Under general supervision, inspects and enforces applicable building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, heating and refrigeration codes for commercial, residential, and industrial buildings; ensures the safety of buildings and structures by controlling the design, construction, alteration and quality of materials used; performs a variety of technical tasks relative to assigned areas of responsibility.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This is the full journey level class within the Combination Inspector series. Employees within this class perform the full range of duties as assigned. Positions at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise, and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit. This class is distinguished from the Senior Combination Inspector in that the latter is routinely assigned more complex inspections and may assume technical and functional supervision over lower level inspection staff.

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

Inspect and enforce applicable building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, heating and refrigeration codes for commercial, residential, and industrial buildings; prepare written reports, issue notices to correct code violations, issue "stop work" notices and testify in court regarding violations.

Conduct on-site inspections of existing buildings and new construction; determine if construction methods and materials are being used in compliance with established ordinances, building codes and approved plans and specifications.

Confer with the general public, contractors, engineers and architects in the performance of inspection activities; schedule inspections, explain code requirements and provide final sign-off approval of projects.

Investigate complaints and conduct inspections of existing buildings to determine if hazardous or illegal conditions exist; document building code violations; obtain proper zonings for properties in question; recommend modifications to rectify violations and/or meet requirements to conform with applicable standards.

Assist in resolving disputes between property owners and the City; provide interpretations and applications of building codes, local ordinances, and state statutes.

Conduct assessments of buildings after various events, including floods and earthquakes, to determine structural stability and general safety conditions of buildings; determine if buildings can be re-occupied.

Attend and participate in professional group meetings; stay abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of building inspection and code compliance.

Respond to public inquiries in a courteous manner; provide information within the area of assignment; resolve complaints in an efficient and timely manner.

Establish priorities and prepare daily work schedule to effectively coincide with construction requirements and not impede schedule cost.

Perform related duties as required.

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:
Operations, services and activities of a building inspection program.
Principles and techniques of building inspection and plans examining work.
Methods, materials and techniques involved in building construction, repair and alteration.
Building related codes and ordinances enforced by the City, including electrical, plumbing and mechanical codes.
Accepted safety standards and methods of building construction for commercial, residential, and industrial buildings.
Occupational hazards and standard safety practices.
Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
Modern and complex principles and practices of code interpretation and enforcement.
Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation.
Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes and regulations.

Ability to:
Perform a variety of building inspection functions.
Interpret all building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, heating and refrigeration codes and ordinances.
Read and interpret complex building plans, specifications and building codes.
Determine if construction conforms with City code requirements.
Apply technical knowledge and follow proper inspection techniques to examine workmanship and materials, and detect deviations from plans, regulations and standard construction practices.
Enforce necessary regulations with firmness and tact.
Prepare clear and concise reports.
Work independently in the absence of supervision.
Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.
Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
Work in a team based environment to achieve common goals.
Coordinate multiple projects and complex tasks simultaneously.
Meet the physical requirements to safely and effectively perform the assigned duties.
Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education/Training:
Equivalent to the graduation of the twelfth grade supplemented by specialized training in the building trades and/or code enforcement.

Experience:
Two years of responsible building inspection, compliance, construction, or enforcement experience.

License or Certificate:
Possession of an appropriate, valid driver's license.
Possession of both residential and commercial certificates in the specialties of electrical, mechanical, building, and plumbing. Certification must be from an accredited agency (ICBO, ICC, BOCA, or other related and legally recognized agencies).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Work is performed primarily in a field setting with travel from site to site and exposure to an outdoor field environment and all types of weather and temperature conditions; exposure to potentially hostile individuals and environments, noise, dust, grease, smoke, fumes, and gases; work at heights or in confined spaces; work and/or walk on various types of surfaces including slippery or uneven surfaces and rough terrain.

Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting and in a field environment; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; walk on uneven terrain, loose soil, and sloped surfaces; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; to travel to other locations; to operate equipment and vehicles; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.

Local 39 Non-Supervisory
G27
Last Update: 08/2019
JD 11/2018