They may spend much of their time in a field office reviewing blueprints, answering letters or telephone calls, writing reports, and scheduling inspections. The rest of their time is spent inspecting construction and building sites. Inspection sites may be dirty and cluttered with tools, materials, or debris. Inspectors may have to climb ladders or several flights of stairs, or may have to crawl beneath buildings. However, the work is not considered hazardous.
Inspectors normally work regular hours.
However, if an accident occurs at a construction site, such as a partially collapsed concrete structure, inspectors must respond immediately and may work irregular hours to complete their report. Employment Construction and building inspectors held about 61,500 jobs in 1990. Nearly half worked for local governments, primarily municipal or county building departments. The employment of local government inspectors is concentrated in cities and in suburban areas undergoing rapid growth. These governments employ large inspection staffs, including most of the inspectors who specialize in structural steel, reinforced concrete, boiler, and elevator inspection.