How to hire a building code inspector

How to hire a building code inspector, step by step

Here's a step-by-step building code inspector hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a building code inspector job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new building code inspector
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your building code inspector job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a building code inspector for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a building code inspector to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a building code inspector that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of building code inspectors.

   Type of Building Code Inspector	Description	Hourly rate
   Building Code Inspector	Construction and building inspectors ensure that construction meets local and national building codes and ordinances, zoning regulations, and contract specifications.	$15-43
   Plans Examiner	A plans examiner is typically in charge of evaluating construction or work plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and zoning ordinances. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and reviewing applications and documentation, verifying the accuracy and authenticity of requirements, and assuring that they adhere to the safety policies and standards... Show more	$19-40
   Construction Analyst	A Construction Analyst prepares statements, annual financial reports, exhibits, transmittal letters, schedules, statistical tables, management analysis, and management discussion. They handle business forecast analysis, cash flow projection analysis, statistical report analysis, government requirement analysis, financial plan analysis, budget analysis, and forecast analysis... Show more	$25-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Fire Protection
   • Plumbing
   • Code Inspections
   • Code Enforcement
   • Building Inspections
   • Building Code Compliance
   • Construction Sites
   • Property Maintenance
   • City Codes
   • Building Permits
   • Construction Inspection
   • City Ordinances
   • On-Site Inspections

   Responsibilities:

   • Coordinate, manage, and conduct geotechnical engineering and engineering geology subsurface investigations.
   • issue building permits, perform building code relate inspections for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, residential/commercial standards.
   • Inspect structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical components of residential, commercial and coastal facilities including heavy industrial.
   • Conduct investigation inspection on HUD construct manufactured homes.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your building code inspector job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A building code inspector salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, building code inspectors' average salary in kentucky is 58% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level building code inspectors earn 64% less than senior-level building code inspectors.
   • Certifications. A building code inspector with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a building code inspector's salary.

   Average building code inspector salary

   $53,985yearly

   $25.95 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level building code inspector salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

4. Writing a building code inspector job description

   A building code inspector job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a building code inspector job description:

   Building code inspector job description example

   What You'll Do:
   
   IBC Building Codes
   
   Building and M/E/P Third Party Inspections
   
   Being a Combination Inspector
   
   Reviewing Plans
   
   Fire protection and green buildings
   
   Industrial and residential projects
   
   New construction and build outs
   
   TPA123
   
   What We're Looking For:
   
   High school diploma or GED
   
   A minimum of two years of experience in building inspection and code compliance
   
   Commercial Building Inspector certification required plus at least one of the following: M2, E2, P2
   
   Some serious GRIT and have no problem carrying 40 - 70 lbs multiple times a day or occasionally lifting 85 lbs to waist height
   
   Who We Are:
   
   Founded in 1988, Engineering Consulting Services (ECS) is a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental, and facilities engineering. ECS is currently ranked 38 in Zweig Group's Hot Firms List (Zweig Group, June 2022), 64 in Engineering News-Record's Top 500 Design Firms (ENR, April 2022), and 142 in Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms (ENR, July 2022). To learn more about us, click here.
   
   We love our employees and we show this through providing some great benefits, including paid time off, health and other insurance plans, retirement and college savings plans, and more. Click here to learn more about the great benefits at ECS.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right building code inspector for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with building code inspectors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit building code inspectors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your building code inspector job on Zippia to find and attract quality building code inspector candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as constructionjobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting building code inspectors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new building code inspector

   Once you've found the building code inspector candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new building code inspector first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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