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Question regarding Build Official Certification requirements

Kemu

Registered User
Joined
Aug 24, 2019
Messages
3
Location
MD
I have a quick question and would appreciate any thoughts or recommendations.

My fiancé currently resides in Canada and works for the municipality as a Building Official. She will be arriving in the near term and we would like to prepare for continuing her professional development as a certified building official. There appears to be some difference in content, structure, and job title availability and requirements for work in our home state of Maryland. We’ve done some research, but want to be sure we're on best pathway forward based on other experiences. Please see below questions, and again we really appreciate any insight and feedback you all could provide.

Questions
  1. Are subcomponents of Build Codes included in the exam (such as plumbing, mechanical, etc.) or do you need to get certified in each separately, and does it receive a separate certificate just for that?
    1. For example, in Ontario Canada the residential building officials are required to have multiple qualifications. Building official I employees, are required to have house, hvac, General Legal, and plumbing certifications. With these certificates you could become a plans examiner or site inspector for residential home. From researching we aren't if someone wants to become a building official if you only need “Certified building official” or plans examiner certification as well?
  2. From the ICC exam catalog website, it appears that Exam ID BC - Certified Building Official is the correct exam to take. There are multiple years available but want to confirm that 2015 is the appropriate year to take for Maryland.
  3. Job posting sites such as Indeed, Monster, and state government career sites do not appear to specifically call out certified building officials as a job posting. Are these positions title something differently within the U.S. or are there just a limited amount of positions available?
 
Welcome


What does she actually do now??

Job description?


Does she want to do the same or something else.


You need to look at each cities requirement ???
Sometimes each one is different.

You can check under this forums old job postings, to see if any md ones.
 
CDA,

Thanks for the responses. As a building official for the municipality she is responsible for plans examining and site inspections of residential homes. She is looking to do the same thing, or something similar yes.
 
I am thinking

Check city web sites

Check our site for old posts

Just get in somewhere and move around

There is also third party inspection companies to work for.
 
I think the one thing we're looking for... to become a inspector or plans examiner do you need to have the building official exam, or B1 exam from the ICC site?
 
I think the one thing we're looking for... to become a inspector or plans examiner do you need to have the building official exam, or B1 exam from the ICC site?

You are going to have to get that info from the state you are in. They are all different. Many require ICC certifications and some still have absolutely no requirements other than who you know in a small town. I do know that many states do require a separate inspector and plans examiner certification.
 
This is what the city of Fredrick required on recent inspector opening

Required Certificates and/or Licenses:
  • Current and valid ICC Certification as a Residential Building Inspector
  • Current and valid ICC Certification as a Commercial Building Inspector or ability to obtain within one year of employment
  • Possession of a valid automobile operator's license




She probably will not get a “ Building official””
position off the bat, so would look for inspector openings
 
Every place is different. PA has it's own cert and test for Building Code Officials which you only need to know the state administrative regulations and not need to know anything in the ICC codes or how to inspect or plan review anything.
 
"Building Official" by definition may be a generic title for An Authority Having jurisdiction (AHJ) vs a general or specialty inspector, vs plan reviewer, vs Code Enforcement Officer (it depends). As stated by others and depending on local requirements, they can be as minimal as a HS grad, Contractor/sub, Civil Engineer, architect, ICC or no, etc. Alos depends if you are to be the "boss'" or doing field work too. ACIA offers a RCI (registered construction inspector : General, Public Works and Specialties ) requires experience and an extensive test.
 
Here you have to have 5 yrs as an inspector before you can be a CBO. The state requires all inspectors and CBO's to have valid ICC certs.

So as previously stated each state and city have different requirements. Best to check with the AHJ's you are looking to move to.
 
AHJ's are usually managed by a CBO who designates varying levels of authority to plan reviewers, field inspectors and Code enforcement officier's; so which of these does she seek to become?
 
In Canada, there really isn't a such thing as a Chief Building Official. Inspectors and plan reviewers get certified by a professional organisation. Certification levels are 1, 2, and 3. 1 being for one and two family, 2 for small commercial and 3 for large commercial. Some provinces (like mine) require an official attains level 1 before they can progress to level 2 and so on. Total time to certification is typically between 6 and 10 years. Where we do not have CBOs here, anyone can manage a building inspection department in theory. In practice, it is usually someone having a level 3 certification.

The province adopts the code, however, these professional organisations typically work much closer with the federal government than local provincial counterparts. This is completed through the Alliance of Canadian Building Officials Associations (ACBOA). Through standardization of training and certification levels, we can obtain certification in one province and be considered equivalent in most other provinces.

The big challenge for someone moving from Canada to the US will obviously be the change in the codes. Enforcement is the same, but the requirements are different. It would almost be like starting over.
 
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Got to love the Canuks, one country, one people, all pulling the oars "together".
We, on the other hand are a nation of "rebels" led by explorers and adventurers seeking freedom from restrictions.
Each state its own country (often geographically different) under a common collective government for national protection.
The weather and geology feature into the need for differing codes/amendments to codes.
Also methods and means of construction vary from state to state and city to city.
Unfortunately it is possible to obtain ICC certs more rapidly then Canadian, the result being many more opportunities (as noted on this site) to get jobs in US cities with minimum or no credentials.
 
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