors to wear hard hats, gloves, and safety
goggles. A construction and building inspector’s work week follows
untraditional hours, including possible nights and weekends.
Generally construction and building inspector’s have at least a
high school diploma, with more jobs available for people with
training in engineering or architecture. Many building inspectors
also start out with experience working in a construction based
environment. States and local cities and counties usually require a
license or certification to be a construction and building
inspector. The requirements vary depending on the location, but
typically require a set amount of training along with passing an
exam.
It is expected that there will be more jobs for construction
inspectors in the future, as there is additional real estate growth
in the United States. A starting salary for construction and
building inspectors is around $31,270 with the average earning
between $39,070 and $63,360. The upper end of inspectors earn more
then $78,070.