Building Inspector II

Alameda County Public Works Agency; Hayward (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Alameda County Public Works Agency in Hayward seeks a Building Inspector II to examine dwellings and commercial buildings for conformity to the Alameda County Building, Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical Codes, the Zoning Ordinance, the California Energy Conservation Regulations, Green Buildings, and Disabled Access.

The role covers inspection of various building types and requires reading plans, detecting substandard work, and coordinating with the public and construction industry; ICC

Qualifications

• To qualify, meet Pattern I or Pattern II as described in the minimum qualifications.
• Pattern I requires the equivalent of one year of Building Inspector I or Plans Checker experience.
• Pattern II requires four years in a building trade and three years as an inspector in a public department.

Responsibilities

• Examine dwellings and commercial buildings under construction for conformity to codes and ordinances.
• Perform inspections including high rise, apartments, condominiums and subdivisions as appropriate.
• Interpret plans, detect substandard materials, and maintain relations with the public and building industry.
• Prepare for certification under ICC codes and pursue CASp designation as desirable.

Skills

California Building Code

Plumbing Code

Electrical Code

Mechanical Code

Energy Conservation Regulations

Green Buildings

Disabled Access

County Zoning Ordinances

Construction practices

Materials and tools

Supervision principles

Job description

THE AGENCY

The mission of Public Works is to enhance the quality of life for the people of Alameda County by providing a safe, well‑maintained, and lasting public works infrastructure through accessible, responsive and effective services. Public services provided by the Alameda County Public Works Agency include flood control planning and design, storm water pollution control, transportation planning and design, roadway and flood control maintenance and inspection, and construction and building inspections.

The goals of the Agency are to keep roads safe and well maintained, provide the highest level of flood protection, provide service levels that optimize infrastructure life cycles, minimize deferred maintenance, ensure that development and construction adhere to applicable State and County rules, optimize disaster preparedness, response and recover, ensure that the Agency’s operations and services minimize negative impacts on the environment, and sustain and advance County and Agency programs through a vital business and administrative support system.

For more information about the Alameda County Public Works Agency, please visit their website at www.acgov.org/pwa.

THE POSITION

This series specification describes two Building Inspector classes which, under general supervision at the lower level and under direction at the higher level, examines dwellings and commercial buildings under construction or alteration for conformity to the Alameda County Building, Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical Codes, the Zoning Ordinance, the California Energy Conservation Regulations, Green Buildings, and Disabled Access, and the Alameda County Housing Code; and to perform other related duties.

The class of Building Inspector II is responsible for the examination of all types of building construction, including commercial, high rise, apartments, condominiums and subdivision tracts. This class is distinguished from the next higher class of Supervising Building Inspector in that the latter class has supervisory authority over the Building Inspectors and program responsibility for the Building Regulations Section of the Building Inspection Department.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for the competitive assessment process, you must meet the minimum requirements by fulfilling one of the patterns listed below (I or II).

Pattern I

The equivalent of one year of experience in the class of Building Inspector I or Plans Checker in the Alameda County classified service. (Non‑classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Pattern II

The equivalent of four years full‑time journey‑level experience in a building trade and the equivalent of three years of experience as an inspector in a public building inspection department.

License:

• Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.
• Possession of certification as an Inspector or Plan Reviewer by the International Code Council (ICC) is desirable.
• Possession of certification as a California Access Specialist (CASp) is desirable.

Special Requirement: As a condition of employment, the State law requires that a Building Inspector must qualify for a certification in at least one of the building codes (Plumbing, Electrical, Building or Mechanical) or combination of all four codes by the International Code Council (ICC) by the end of two years of employment. Not obtaining a certificate in at least one of the building codes after two years of employment will result in termination.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above minimum qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

• Knowledge of California Building Code, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Code.
• Knowledge of California Energy Conservation Regulations, Green Buildings, and Disabled Access.
• Knowledge of County Zoning Ordinances.
• Knowledge of construction and installation practices and methods.
• Knowledge of materials and tools of the building trades.
• Knowledge of principles of supervision.

Ability to:

• Read and interpret plans of complex design.
• Estimate structural requirements without benefit of plans.
• Develop training topics and talks.
• Detect substandard materials and workmanship.
• Maintain effective working relationships with the public and members of the building industry, sometimes under stressful conditions.
• Perform mathematical calculations related to the building trades.
• Write clearly and concisely.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement no later than the recruitment filing deadline.

If this is a continuous open recruitment without a filing deadline, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement within ten (10) business days of submitting your application.

Unless your disability is readily apparent (for example, you use a wheelchair and need wheelchair‑accessible spaces), Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our reasonable accommodation procedures, please visit our website Reasonable Accommodation | HRS.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non‑merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.