Can someone help me out!?

[cda]

Okay thanks for all the input extremely helpful I was just curious what a CBO IS...city building official? And also what is the ahj and how do I get in contact with them do they have a site?

Or could be Chief Building offical

Some people are into titles

 

[cda]

Can I apply to an ahj without having my cert?

If the job does not require them or they give you time to get them

 

[mark handler]

Certified Building Official or Chief Building Official depending on who you talk to


Some larger departments may have more than one Building Official.
Chief Building Official, Deputy Building Official, etcetera.

 

[ADAguy]

AHJ, authority having jurisdiction; could be a CBO or not given the size of the jurisdiction.

NB, have you contacted ICC yet? Joined a chapter?
Have you checked your state to see if they have an association of Building Officials? If so they usually post want ads.

With your background you could always join CMAA and become a construction manager and not even have to have "any" certs".
More opportunities to be a CM then an inspector.

 

[Inspector Gift]

Nbrennan714,

Many jurisdictions won't hire someone who is only certified as a building inspector (has only 1 cert.) A person should also have mechanical certifications, and preferably plumbing, too. And someone who is an ICC Combination Inspector is more desirable.

So get mechanical and building certifications in Residential and Commercial, ASAP.
I wish you the best!

 

[cda]

I’ve been through many trades but I took them more serious than your average young adult I was a book worm I read and learned whenever I could abou the current work I was doing. I’ve done plumbing, heating and cooling, roofing, demolition, welding and fabrication, carpentry, driving heavy machinery, and masonary and concrete work.

You might also start in another job in a city inspection dept.

Get your name known

Get your desire known

Such as a permit tech job or whatever they may have open

 

[Nbrennan714]

AHJ, authority having jurisdiction; could be a CBO or not given the size of the jurisdiction.

NB, have you contacted ICC yet? Joined a chapter?
Have you checked your state to see if they have an association of Building Officials? If so they usually post want ads.

With your background you could always join CMAA and become a construction manager and not even have to have "any" certs".
More opportunities to be a CM then an inspector.

How do I know what chapter to join?

 

[tmurray]

If I had to hire someone with their certification already, I'd never find anyone. Training on the job with senior inspectors signing off while you get certified is the name of the game here.

My advice is to make an appointment with some managers of local building inspection departments and get to know their hiring process. Do they actually expect certification or is that just a wish list? Be sure to leave them with a resume on your way out the door.

 

[linnrg]

If I had to hire someone with their certification already, I'd never find anyone. Training on the job with senior inspectors signing off while you get certified is the name of the game here.

My advice is to make an appointment with some managers of local building inspection departments and get to know their hiring process. Do they actually expect certification or is that just a wish list? Be sure to leave them with a resume on your way out the door.

tmurray
I thought that in Canada you had to obtain an occupational license (or similar) from the Building Commission (I don't know the name of the code management body of your government) of the province. I also thought that those licenses had to show the experience (and possibly some certifications) at each level. Am I wrong in understanding that? Or is that only at the building official level? Also, I seem to remember reading something about small building cert versus large building certs.

 

[tmurray]

tmurray
I thought that in Canada you had to obtain an occupational license (or similar) from the Building Commission (I don't know the name of the code management body of your government) of the province. I also thought that those licenses had to show the experience (and possibly some certifications) at each level. Am I wrong in understanding that? Or is that only at the building official level? Also, I seem to remember reading something about small building cert versus large building certs.

It changes drastically from one province to the next. Some provinces regulate the building official trade, some (like mine) do not. The big thing is that regardless of the provincial requirements, employers (and their insurance companies) typically want people who are properly trained and certified for liability reasons. Luckily, we have a national organization that looks after inter-provincial certification to assist with the mobility of officials. There are two streams of recognition of a building officials: qualified and certified. Individuals who are qualified have been able to pass the exams for a particular level, certified individuals have passed the exams and have a minimum amount of both time on the job and plan reviews/inspections of certain types of projects. There are generally three levels in each stream: housing, small scale commercial and large scale commercial. Officials certified at all three levels are designated as Canadian Registered Building Officials by the inter-provincial association.

In general, more rural areas have much more trouble finding people who are already certified and instead will train them on the job with a certified official signing off on the work performed until the are fully certified.

 

[Nbrennan714]

Does anyone know of the rules and whatnot if changing states? Would I need to retake any exams or does it cross over?

 

[fatboy]

ICC tests are international. Some states do have their own certs......... Florida, Oregon, I think Washington also, maybe a few others. For the most part they work wherever, or states may reciprocate.

 

[VillageInspector]

New York state has its own certifications

 

[ADAguy]

This is not a "one size fits all" "N", it depends. Some have earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, heavy snow loads requiring amendments to their codes and regulations.
You will have to verify with each state you chose to relocate to, or work on only Federal jobs where no certs or licenses are required for contractors! Consider work as a QC/QA manager.

 

[conarb]

Certified Building Official or Chief Building Official depending on who you talk to


Some larger departments may have more than one Building Official.
Chief Building Official, Deputy Building Official, etcetera.

Several years ago I was in the middle of a multi-year battle to get a permit to build a large single family home, every night I'd email my owner informing him of my progress (otherwise they'd never know or believe the time it takes). One night I emailed him that I had met with the CBO that day to try to resolve issues between our structural engineer and the plan checker assigned to the case, he responded: "What does CBO stand for, Chief Building Obstructionist"?

 

[conarb]

You will have to verify with each state you chose to relocate to, or work on only Federal jobs where no certs or licenses are required for contractors! Consider work as a QC/QA manager.

ADA Guy:

Not necessarily, every federal job I've ever bid has a clause requiring that the bidder must be licensed in some state (not necesarrily the state you are working within). In fact, I had a friend who lost his license and continued to do only projects on federal property, I told him he couldn't contiue on but he kept going for about two years before he was caught and put out of business.

 

[ADAguy]

Thanks for the clarification, FAA may have different requirements.