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What is a building inspector and how to become one
Building inspectors are responsible for examining residential and commercial buildings. They also review plans to ensure they meet building codes, local ordinances, zoning regulations and approve buildings that are satisfactory and meet all the criteria. They also monitor construction sites periodically to ensure overall compliance.
As a building inspector, your tasks will include inspecting the structural quality of the building. This includes checking the soil and other conditions of the construction site the building will be standing on. Furthermore, checking fire safety and making sure the people working on or living in the building can escape quickly if needed. In addition, you will also inspect all electrical systems to prevent any short-circuiting or electrical fires.
Lastly, you will be required to issue violation notices if a building is in violation of any codes or regulations. Although applicants with a high school diploma may be hired, employers prefer individuals with a bachelor's degree or who have completed classes on building inspection, home inspections, or construction science.
The average hourly salary for the position is $23.70, which amounts to $49,293 annually. Furthermore, the career is projected to grow 7% and create more job opportunities across the United States.
Avg. Salary $51,781
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate -4%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.90%
Asian 3.42%
Black or African American 8.38%
Hispanic or Latino 13.10%
Unknown 5.75%
White 68.45%
Genderfemale 11.06%
male 88.94%
Age - 52American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 52Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Building Inspector career paths
Key steps to become a building inspector
Explore building inspector education requirements
Start to develop specific building inspector skills
Skills 
Percentages Plumbing 13.69% Customer Service 8.96% Building Construction 8.73% Ladders 7.65% Construction Sites 5.08% Complete relevant building inspector training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New building inspectors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a building inspector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real building inspector resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed building inspector usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed building inspector in most of states. 12 states require building inspectors to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License Url Colorado - State exam required Asbestos Building Inspector Florida Specific course required Third-party exam required Building Code Administrator Kentucky Degree required State exam required Building Inspector, Level I Maine Specific course required State exam required Code Enforcement Officer Michigan - - Inspector, Building Gain additional building inspector certifications
More About CertificationsBuilding inspector certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific building inspector certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for building inspectors include Certified Building Inspector (CBI) and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).
Research building inspector duties and responsibilities
- Lead site excavations, form structuring, and supervise concrete pours.
- Manage high volume case assignments to a final disposition of abatement, civil summons, criminal arrests or referral.
- Work from ladders, hanging scaffolding, boats, and from the bucket of snooper and bucket trucks.
- Assist in roofing and carpentry.
Prepare your building inspector resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your building inspector resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a building inspector resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Building Inspector Resume templates
Build a professional Building Inspector resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Building Inspector resume.
Apply for building inspector jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a building inspector job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Building Inspector Job
Are you a Building Inspector?
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Average building inspector salary
The average Building Inspector salary in the United States is $51,781 per year or $25 per hour. Building inspector salaries range between $31,000 and $84,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do building inspectors rate their job?
Building Inspector reviews
It gives me the opportunity to observe and evaluate systems I haven’t seen, and to set my own schedule. I like spontaneous situations so being a home inspector is perfect for my job choice.
Being a home inspector means at some point, an individual involved with the sell of the property, will try to influence the outcome.
I recommend this job as one of the best in America! You can often schedule around things in your life, and create an awesome Work/Life balance. One of the things not mentioned in the review above is the windshield time. Some days I spend more time behind the wheel of my car than I do doing the work. So you have to love travel/driving. You also need to be able to communicate in writing your findings in a way that can be understood by anyone reading your reports. So about a 10th grade reading/writing level is what I expect from my subordinates. Knowledge comes with training, time and experience. Most companies I have had an opportunity to evaluate do a poor job of training their field inspectors.
The most difficult part of the job if finding the time to write out coherent reports in a timely manner. I try to get mine completed in less than 2 weeks from the visit. But some visits may have reports that can take 4-6 hours to complete accurately. I work with large and small employers and everything in between. Even after decades of working I sometimes run into things I have never seen before, so I often find myself researching and reaching out to colleagues for insight. ( for instance, I was once set to do a Worker's Comp evaluation on employees working on a monkey farm. So a lot of research on live stock and specific hazards that go along with working with that specific type of animal.) It has never gotten old or boring, that's for sure.
Updated January 8, 2025
