What a building inspector really does
You read the plans, walk the job, and decide whether a building is safe enough to sign off, even when someone is waiting on your answer.
FieldLaw and public service
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Medium preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for building inspectors, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Review permit plans at a desk and mark what does not meet code before approving them.
- Drive between job sites for scheduled inspections: footings, framing, plumbing, electrical and finals.
- Measure, check and photograph work in the field, then record results in a mobile inspection system.
- Explain code requirements and corrections to contractors and homeowners, sometimes more than once.
- Answer a steady stream of phone calls and emails about permits and inspection results.
- Issue permits and certificates of occupancy when everything passes.
- Handle pushback from builders who are behind schedule.
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- You decide on your own, constantly, and people live with your decision. Freedom to Make Decisions: 68% a lot of freedom; Frequency of Decision Making: 52% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- The clock is always running because builders schedule crews around your inspection. Time Pressure: 52% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- You will deal with upset people regularly, usually because something did not pass. Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People: 52% once a week or more; Conflict Situations: 44% once a week or more (O*NET Work Context)
- A lot of the day is phone, email and driving, not just walking sites. E-Mail: 96% every day; Telephone Conversations: 92% every day; In an Enclosed Vehicle: 80% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- Hours are mostly steady and regular. Duration of Typical Work Week: 64% 40 hours; Work Schedules: 65% regular (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
O*NET places this in Job Zone 3. Respondents report 36% of roles need a high school diploma, 36% a post secondary certificate and 16% a bachelor's degree. Most inspectors come from construction trades and earn inspector certifications, such as the ICC residential building inspector certification, while working under a senior inspector.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: This trial cannot put you on a real site: climbing ladders, crawling into attics and crawl spaces, working in heat and cold, using levels, meters and tape measures, or judging work you can touch. Photos and measurements are provided instead. It also cannot show the construction trade background most inspectors bring. You act as an inspector in training working under a senior inspector, and all projects, codes excerpts and people are fictional.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
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Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 47-4011.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.