Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between construction inspectors and home inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a construction inspector and a home inspector. Additionally, a construction inspector has an average salary of $52,306, which is higher than the $51,264 average annual salary of a home inspector.
The top three skills for a construction inspector include asphalt, ACI and construction inspection. The most important skills for a home inspector are crawl spaces, pest control, and plumbing.
| Construction Inspector | Home Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $52,306 | $51,264 |
| Hourly rate | $25.15 | $24.65 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 42,007 | 55,491 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A construction inspector is an individual who is responsible for inspecting construction sites to ensure that these sites are following local and building codes and ordinances, zoning regulations, and contract specifications. Construction inspectors use survey equipment, metering devices, and test equipment to perform inspections of plumbing, electrical and other systems within the construction. They approve building plans that are satisfactory and issue violation notices and stop orders when there are violations. Construction inspectors also keep photographs taken during inspections and provide written documentation.
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.
Construction inspectors and home inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Construction Inspector | Home Inspector | |
| Average salary | $52,306 | $51,264 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $75,000 | Between $32,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Orange County Sanitation District | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a construction inspector and a home inspector in terms of educational background:
| Construction Inspector | Home Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between construction inspectors' and home inspectors' demographics:
| Construction Inspector | Home Inspector | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% | Male, 85.7% Female, 14.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 3.4% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |