Should Building Inspectors Have Hands-On Contractor Experience?

Should Building Inspectors Have Hands-On Contractor Experience?​

Building inspectors play a vital role in ensuring that construction projects comply with local building codes, safety regulations, and design standards. However, an ongoing debate in the construction industry centers on whether inspectors should have prior hands-on experience as contractors in fields such as framing, plumbing, electrical, or mechanical work. This question raises important points about inspectors' qualifications and their ability to balance technical knowledge with practical experience.

Inspectors with practical, hands-on experience in a construction trade can bring significant benefits to their role. For example, an inspector who has worked as a mechanical contractor might easily spot deficiencies in HVAC systems or identify faulty installation of plumbing components. Contractors often appreciate inspectors with field experience because they are seen as more relatable and practical, understanding both the challenges and shortcuts that may be taken during construction. This hands-on experience can make inspections smoother and less confrontational, as the inspector is seen as someone who "has been there" and understands the trade-offs contractors face.

On the other hand, inspectors are primarily tasked with enforcing building codes and ensuring safety, not solving construction problems. It is argued that a strong understanding of the codes—gained through education, certifications, and on-the-job training—can be just as valuable as years of hands-on trade experience. Many jurisdictions require that inspectors maintain continuing education in building codes to stay current, ensuring they can effectively enforce standards even without direct contractor experience. Additionally, some building inspectors come from non-trade backgrounds, such as architecture or engineering, yet still perform their jobs effectively through training and mentorship. These professionals argue that code knowledge, attention to detail, and critical thinking are the most essential skills for an inspector, rather than years of hands-on trade experience.

Contractors may sometimes feel frustrated if they believe their inspector lacks real-world construction experience, especially when disagreements arise over the interpretation of codes. Yet, inspectors are required to adhere strictly to building codes, and even experienced contractors must follow these guidelines, regardless of how unnecessary or impractical they may appear in some cases. Conversely, it’s worth noting that not all contractors have expertise in every trade, and specialized inspections often require a broader understanding of the entire construction process.

Ultimately, the key to effective building inspections might not solely depend on prior field experience but on a combination of code expertise, continuous education, and effective communication with contractors. Building inspectors, with or without trade experience, need to collaborate with contractors to ensure that both parties are working toward the common goal of creating safe, compliant buildings.

The real question is: How important is hands-on experience for building inspectors? Is it essential for inspectors to have worked in the field, or is a deep understanding of building codes enough to ensure compliance and safety? This is where the dialogue begins.

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References:​

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Construction and Building Inspectors” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/construction-and-building-inspectors.htm
2. Crest Real Estate, “The Role of Construction Building Inspectors and the Importance of Permit Expediting” https://www.crestrealestate.com/
3. HomeGauge, “Does Construction Experience Benefit Home Inspectors?” https://www.homegauge.com
4. CareerExplorer, “What Does a Building Inspector Do?” https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/building-inspector/
5. Acuity, “Tips on Working with Building Inspectors” https://www.acuity.com/

 

[mtlogcabin]

Does a contractor with experience as an inspector make a better contractor?

He might start out that being a better contractor but he can make a living as a better contractor over time

 

[Sifu]

If I tried to transition from this job to contracting, I'd probably never get a contract. I'd bid way too much because I would want to do it right. I'd be too honest and open with customers. They'd take the lower bids every time. They'd probably end up paying more because of all the change orders and "unexpected" costs, but they'd never know. Meanwhile I'd go broke real fast and come crawling back to the city begging for my old job back.

100% agree.

 

[BN4537]

You gotta do high-end custom work... make being expensive a feature, not a bug.

 

[Keystone]

Years ago, I was a huge advocate for inspectors coming from a trades background.
Maybe it was my own bias, I was involved in the trades and understood lingo and alternatives to many situations. That to me has been invaluable. I also had a sense of pride in the trades, seeing & learning the latest from reps at the warehouses, having time in the winter to clean out the entire vehicle including shelves & tools, driving past a residence or commercial site and saying I did the work in that bldg, no call backs....

Fast forward to today and I say no, I see to many in the trades not as tradesman but workers. Workers who learn on the job by failing inspections. Workers are on the go day in and out with no anticipated slow down, just a screeching halt and then back to the world is burning hurry up and get it done, go go go.

At this juncture, inspectors need proper on the job training. Send em with different plan reviewers and or inspectors. Not for a week but a more substantial timeframe.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

We need inspectors here so bad they will hire anyone that passes an ICC test and get a cert.

 

[tbz]

After 40 plus years in this industry I don't believe any of it means squat.

It comes down to being able to translate the knowledge of the code into what you are seeing in the field.

I have met inspectors that could cite every code section and wording on cue, but couldn't spot the violation in the field if they tripped over it.

And I have met inspectors that know that what they are looking at as they walked by is wrong, but can't remember what section covers it, or the exact citation.

As with many talents, some people see it explained once and they got it, but could read the book 30 times and never understand it.

And yes there is the flip side, to the above also.

The quality inspector knows they can't know everything, but has the drive to learn and enjoys what they do.

And everyone of the good one's didn't learn the knowledge in the same way, but the underlaying moral goals within them are the same for the respect and integrity for the job they do.

Its simple a desire to do the job right and learn is the true formula.

And yet I haven't found a building inspector yet that said it was their dream job while in high school or collage.

You either have what it takes or you don't, the best way for how you get there is an assumption, not a reality.

I guess it's more like a practice than a job, maybe.

 

[steveray]

I guess it's more like a practice than a job, maybe.

Like being a doctor or lawyer but without the good pay or hours.....

 

[tmurray]

Like being a doctor or lawyer but without the good pay or hours.....

You guys are getting paid!?!

 

[TheCommish]

I like my job, pay is the bonus

 

[ICE]

Can you be an inspector with no construction experience?..... I would not have tried that.

 

[Mark K]

My perspective is that of a structural engineer.

Inspections need to be consistent with construction documents. If the inspector believes the documents are not compliant with code the building official and designer should sort it out. Final project should conform to the construction documents.

An inspector who insists on doing it his way should be fired.

 

[ICE]

An inspector who insists on doing it his way should be fired.

Never happens. If they are truly awful, a promotion is in order.

 

[bill1952]

Is the only way to learn construction being in the trades?

Do you have to have given birth to be qualified to deliver a baby?

 

[ICE]

Do you have to have given birth to be qualified to deliver a baby?

There's a great deal of intense training to become a doctor. Becoming an inspector involves passing a two hour, open book exam.

Is the only way to learn construction being in the trades?

I suppose ten years of looking at construction might be a way around a year in the trades.

 

[bill1952]

There's a great deal of intense training to become a doctor. Becoming an inspector involves passing a two hour, open book exam.



I suppose ten years of looking at construction might be a way around a year in the trades.

Some could work 40 years in construction and not be any good at inspection.

I believe the biggest problem with the IRC is too many people voting on it learned construction by doing it, and believe what their work was suitable and good quality.

 

[jj1289]

I for one did not come from the field. My experience was on the engineering side and would say that I have common sense and a good understanding of how things should be built and put togther. You need to have an understanding of the building codes, how they are put together and what is the intent of the code sections.

 

[Yikes]

I had a friend who started as a home contractor, and then became a building inspector for a bedroom community in the late 80s.
Honestly, although he generally knew how to build houses he didn't really know the code well enough to cite it on the spot, and he was initially learning on-the-job.
His initial "fake-it-'til-you-make-it" trick his first few weeks on the job was to just walk the site and stare at suspicious-looking stuff for a long time, in silence. Eventually the contractor would crack and self-confess what they did wrong and what they would do to fix it.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

I had a friend who started as a home contractor, and then became a building inspector for a bedroom community in the late 80s.
Honestly, although he generally knew how to build houses he didn't really know the code well enough to cite it on the spot, and he was initially learning on-the-job.
His initial "fake-it-'til-you-make-it" trick his first few weeks on the job was to just walk the site and stare at suspicious-looking stuff for a long time, in silence. Eventually the contractor would crack and self-confess what they did wrong and what they would do to fix it.

I have continually found that it's not just my construction experience that's been useful, but the 23 years I spent officiating football/lacrosse/soccer *combined* with the dozen years spent on building sites.

I've watched thousands of football plays. Over time, the mind stopped "watching" every play, and simply observed. It's a hard to describe transition, but I've spoken to other officials who describe the same thing: after a bajillion plays, a hold stands out because it doesn't fit the pattern.

Very early on in my inspection career, that .... brain pattern/process ... transitioned into looking at construction. I'd been on enough construction sites in my time, that I was able to retrain my brain to process construction deficiencies. Now I can wander onsite and the things that "don't look right" stand out.

I can't explain it well, but this personal experience is what drives my belief that at least *some* construction experience is vital to the inspection side of the equation.

 

[tmurray]

I have continually found that it's not just my construction experience that's been useful, but the 23 years I spent officiating football/lacrosse/soccer *combined* with the dozen years spent on building sites.

I've watched thousands of football plays. Over time, the mind stopped "watching" every play, and simply observed. It's a hard to describe transition, but I've spoken to other officials who describe the same thing: after a bajillion plays, a hold stands out because it doesn't fit the pattern.

Very early on in my inspection career, that .... brain pattern/process ... transitioned into looking at construction. I'd been on enough construction sites in my time, that I was able to retrain my brain to process construction deficiencies. Now I can wander onsite and the things that "don't look right" stand out.

I can't explain it well, but this personal experience is what drives my belief that at least *some* construction experience is vital to the inspection side of the equation.

It's called flow state. Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has an excellent book on it (called "flow").

To borrow terminology from Dr. Daniel Kahnman, the transition is from what your brain is actively processing, what he calls system 1 thinking, and what we are processing in the background, what he calls system 2 thinking.

System 1 is a lot more powerful. I can't remember exactly what the difference in processing power is, but it is in the order of hundreds of times more powerful than System 2, but System 1 is a lot more prone to jumping to conclusions, logical fallacies and decision making heuristics. The problem we get into (yes all of us) is that we make an intuitive decision on System 1 thinking, and then tend to automatically adopt it as true without analyzing it. It then takes a significant amount of effort to dislodge what was basically nothing more than a hunch.

The way it works in an inspection:
System 1 thinking: That seems weird.
<System 2 thinking takes over>
Flawed System 2 thinking: what is wrong with it (flawed assumption is that System 1 is right)
Improved System 2 thinking: is something actually wrong with that?

Our problem as a people is the assumption we make logical decisions. We don't without significant mental training. Our normal process is to make emotional decisions and then use logic (typically flawed) to justify our emotional decision.

 

[Sifu]

to just walk the site and stare at suspicious-looking stuff for a long time, in silence. Eventually the contractor would crack and self-confess what they did wrong and what they would do to fix it.

I use this strategy to this day. In all walks of life, but I learned it as an inspector. When I feel something doesn't look right but can't put my finger on it I just give it the hairy eyeball and wait to see what happens. Works more often than not.

 

[steveray]

Our normal process is to make emotional decisions and then use logic (typically flawed) to justify our emotional decision.

That is why I traded all of my emotions for more humor and sarcasm....

 

[tmurray]

That is why I traded all of my emotions for more humor and sarcasm....

The only thing I know for sure is that if I'm sure about something, I am almost certainly wrong.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

Our problem as a people is the assumption we make logical decisions. We don't without significant mental training. Our normal process is to make emotional decisions and then use logic (typically flawed) to justify our emotional decision.

The benefit of being in this business, rather than chasing football players all over hell's half hectare is that I can look at something for a while, then go back to the truck and read the code book, illustrated guide, call a friend or whatever.

Heckuva lot different than standing in front of a few hundred spectators, without benefit of replay or a search through the rule book, and being pressured to make the right rules application.

The only thing I know for sure is that if I'm sure about something, I am almost certainly wrong.

So how long have you been married?

 

[Mark K]

I for one did not come from the field. My experience was on the engineering side and would say that I have common sense and a good understanding of how things should be built and put togther. You need to have an understanding of the building codes, how they are put together and what is the intent of the code sections.

While the engineers and architects should listen to the inspectors, the inspectors lack the perspective and training of the Architects and engineers. Without this perspective and training the inspectors are incapable of understanding the code.