Building Inspector

Building Inspector

The Building Inspector, reporting to the Building Official, is responsible for conducting inspections and ensuring compliance with building, plumbing, and mechanical codes, as well as managing the city's Time of Sale program. This role involves plan review, inspections, and coordination with homeowners, contractors, and other stakeholders to enforce code requirements and technical standards. Provides support to and works closely with the Administrative Assistant II-Permits and Licensing. Coordinates with the City Planner to ensure that building permit applications comply with all applicable zoning regulations.

Examples of Duties:

• Inspect building sites prior to and during construction for conformance to zoning and building code requirements.
• Manage the city's Time of Sale program, including conducting inspections for property transfers. Ensuring compliance with relevant codes and ordinances during property transactions.
• Maintain records, files, and reports related to inspections and the Time of Sale program.
• Perform field inspections for the department's initial rental housing inspection program.
• Conducts foundation, framing, insulation, drywall, heating, plumbing, and mechanical completion, and other inspections during construction to determine compliance with code and ordinance requirements; exercises appropriate action to rectify deficiencies and issues instructions for correction by builder, contractor, or owner.
• Advise and maintain effective working relationship with homeowners, contractors, architects, and others regarding construction code requirements and technical standards to assure their thorough understanding and ability to conform to such codes and standards.
• Assists in review of building permits to assure such permits reflect work to be accomplished and where discrepancies occur to initiate action to correct construction and thus require conformance with the conditions specified in the approved building permit.
• Provides copies of building, plumbing, and heating permits with valuation information to appropriate departments.
• Investigates building and housing code violations and related complaints and initiates appropriate action to ensure that such violations are corrected and/or eliminated.
• Assists Fire Department regarding building code enforcement, code requirements, and technical standards.
• Assists in zoning and sign code-related inspections and enforcement.
• Oversee and assists in the issuance of licenses and permits, license approvals as required by City Code, and the receiving of payment for the same.
• Remains informed of new materials, equipment, and practices, as well as new or changed codes, to ensure a thorough understanding of the building industry and effective and fair administration of the building codes.
• Participates in community events and meetings (Planning Commission, City Council, etc.) as assigned by the Building Official.
• Provides building requirement information via the city newsletter, website, cable television, and seminars.
• Prepares and maintains necessary records, files, and reports.
• Provides back-up duties in assisting customers in the office.
• Performs other duties as apparent or assigned.

Qualifications:

Required:

• A combination substantially equivalent to high school graduation and post-secondary training in the building trades and considerable experience involving a wide variety of residential, commercial, and industrial construction
• Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Building Official Limited certification
• Valid Minnesota Driver's License.

Desired:

• Three years of experience as a Building Inspector or five years' supervisory experience in the general construction trade.
• Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Certified Building Official, or the ability to obtain within the first six months of employment.
• International Code Council (ICC) certifications related to building inspection, plan review, or other applicable code disciplines.
• Delegation Authority from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry to perform plan reviews and inspections of Public Buildings and State Licensed Facilities.
• Bilingual skills in Spanish, Somali, Amharic, Oromo, Hmong, Vietnamese and/or Lao.
• Experience in commercial and industrial construction.
• Experience with commercial and residential plan review.

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills:

• A demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with contractors, architects, engineers, and residents.
• Thorough knowledge of all types of building construction materials and methods, and stages of construction, when possible, violations and defects may be most easily observed and corrected.
• Ability to relate and work effectively with people from diverse cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds.
• Considerable knowledge of building codes and regulations.
• Considerable knowledge of modern developments, current literature, and sources of information in the field of municipal building inspection.
• Ability to enforce ordinances and regulations firmly, tactfully, and impartially.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.
• Ability to express ideas effectively, orally, and in writing.

An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/H. The City of Columbia Heights does not discriminate on the basis of disability in employment or the provision of services.

Full time benefits with a City contribution are offered for this position.