Top 7 Things I Didn't Expect About Becoming a Building Inspector:

I became interested in being a building inspector when I worked as a superintendant for a home builder in my area. Over those years, I watched the quality of life that the inspectors seemed to have, and started asking them questions about the job and ultimately hounded them until one day a building inspector position became available. Now that I've been in the job for almost 10 years, I can definitly say that it was the right move for me. And while I thought I understood the job pretty well going into it, there were still some things that caught me a little by suprise.

Here's a list of a few of those things that I didnt expect:

1. You dont need to have been in the construction industry wearing bags for 20 years or have a degree to get into being a building inspector. Though those thing do help, if you get certified to inspect the area you are interested in, then you will most likely be qualified to apply.

2. The demographic for a typical inspector is changing. More and more young people are getting into the profession and it's a great thing! I was 32 when I started as a building inspector and at the time I was the youngest in our group by 15 or 20 years. Now, I'm right in the middle.

3. There are a lot of projects that have gray areas in them, which can feel tricky at first. I've learned that in these situations, you are required you to follow the intent of the code but not necessarily exactly as it is written.

4. There are codes for literally every little thing which is supprising and extremely overwelming in it's own right. Don't expect to ever know everything in the code book! You just need to know where to find it.

5. Not everyone lives the way you do. Entering houses to look at different permitted items can take you into all types of living situations. This requires you to have kindness and professionalism, even when you walk into some pretty eye-opening scenarios.

6. Not all building departments are the same, but I was pleasantly suprised at how much freedom was given. Get your inspections done, provide good customer service, return phone calls and call code accurately. Those are the basics to being successful in this position.

7. The pay was unfortunately pretty low to start. That said, I looked at it as an investment in myself and my family as the pay scale was transparent and set to rise on a yearly basis - plus, it increased based on the number of additional certifications I completed. The small window of having to live a bit more sparingly for a while was well worth the benefits and freedom that the job provides today. Not all building departments and governments are the same, but make sure to truly understand the benifits package and pay scale before declining simply due to the starting wage!