What does an engineering construction inspector do?
Typically, an engineering construction inspector is in charge of the environmental and engineering needs of any building. Engineering construction inspectors perform inspection on the electrical, plumbing, and other related systems to ensure code compliance. They review building plans to ensure their compliance with local ordinances, contract specifications, and building codes. It is their job to keep everyday logs such as inspection photographs. They monitor the construction sites on a periodical basis.
Engineering construction inspector responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real engineering construction inspector resumes:
- Coordinate, manage, and conduct geotechnical engineering and engineering geology subsurface investigations.
- Inspect general construction, plumbing, and electrical.
- Calculate quantities of asphalt and concrete place and remove from construction job sites on a monthly basis.
- Perform density tests, earthwork monitoring, geotechnical investigations.
- Inspect entire asphalt paving operations and concrete to assure conformity to specifications.
- Inspect installation of mechanical and plumbing systems to comply with construction drawings and specifications.
- Design and develop BIM models with architectural elements considering MEP layouts
Engineering construction inspector skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Engineering Construction Inspectors are proficient in Construction Projects, Construction Sites, and Asphalt. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Craft experience, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Engineering Construction Inspectors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Construction Projects, 12%
Supervised construction projects since the initial phase of earth movement until final completion for obtaining necessary permits.
- Construction Sites, 11%
Inspected construction sites for various commercial building projects (office, school and warehouse buildings).
- Asphalt, 9%
Performed sampling and materials testing on soils, concrete, and asphalt.
- ACI, 7%
Conduct tests such as, but not limited to, all common ACI field tests, all common ASTM laboratory tests.
- Highway Construction, 7%
Implemented proper roadway and bridge specifications based on the Alabama Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Highway Construction.
- Construction Engineering, 6%
Provided construction engineering and inspection of road resurfacing to ensure quality assurance.
Most engineering construction inspectors use their skills in "construction projects," "construction sites," and "asphalt" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential engineering construction inspector responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an engineering construction inspector to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what engineering construction inspectors do because "inspectors must be able to explain problems they discover and to write a report that clearly describes their findings." Additionally, an engineering construction inspector resume shows how engineering construction inspectors use communication skills: "insured compliance to provided site plans and direct communication with geotechnical labs and delivering and breakdown of samples collected. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of engineering construction inspectors is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday engineering construction inspector duties, as "inspectors thoroughly examine many different construction activities." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "performed detailed structural steel inspections for industrial clients. "
Mechanical knowledge. For certain engineering construction inspector responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "mechanical knowledge." The day-to-day duties of an engineering construction inspector 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 engineering construction inspectors do: "general knowledge of building codes and construction. "
Physical stamina. Another crucial skill for an engineering construction inspector to carry out their responsibilities is "physical stamina." A big part of what engineering construction inspectors 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 engineering construction inspector duties can be seen in an example from an engineering construction inspector resume snippet: "performed tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. "
See the full list of engineering construction inspector skills
The three companies that hire the most engineering construction inspectors are:
- Gannett Fleming10 engineering construction inspectors jobs
- Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson Inc8 engineering construction inspectors jobs
- Jacobs Engineering Group
7 engineering construction inspectors jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable engineering construction inspector resume templates
Build a professional engineering construction inspector resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your engineering construction inspector resume.
Compare different engineering construction inspectors
Engineering construction inspector vs. Grade checker
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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an engineering construction inspector are more likely to require skills like "asphalt," "aci," "construction engineering," and "osha." On the other hand, a job as a grade checker requires skills like "grade control," "hand tools," "grade stakes," and "check grade." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, grade checkers reach lower levels of education than engineering construction inspectors. Grade checkers are 6.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Engineering construction inspector vs. Plans examiner
An inspector is responsible for overseeing the overall condition of the site, ensuring that it complies with the safety standards and regulations. Inspectors' duties include monitoring the quality of the materials used, inspecting any defects and discrepancies that might compromise the operations, generating reports to assess the product costing if it meets the budget goals, and utilizing available resources in the market for the highest quality project. An inspector must have excellent decision-making and critical-thinking skills to perform comprehensive actions on risk management and service delivery.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that engineering construction inspector responsibilities requires skills like "construction sites," "asphalt," "aci," and "highway construction." But a plans examiner might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "certifications," "customer service," "life safety," and "fire protection."
Plans examiners may earn a higher salary than engineering construction inspectors, but plans examiners earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $57,301. On the other hand, engineering construction inspectors receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $64,268.In general, plans examiners achieve similar levels of education than engineering construction inspectors. They're 2.0% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for engineering construction inspectors in the next 3-5 years?
Raymond Hintz
Professor, University of Maine
Engineering construction inspector vs. 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from engineering construction inspector resumes include skills like "construction projects," "construction sites," "asphalt," and "aci," whereas an inspector is more likely to list skills in "sketch," "good communication," "magnetic particle," and "customer service. "
Inspectors earn the highest salary when working in the automotive industry, where they receive an average salary of $47,091. Comparatively, engineering construction inspectors have the highest earning potential in the professional industry, with an average salary of $64,268.When it comes to education, inspectors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to engineering construction inspectors. In fact, they're 3.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Engineering construction inspector vs. Home inspector
Even though a few skill sets overlap between engineering construction inspectors and home inspectors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an engineering construction inspector might have more use for skills like "construction projects," "construction sites," "asphalt," and "aci." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of home inspectors require skills like "crawl spaces," "pest control," "inspection services," and "safety issues. "
The average resume of home inspectors showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to engineering construction inspectors. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.0%.Types of engineering construction inspector
Updated January 8, 2025
