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What is a construction inspector and how to become one
If you set out to exit society and build your little shack in the woods, you might be able to avoid the visit of a construction inspector. In any other case, it is their job to come around whenever there is construction on the way and poke their noses around to see if everything is up to speed with regulations, building codes, and design specifications.
As it is generally the case with any type of inspector position, you will most likely make people uncomfortable with your inspection. It is probably best not to take this kind of thing personally, though. Instead, go ahead and review plans, monitor the construction site with your survey equipment to verify alignment, levels, and structures.
You will check the plumbing and electrical wiring as well and document your findings. In case something you find happens to be less than copacetic, you will have to issue violation notices and put a halt to work orders. Then you will have to leave the site elegantly and quickly.
What general advice would you give to a construction inspector?
Becky Serbin
Director of Education and Curriculum, National Tile Contractors Association
Avg. Salary $52,306
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate -4%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%
Asian 3.39%
Black or African American 8.23%
Hispanic or Latino 12.94%
Unknown 5.74%
White 68.81%
Genderfemale 8.85%
male 91.15%
Age - 52American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 52Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Construction inspector career paths
Key steps to become a construction inspector
Explore construction inspector education requirements
Start to develop specific construction inspector skills
Skills Percentages Asphalt 8.61% ACI 7.88% Construction Inspection 7.73% Construction Projects 7.24% Construction Management 6.40% Complete relevant construction inspector training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New construction inspectors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a construction inspector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real construction inspector resumes.Gain additional construction inspector certifications
More About CertificationsConstruction inspector certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific construction inspector certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for construction inspectors include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Construction Manager (CCM).
Research construction inspector duties and responsibilities
- Manage cad files and plotting operations, as cad manager.
- Monitor new field inspector's performance and lead them into Bechtel's management program.
- Manage and inspect fiber optic cable placement, fiber drop installations and associate construction activities for an assign OSP project.
- Coordinate, manage, and conduct geotechnical engineering and engineering geology subsurface investigations.
Get construction inspector experience
Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a construction inspector. The most common roles before becoming a construction inspector include project manager, inspector team lead and engineering technician.Prepare your construction inspector resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your construction inspector resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a construction inspector resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable construction inspector resume templates
Build a professional construction inspector resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your construction inspector resume.
Apply for construction inspector jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a construction inspector job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first construction inspector job
Are you a construction inspector?
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Average construction inspector salary
The average construction inspector salary in the United States is $52,306 per year or $25 per hour. Construction inspector salaries range between $36,000 and $75,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do construction inspectors rate their job?
Construction inspector reviews
Making sure that what goes out reflects my commitment to top quality.
People who object to getting things right the first time and try to slip slop past me.
People trying to low ball me on pricing and trying to get me to do more than 1 inspection for the price of one inspection
See & guard that the public/goverment in general get the right construction methodology in public works horizontal & vertical construction from its material to application.
wasting of citizen/government money in wrong doing during its construction project implementation.
Construction inspector FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
