Construction and Building Inspectors
What Construction and Building Inspectors 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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 4.8%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Building and Constructionimportance 4.7/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 4.0/5
- English Languageimportance 4.0/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.6/5
- Designimportance 3.5/5
- Law and Governmentimportance 3.5/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.4/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.4/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail5.0/5
- Telephone Conversations4.9/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.7/5
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.5/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.5/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Agricultural Inspectors97% skill match
- Food Scientists and Technologists96% skill match
- Occupational Health and Safety Technicians96% skill match
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors96% skill match
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists95% skill match
- Medical Dosimetrists95% skill match
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators95% skill match
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.4/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.4/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.3/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.3/5
- Persuasionimportance 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Negotiationimportance 3.0/5
- Instructingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Arc Second PocketCAD
- Automated permit system software
- Database software
- ESRI ArcView
- Email software
- Inspection Depot Home Guide System
- Microsoft Exchange
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Leadership Orientation
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- InvestigativeMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where construction and building inspectors make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Odessa, TX3.01× national avg
- 2Trenton-Princeton, NJ2.90× national avg
- 3Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL2.51× national avg
- 4Raleigh-Cary, NC2.51× national avg
- 5Wildwood-The Villages, FL2.48× national avg
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.