Building Inspector

Salary : $52,070.48 Annually
Location : Rockingham County, NC
Job Type: Full Time Regular
Job Number: 01814
Department: Planning and Inspections
Division: Inspections
Opening Date: 08/14/2026
Closing Date: Continuous


Summary

Rockingham County is an equal opportunity employer and will comply with federal and state statutes regarding discrimination in employment.
Performs intermediate technical work inspecting building construction for compliance with State and local building codes and ordinances, reviewing plans and permits, maintaining records and files, preparing reports, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the general direction of the Chief Building Inspector.

• Paid Medical, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance
• Onsite wellness/medical clinic
• Onsite fitness center
• Retirement
• Flexible Spending
• Paid Vacation, Sick & Holidays
• Bereavement
• Community Service Leave
• Weekends Off (varies by position)
• Flexible Work Schedules & Telework Options (varies by position)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• 401-K & 457 Plans with county match up to 1% of base salary

Examples of Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Performs field inspections and re-inspections of residential construction and existing structures for compliance with building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical codes.
Reviews permits, blueprints, plans, and certificates for compliance of appropriate code/zoning ordinances.
Issues warnings and takes appropriate action when violations occur; testifies in court as necessary.
Receives and responds to inquiries and complaints regarding defective construction and the minimum housing code.
Prepares reports and maintains records regarding inspections; enters inspections into computer.
Attend meetings with builders, architects, engineers, and the General public; confers with contractors, owners, staff and State officials on code compliance matters and interpretations.

SUPERVISION: Received: Works under the Supervision of the Chief Building Inspector.
Supervision Given: (If supervisor list positions supervised)

INTERPERSONAL CONTACT: Strong verbal and written communication.
Positive interaction with citizens, vendors, etc.

RECRUITMENT STANDARDS (Core Competencies):
• Understanding of construction methods and materials.
• Problem solving abilities.
• Attention to detail.
• Physical stamina.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• General knowledge of building construction materials and methods and of stages of construction when violations and defects may be most easily observed and corrected.
• General knowledge of State building and related codes, laws, and ordinances.
• General knowledge of State building practices, policies, rules, and regulations.
• Some knowledge of GIS.
• Ability to detect poor workmanship, inferior materials and hazards of fire and collapse.
• Ability to read and interpret codes, manufacturer specifications and building site plans and apply code requirements to visual inspections.
• Ability to learn permitting software.
• Ability to read and interpret plans, specifications, and blueprints accurately and to compare them with construction in process.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to make public presentations.
• Ability to enforce ordinances and regulations with firmness, tact, and impartiality.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, business owners, builders, engineers, architects, elected officials, and the General public.

Physical Activities, Visual Acuity, and Working Conditions for this Position:
Climbing - Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, and the like using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. This factor is important if the amount and kind of climbing required exceeds that required for ordinary locomotion
Balancing - Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount and kind of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium
Stooping - Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full use of the lower extremities and back muscles
Kneeling - Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees
Crouching - Bending the body downward and forward by bending legs and spine
Crawling - Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet
Reaching - Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction
Standing - Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time
Walking - Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another
Pushing - Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force to thrust forward, downward, or outward
Pulling - Using upper extremities to exert force to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion
Lifting - Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires the substantial use of the upper extremities and back muscles
Fingering - Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling
Grasping - Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm
Feeling - Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips
Talking - Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly
Hearing - Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communications, and making fine discriminations in sound
Repetitive Motions- Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands and/or fingers

Physical Requirements of This Position:
Medium Work- Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects

Visual acuity requirements including color, depth perception and field of vision:
Employee is required to have visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned (i.e., custodial, food services, general labor, etc.) or to make general observations of facilities or structures (i.e., security guard, inspection, etc.)

The conditions the worker will be subject to in this position:
Employee is subject to both environmental conditions: Activities occur inside and outside
Employee is subject to extreme cold: Temperatures typically below 32 degrees for periods of more than one hour. Consideration should be given to the effect of other environmental conditions such as wind and humidity
Employee is subject to noise: There is sufficient noise to cause Employee to shout to be heard above the ambient noise level
Employee is subject to vibration: Exposure to oscillating movements of the extremities or whole body
Employee is subject to hazards: Includes a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles, electrical current, working on scaffolding and high places, exposure to high heat or exposure to chemicals
Employee is subject to atmospheric conditions: One or more of the following conditions that affect the respiratory system of the skin: fumes, odors, dust, mists, gases, or poor ventilation
Employee is subject to oils: There is air and/or skin exposure to oils and other cutting fluids
Employee frequently is in close quarters, crawl spaces, shafts, manholes, small, enclosed rooms, small sewage and water line pipes and other areas, which could cause claustrophobia
Employee is required to function in narrow aisles or passageways
Employee is exposed to infectious diseases
Employee is required to function around prisoners or institutional patients

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience: High school diploma or GED and considerable experience in the building construction trade, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

License or Certification Requirements:
• Valid NC Driver's License.
• Possession of Probationary, Limited or Standard Level I certification in building trades, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire as required by the NC Code of Officials Qualifications Board.
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue to work full-time in public service jobs. If you have student loans and you are selected for full-time employment with Rockingham County, you may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on your William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan after you have made 120 qualifying payments on those loans while employed full-time by certain public service employers. Click on the link below to see whether you might qualify.

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

For Full Time employees in a regular position, insurance is available and effective the first day of the following month after having worked for an entire month. The County currently pays 100% of the cost for regular employees working at least 30 hours per week. Dependent coverage is also available.
Paid Time Off

This benefit is available to regular employees working at least 20 hours per week. Time off includes:
Vacation/Annual Leave

Sick Leave

Paid Holidays .
Bereavement
Local Government Retirement System

All employees in regular full or part time position are required to contribute to the retirement system. Contributions are taken on a pre-tax basis. The current contribution amount is 6%.
Supplemental Retirement Plans

NC 401(k)- Employees have the option of making contributions on a pre or post tax basis to a 401(k) and on a pre tax basis to a a 457(b) plan. Contributions will be matched by the county, up to 1% or their annual base salary.
Other Insurance

Insurance such as life, short term disability, and cancer care are available to regular employees and can be paid through payroll deduction.
Direct Deposit

All employees are required to have direct deposit.
Other Benefits

Annual longevity payment beginning with the 6th full year of full or part time regular employment