Skills and Education Needed to Become a Building Inspector
Years ago, the prototypical inspector was an older person that had been working in the construction trades for 30 or 40 years and needed a change of pace before retirement, either due to age or their body breaking down from carrying tool bags for all those years on job sites.
But, that just simply isn't the case anymore! Though some hands-on experience out in the trenches does help, it’s not the only way to get into the building inspector career path. Degrees in construction management, engineering, architecture, etc. can more than make you qualified to apply, and so can some solid studying and passed certifications. If you visit iccsafe.org and look through their exam catalog, you will see the many different certifications that can be obtained. There is no previous experience required to take the tests.
Grab a code book in the area you are interested in and go get certified. In many cases, that will give you a leg up in the hiring process. When I got
hired, I didn't have any certifications and they gave me a one year timeline to secure the ones I needed. So, if you already have yours, it can really help you out a lot.
If you are interested in the building inspector career path, get out there and get a little experience in the construction world while you are studying and then go for it! My colleagues came from all different backgrounds; from a cabinet installer, a tin bender, a home inspector, a commercial superintendent, a home building superintendent, and a pole barn framer, we all found our way into the world of building inspectors.
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