How to Become a Building Inpector

Are you someone who doesn't want to sit at a desk all day? Do you dislike close supervision? Was college not for you? Do you want a career with prestige and where you're respected? Do you like to learn independently? Do you have a fine eye for detail? Do you have an interest in protecting the public and making the world a safer place? If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, you may want to think about becoming a building inspector. This article outlines the basic steps that you need to take in order to become a building inspector.

Home inspector versus building inspector

An important distinction is necessary here. When I use the term "building inspector," I am talking about the building inspectors who are licensed through the state and employed by local jurisdictions. A licensed "home inspector" is also licensed through the state, but home inspectors are employed by prospective home owners and their primary purpose is to safeguard the pecuniary interests of their employers. The purpose of the building inspector is to ensure minimum life safety requirements are met in new and existing buildings.

What does a building inspector do?

The 2003 Edition of the International Building Code defines the intent of the building code as:

"The purpose of this code is to establish the minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities, stability, sanitation, adequate light and ventilation, energy conservation, and safety to life and property from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment and to provide safety to fire fighters and emergency responder during emergency operations."

The building inspector enforces the Code to achieve this intent.

While the term "building inspector" is most often used, this is often a blanket term that also covers fire, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical inspectors. For the purposes of this article, "building inspector" covers all five trades. Also not obvious in the blanket term building inspector are the various levels that an inspector is permitted to inspect or approve at the plan submittal level. Each state has a tiered system of certifying building officials that begins at being able to approve systems within single family dwellings and culminates in hazardous, or large (e.g., high rise) buildings or structures. Exactly what the other inspectors do can be defined by reading the intent of the other (fire, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical) codes and then realizing the inspector enforces each code to achieve the Code's intent.

Someone who gets certified as a building inspector is often called a certified building official (CBO). While the details of becoming a CBO and the governmental agency that oversees such certification vary from state to state, the basic steps are the same. In researching this article, I looked at the requirements in NC, VA, and PA to see how the basic steps vary. Some state certifications are transferrable to a national International Code Council (ICC) certification and vice-versa. Many professionals are currently lobbying for the national standardization of CBOs and abolition of certification at the state level, but it doesn't appear this will happen for some time.

What do Building Inspectors earn and how are future job prospects?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the employment of construction and building inspectors to grow by 18 percent between 2006 and 2016, so future job prospects are excellent. The median earnings of a building inspector are about $45,000/year, but salaries can exceed $100,000 in large metropolitan areas, especially when an inspector has certifications in multiple disciplines.

How to become a building inspector

The basic steps of becoming a building inspector are as follows (and not necessarily in this order):

1. Attend training sessions or classes approved by the state in which you desire to be certified (this is optional in some states, such as PA, but recommended nonetheless)

2. Pass the relevant certification exams

3. Secure employment at a state or local level

Attend Training Sessions

VA and NC offer approved code training classes through the Virginia Building Code Academy and the NC Community College System that must be completed prior to examination. In PA, there is no such requirement.

In the states that do require training prior to examination, there are specific courses that must be taken prior to certification in certain areas. The length of each course varies. In NC, the courses vary from 16 to 48 hours.

Pass the Exam

The next step in becoming a building inspector is to pass the state exam. In NC and most in other states, certain education and experience requirements are required before an applicant is permitted to sit for certain exams. For example, in NC, an engineering degree in any discipline would permit an applicant to bypass the first level and become certified at level II. Otherwise, a certain amount of work experience would be required as a level I inspector before that applicant could take the level II exam. Work experience as a contractor or design professional can also be used to initially obtain certification at higher levels.

Secure Employment

In NC, an individual is not considered a CBO until they have secured employment with state or local government. In VA, you only have to pass the certification exams to be considered a CBO.

How to get started

Although this article presented an overview of what building inspectors do and went over the basic steps in becoming a building inspector, details vary from state to state. The best way to get started in finding out the detailed requirements is by performing a Google search with a string such as "[Your state] building official association." Such a search will lead you to your state's code official professional association web site. From the site, you might be able to find the link that directs you to specific code official requirements for your state. If not, use the contact link from the association's web site to ask one of the members where to obtain such information.

Sources used:

International Code Council, "2003 International Building Code." Delmar Cengage Learning, 2003.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Construction and Building Inspectors, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos004.htm (visited January 16, 2009).

PA Dept. of Labor and Industry, "Certification of Individuals and Third Party Agencies." PA Dept. of L & I.

VA Building and Code Officials Association, "Virginia Certification Standards." VACOA.

NC Code Officials Qualification Board, "COQB Rules." NC COQB.