Construction Inspectors

Aspiring construction inspectors should obtain several years’ experience working either as a construction contractor/supervisor or as a craft or trade worker.

A construction inspector should have experience in construction, have a good driving record, be in good physical shape, have excellent communication skills (including writing), be able to pay attention to details, and have a confident personality. Although there are no standard requirements to enter this occupation, an inspector should be a responsible individual with in-depth knowledge of the construction trades. Inexperience can lead to mistakes that can cost someone a staggering amount of money or even cause a person's death.

The trade is not considered hazardous, but most inspectors wear hard hats as a precaution. Inspectors might need to climb ladders and walk across rooftops or perhaps trudge up numerous flights of stairs at building projects where elevators are not yet installed. Or they might occasionally find themselves squirming through the dirty, narrow, spider-infested crawl space under a house to check a foundation or crawling across the joists in a cramped, dusty, unfinished attic, inhaling insulation fibers and pesticides.

After the inspection, a construction inspector needs to explain his or her findings clearly in reports and should expect to spend many hours answering questions in person, by telephone, via e-mail, and in letters. Because inspectors often deliver bad news, they also need the emotional strength to stand firm on their reports, even when someone calls them a liar or threatens to sue.

On the other hand, an inspector knows that their work is to protect people. For example, they help ensure that a couple's new house will not be apt to burn down from an electrical short, and they might point out less dangerous problems, such as a malfunctioning septic tank or a leaking roof, that could require expensive repairs.