What does a building official do?
A building official has the authority to enforce building codes within their jurisdiction. Usually working for government agencies, a building official is in charge of conducting building inspections to determine if the construction complies with the safety standards and regulations. They may also approve or deny permit applications, review requirements, and verify documents. Moreover, a building official also has managerial office duties such as supervising and leading staff to reach goals, setting daily objectives and guidelines, establishing timelines, delegating responsibilities among teams, and implementing policies and regulations.
Building official responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real building official resumes:
- Lead site excavations, form structuring, and supervise concrete pours.
- Modernize department by directing adoption and implementation of current editions of building, electric, fire, plumbing and mechanical codes.
- Participate in networking and collaboration with other regional CBA providers.
- Conduct investigation inspection on HUD construct manufactured homes.
Building official skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Building Officials are proficient in Community Development, Code Compliance, and Plumbing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Craft experience, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Building Officials that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Community Development, 18%
Reason for leaving: Move up to Community Development.
- Code Compliance, 16%
Manage the Building Department; supervise two permit techs and a building inspector, review building plans for code compliance,
- Plumbing, 16%
Inspected structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical components of residential, commercial and coastal facilities including heavy industrial.
- Public Works, 6%
Worked closely with the planning, public works and fire departments.
- Code Enforcement, 6%
Provided Zoning and Code Enforcement, processed Historic District applications.
- State Building, 5%
Consulted with Architects, Engineers, and State Building Code personnel to ensure building code uniformity.
Common skills that a building official uses to do their job include "community development," "code compliance," and "plumbing." You can find details on the most important building official responsibilities below.
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a building official to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "inspectors must be able to explain problems they discover and to write a report that clearly describes their findings." Building officials often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "certified plumbing inspector oversaw several, large commercial projects great rapport with the public excellent oral and written communication skills"
Detail oriented. building officials are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to building official responsibilities, because "inspectors thoroughly examine many different construction activities." A building official resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "created 2d cad drawings illustrating overall design concept, construction detailing and organized placement of plants. "
Mechanical knowledge. For certain building official responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "mechanical knowledge." The day-to-day duties of a building official rely on this skill, as "inspectors use a variety of testing equipment to check complex systems and must therefore understand how the systems operate." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what building officials do: "modernized department by directing adoption and implementation of current editions of building, electric, fire, plumbing and mechanical codes. "
Physical stamina. Another crucial skill for a building official to carry out their responsibilities is "physical stamina." A big part of what building officials relies on this skill, since "inspectors are frequently on their feet and often climb and crawl through attics and other tight spaces." How this skill relates to building official duties can be seen in an example from a building official resume snippet: "coordinated physical plant contracts - electrical and hvac systems. "
The three companies that hire the most building officials are:
- SAFEbuilt19 building officials jobs
- Lincoln Holdings LLC1 building officials jobs
- Charles Abbott Associates, Inc. (CAA)1 building officials jobs
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Compare different building officials
Building official vs. Project inspector
A home inspector is primarily in charge of performing inspections and assessments to identify problem areas and potential risks. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their line of work or company of employment, it usually includes studying and assessing the structural elements of houses such as its floors and ceilings, testing the alarm or fire detecting equipment, inspecting drainage and pipe systems, and checking appliances should there be any. Moreover, a home inspector produces detailed reports along with recommendations to help the clients in making decisions.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a building official are more likely to require skills like "community development," "code compliance," "public works," and "local building." On the other hand, a job as a project inspector requires skills like "asphalt," "traffic control," "dot," and "construction management." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that project inspectors earn slightly differ from building officials. In particular, project inspectors are 1.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a building official. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Building official vs. Home inspector
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. Furthermore, as a plans examiner, it is essential to liaise with clients and other officials, maintain records of all transactions, and provide advice on whether the applications are suitable for permits.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, building official responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "community development," "public works," "local building," and "code enforcement." Meanwhile, a home inspector has duties that require skills in areas such as "crawl spaces," "pest control," "safety issues," and "inspection process." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Home inspectors tend to reach similar levels of education than building officials. In fact, they're 1.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Building official vs. Chief inspector
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from building official resumes include skills like "community development," "code compliance," "plumbing," and "public works," whereas a chief inspector is more likely to list skills in "repair station," "pipeline construction," "api," and "inspection procedures. "
When it comes to education, chief inspectors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to building officials. In fact, they're 3.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Building official vs. Plans examiner
Types of building official
Updated January 8, 2025
