Definition
Inspects the construction of residential and commercial buildings to ensure compliance with the State Building Code and/or inspects the fabrication and/or installation of manufactured housing within the state; resolves consumer complaints; performs related work as required.
The work examples and competencies listed below are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be the primary basis for position classification decisions.
Work Examples
Inspects buildings during construction to determine compliance with the Iowa State Building Code.
Meets with building contractors, architects, engineers, public officials and others to explain and discuss building code requirements and State Administrative Rules.
Monitors and inspects factory-built structures while under construction and after delivery to dealer lots to ensure compliance with state and federal codes and standards.
Inspects the installation of factory-built structures to include site preparation, support structures and proper anchoring.
Assists in the state certification program for factory-built structure installers including the delivery of technical training to new installers.
Receives and investigates consumer complaints on the manufacture and installation of factory-built structures.
Prepares technical records and reports to document inspections, investigations and consumer complaints
Competencies Required
Knowledge:
Administration and Management – Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Administrative – Administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Building and Construction – Materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Communications and Media – Media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Computers and Electronics – Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Customer and Personal Service – Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Design – Design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
English Language – Structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Law and Public Safety – Regulations and methods for maintaining people and property free from danger, injury, or damage; the rules of public conduct established and enforced by legislation, and the political process establishing such rules.
Manufacturing and Production – Principles and facts related to the production, processing, storage, and distribution of manufactured and agricultural goods.
Mathematics – Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Public Safety and Security – Relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Abilities:
Category Flexibility – Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning – Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Far Vision – See details at a distance.
Flexibility of Closure – Identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Fluency of Ideas – Come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Inductive Reasoning – Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering – Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision – See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Number Facility – Add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Oral Comprehension – Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression – Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Originality – Come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity – Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Clarity – Speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition – Identify and understand the speech of another person.
Visual Color Discrimination – Match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Visualization – Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Written Comprehension – Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression – Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Skills:
Active Learning – Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Installation – Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Judgment and Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Mathematics – Using mathematics to solve problems.
Quality Control Analysis – Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Reading Comprehension – Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Service Orientation – Actively looking for ways to help people.
Speaking – Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management – Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Troubleshooting – Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Writing – Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:
Five years of full-time work experience in carpentry, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or a related trades field.
Graduation from an accredited college or university with an Associate’s degree in Civil Engineering, Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Electrical-Mechanical Technology, or a closely-related field, and experience equal to one year of full-time work in inspecting residential and/or commercial buildings, or in fabricating, installing, or servicing manufactured housing units.
A total of three years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in any field equals one year of full-time experience.
Certification by the International Code Council as a building inspector in any of the following categories: commercial building inspector, electrical inspector, mechanical inspector, plumbing inspector, residential combination inspector, commercial combination inspector, or combination plans examiner, and two years of full-time experience in any of these category areas.
Notes
Within six months after hire date, employees in this class will be required to obtain certification by the International Code Council as a Commercial Building Inspector, or equivalent certification as approved by the State Building Code Commissioner. This certification must be maintained by an employee in this classification throughout the period of employment with the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing.
Designated positions in this class require possession of a valid driver’s license.
Some positions in this class may require an applicant to have the ability to pass a background investigation.
Effective date: 09/26 KC