Building Plans Reviewer

City-of-Asheville; Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Asheville is seeking a Plans Reviewer in the Development Services Department to perform technical research and plan reviews for building safety. You will assess compliance with state building codes and fire protection requirements, and provide guidance to homeowners, engineers, and inspectors.

This role requires completed degrees with progressively responsible residential and commercial work, plus the ability to obtain state certifications in four trades within the first years of

Qualifications

• Extensive skills and technical knowledge in design and construction.
• Experience in providing excellent customer service.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture or related field with 2–3 years of residential and commercial work experience.
• Associate’s degree with 4–5 years of residential and commercial work experience.
• High School Diploma or equivalent with 6–7 years of residential and commercial work experience.

Responsibilities

• Reviews commercial and residential building plans for code compliance with NC State Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and NEC; confirms fire protection systems comply with NC laws.
• Communicates and provides technical assistance to homeowners, engineers, architects, designers, building inspectors, planning and zoning personnel, City officials, and the public; responds to inquiries about projects.
• Uses data entry and word processing tools to enter, store, and retrieve information; summarizes data for standardized reports.
• Performs research and completes forms for inspectors and other Division personnel.
• Responds to inquiries from agencies and individuals in other jurisdictions and cities.
• Performs related work assignments as required.

Skills

Design/Construction knowledge

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/architecture/related

Associate's degree (4-5 years experience)

High School Diploma or equivalent (6-7 years experience)

Job description

The City of Asheville is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Plans Reviewer in the Development Services Department. An employee in this class performs technical research and inspection work for the Development Services Department, with a focus on building safety plan review.

• Reviews commercial and residential building plans for code compliance with North Carolina State Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and National Electrical Code; confirms that fire protection systems comply with the laws of the State of North Carolina.
• Communicates and provides technical assistance to homeowners, engineers, architects, designers, building inspectors, planning and zoning personnel, City officials, and the general public; responds to inquiries about individual projects and provides general information about state building codes.
• Utilizes computerized data entry equipment and various word processing, spreadsheet, and/or file maintenance programs to enter, store, and/or retrieve information as requested or otherwise necessary; summarizes data in preparation of standardized reports.
• Performs research and completes forms for inspectors and other Division personnel.
• Responds to inquiries from agencies and individuals in other jurisdictions and cities.
• Performs related work assignments as required

What you bring:

• Extensive skills, experience, and technical knowledge in the design and construction industries.
• Experience in providing excellent customer service.

Applicants who meet the following minimum requirements or have comparable experience and/or education will be considered:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture or related field with 2-3 years of experience in residential and commercial work
• Associate’s degree with 4-5 years of experience in residential and commercial work
• High School Diploma or equivalent with 6-7 years of experience in residential and commercial work.
• Possession of an appropriate, valid driver’s license issued by the State of North Carolina or out-of-state, with the ability to obtain the same.

Persons of all genders and races are encouraged to apply.

Requirements:

• State Certifications- Plan reviewers are required to attain and hold state-issued certifications in four trades: building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical. Each certificate is regulated by the North Carolina Code Officials Qualifications Board and involves the following: a mandatory 1-3 year probationary period, a 16 to 48 hour in-person class, successful completion of the classroom exam, and successful completion of the state exam. New hires are required to possess all four(4) Standard Level I certificates within the first three(3) years of hire. New hires are required to attain the highest level of certification as quickly as the Qualifications Board will allow and will work closely with the Plan Review Supervisor in establishing the timeline for doing so. A Plans Reviewer is expected to show considerable initiative and effort in attaining certificates. Time spent in the certification process is compensated by the City of Asheville. Valid certificates are mandatory for the position. The employee will participate in a mandatory continuing education program as specified by the ISO (Insurance Services Office) in their rating program for determining building code effectiveness; ratings require 96 hours a year (12 hours legal, 12 hours administrative, 12 hours mentoring, and 60 hours of technical training)