Inspector's avg. salary, as reported by MSN.

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brantmacga

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Former Child
Building inspector
For building inspectors, who complete assessments and determine insurance rates, squeezing into small, dark, hot crawl spaces and encountering such unpleasant things as vermin and pests, dirt, dust, dry rot and mold are all in a day?s work.

Average salary with benefits and bonuses: $55,245/year
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In my area, the pay is $26k. That's why its hard to get anyone who knows what they're doing to take the job. Now the BO, that's a well paid position.

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/custom/msn/careeradvice/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1177&SiteId=cbmsnhp41177&sc_extcmp=JS_1177_home1&GT1=10563&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=433e1a8d052d46dfb049459f091e76d4-248822456-WU-2
 
We hae Building Inspectors in this area in the $65K to $140K and more, they are all very professional, and they must meet rigid requirements, to land those jobs.
 
here, anyone can apply. you have 12 months after being on the job to pass the icc inspectors exam, which i think about a 1 hour test. boy wouldn't it be nice to open an electrical contracting business and have the next 12 mo. to study for your license; that way if you decide you don't like contracting you can just quit and you didn't waste all your time and money on getting some silly certification.
 
brantmacga said:
here, anyone can apply. you have 12 months after being on the job to pass the icc inspectors exam, which i think about a 1 hour test. boy wouldn't it be nice to open an electrical contracting business and have the next 12 mo. to study for your license; that way if you decide you don't like contracting you can just quit and you didn't waste all your time and money on getting some silly certification.
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And in some places, in order to qualify, you simply need to be the 7th caller....:cool:
 
brantmacga said:
here, anyone can apply. you have 12 months after being on the job to pass the icc inspectors exam, which i think about a 1 hour test. boy wouldn't it be nice to open an electrical contracting business and have the next 12 mo. to study for your license; that way if you decide you don't like contracting you can just quit and you didn't waste all your time and money on getting some silly certification.
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How much time and money are we talking about? It really didn't cost me much to become a contractor as far as the license . A day off with no pay and less than $150 in fees. The books and training were already there because I needed those for my regular job ( electrician ).

I didn't spend any real money until I decided to go into business for myself. Then it was like a bucket with a hole in it.

An electrical inspector in this area is not in business for himself. He doesn't even provide a vehicle or fuel. A far as tools, they carry a little tester, multi-function screw driver and a pen ( I think some own a code book ). They get some time to OJT with an experienced inspector that will show them the ropes and that's about it. All of them that I have met have been electricians so they already know what to look for ( all the stuff they tried to hide earlier ).

I have said this before, it's up to the EC to know what he's doing. The inspector is not there to provide design solutions and in many cases the inspector may know less than the contractor. Most inspection departments have a check list that they go by and that's it, unless something really stands out as a violation. Most inspections are cursory at best.

Electrical inspectors are just employees of the city or county, they have a boss just like other employees, they can be hired off the street ( some are even temporary ) and they can be fired. The real power does not come from the inspector but from the AHJ. Just like the police, cops are not the law, they only represent the law.
 
I'll make a little $70K this year plus benifits.

The cost of "one" cert is $190. The one I took is a 4 hours test, 100 closed book question and 60 open book.

Where a contractor has to simply send in a check for his renewl, I have to have 130 CEUs + take another 50 question open book test + send in a check every three years, that's for each cert you carry.

Thing is that our department trains constently. I've been to three seminars in the last two weeks and I only saw one or two contractors at any of them.

As far as how much work I do it's just like you guys some days you're the dog and some days you're the tree.
 
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cowboyjwc said:
Where a contractor has to simply send in a check for his renewl, I have to have 130 CEUs + take another 50 question open book test + send in a check every three years, that's for each cert you carry.
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Is this training paid for by you or by your employeer? Is the time spent training paid or private time. Were these siminars paid for by you or by your employer?
 
i think you take me too seriously.

growler said:
How much time and money are we talking about? It really didn't cost me much to become a contractor as far as the license . A day off with no pay and less than $150 in fees. The books and training were already there because I needed those for my regular job ( electrician ).

I didn't spend any real money until I decided to go into business for myself. Then it was like a bucket with a hole in it.

An electrical inspector in this area is not in business for himself. He doesn't even provide a vehicle or fuel. A far as tools, they carry a little tester, multi-function screw driver and a pen ( I think some own a code book ). They get some time to OJT with an experienced inspector that will show them the ropes and that's about it. All of them that I have met have been electricians so they already know what to look for ( all the stuff they tried to hide earlier ).

I have said this before, it's up to the EC to know what he's doing. The inspector is not there to provide design solutions and in many cases the inspector may know less than the contractor. Most inspection departments have a check list that they go by and that's it, unless something really stands out as a violation. Most inspections are cursory at best.

Electrical inspectors are just employees of the city or county, they have a boss just like other employees, they can be hired off the street ( some are even temporary ) and they can be fired. The real power does not come from the inspector but from the AHJ. Just like the police, cops are not the law, they only represent the law.
Click to expand...
 
growler said:
Is this training paid for by you or by your employeer? Is the time spent training paid or private time. Were these siminars paid for by you or by your employer?
Click to expand...

It was put in our contract that the city has to pay for it and I actually think that it is part of the state law that our employer pay for it. Our city was sending us to training long before it was required by state law they want their inspectors to be good at what they do.
 
In Illinois inspectors qualifications are varied. Some inspectors have the NEC in their head and can quote it. Others can't understand it if you show them the page. The same can be said for electrical contractors. I passed a very easy test over 10 years ago and haven't had to retest. I send in my $45 every year and I'm good to go.

As for income, they want to be me when I make $2,000 in a day. They don't want to be me when I can't afford to cut a monthly paycheck. One of my favorite questions for electrical contractors is "Are you saving for your retirement?". Most of them aren't.

Dave
 
growler said:
An electrical inspector in this area is not in business for himself. He doesn't even provide a vehicle or fuel. A far as tools, they carry a little tester, multi-function screw driver and a pen ( I think some own a code book ). They get some time to OJT with an experienced inspector that will show them the ropes and that's about it. All of them that I have met have been electricians so they already know what to look for ( all the stuff they tried to hide earlier ).

I have said this before, it's up to the EC to know what he's doing. The inspector is not there to provide design solutions and in many cases the inspector may know less than the contractor. Most inspection departments have a check list that they go by and that's it, unless something really stands out as a violation. Most inspections are cursory at best.

Electrical inspectors are just employees of the city or county, they have a boss just like other employees, they can be hired off the street ( some are even temporary ) and they can be fired. The real power does not come from the inspector but from the AHJ. Just like the police, cops are not the law, they only represent the law.
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All of the above is a very true statement. I get the " How did you know to look for that" all the time. I just tell 'em "Been there, Done that, Got the teeshirt". An inspector is no better than his Building Official. In some cases it is the BO that corrupts the Inspector. Have tester and screwdriver, Will travel.
 
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