Construction & Building Inspectors

realistic interests engineering skills inspect structures monitor wiring building safety regulations plumbing approve building plans review blueprints

Building Inspector, Building Official, Construction Inspector, Plumbing Inspector

What they do:
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.
On the job, you would:
  • Monitor installation of plumbing, wiring, equipment, or appliances to ensure that installation is performed properly and is in compliance with applicable regulations.
  • Approve building plans that meet required specifications.
  • Inspect and monitor construction sites to ensure adherence to safety standards, building codes, or specifications.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology

  • building and construction
  • product and service development

Business

  • customer service
  • management

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • notice when problems happen
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

Visual Understanding

  • see hidden patterns
  • quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Integrity
  • Self Control
  • Cooperation
  • Analytical Thinking

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Word processing software

  • Inspection Depot Home Guide System
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology In Demand

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology

Electronic mail software

  • Email software
  • Microsoft Outlook Hot Technology In Demand

Education

Education: (rated 3 of 5)
certificate after high school or
high school diploma/GED
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training
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Apprenticeship.gov

Job Outlook

Below Average
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
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