BUILDING INSPECTOR I

THE JOB: Under direction of the Building Official, inspects buildings and structures during construction, alternation or repair for compliance to building codes, ordinances and administrative orders and for conformance to approved plans and specifications; enforces State, building, residential, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, energy and green building standards codes, ordinances, and administrative orders; and does other work as required. Building Inspector I is the entry-level class. Incumbents are assigned to geographic areas or to specialized inspections and are required to perform inspections in all stages and areas of construction including foundation, framing, plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling and gas.

THE REQUIREMENTS: Any combination of training and experience which would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain these knowledge and abilities would be:

Three years of experience in the building construction trades.

OR

One year of experience as a Building Inspector in a public agency.

Special Requirements, Conditions: License/Certificate/Registration/Professional Membership Requirements: Possession of a valid California Class C Driver License. Within 2 years of the date of hire, must obtain certification by the International Code Council (ICC) as a Building Inspector AND one of the following specialty certifications: Plumbing Inspector, Mechanical Inspector, Electrical Inspector or Building Code Accessibility Usability Specialist.

Special Working Conditions: Exposure to: variable temperatures; slippery surfaces; loud noises; sunburn; dust and pollen; silica dust such as asbestos in old homes; bee stings; infections, such as tick-borne Lyme disease or mosquito-borne encephalitis; angry or hostile persons; corrosive chemicals; wetness, such as while walking in the rain or through a stream on a site inspection.

Knowledge: Working knowledge of uniform building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical codes; safety standards and modern construction methods; building materials and tools.

Ability to: Interpret, explain and apply building codes, ordinances and administrative orders; read and interpret building plans and specifications; establish and maintain an effective working relationship with property owners, building contractors and the general public; make inspections, enforce regulations and detect deviations from approved plans and specifications; write clear and concise reports; speak effectively; enforce regulations with tact and firmness; inspect crawl spaces, attics, cellars, roofs, climb ladders and work in confined/cramped body positions; inspect buildings from ladders and scaffolding; inspect surfaces that may be slippery; work in high concentration of dust and sawdust in remodeling sites and newly insulated buildings; walk moderate distances over rough terrain.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS:
ANNUAL LEAVE – 22 days first year, increasing to 37 days after 15 years.  Available after six months for vacation and/or sick leave.
HOLIDAYS – 12.5 paid holidays per year.
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE – 3 days paid in California, 5 days paid out-of-state.
MEDICAL PLAN – The County contracts with CalPERS for a variety of medical plans.  For most plans, County contributions pay a majority of the premiums for employees and eligible dependents.
DENTAL PLAN – County pays for employee and eligible dependent coverage.
VISION PLAN – County pays for employee coverage. Employee may purchase eligible dependent coverage.
RETIREMENT  – Pension formula 2% at age 60 or 2% at age 62 as determined based on provisions of the CA Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013(PEPRA). Pension benefit determined by final average compensation of three years.  County pays a portion of retirement contribution and participates in Social Security. 
LIFE INSURANCE – County paid $20,000 term policy.  Employee may purchase additional life insurance.
SDI – Employees in the General Representation Unit participate in the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program. This program is funded 100% by employee payroll deductions.
DEPENDENT-CARE PLAN – Employees who make contributions for child or dependent care may elect to have their contributions made utilizing “pre-tax dollars.”
H-CARE PLAN – Employees who pay a County medical premium share of cost may elect this pre-tax program.
HEALTH CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ALLOWANCE (HCFSA) – Employees may elect this pre-tax program to cover qualifying health care expenses.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION – A deferred compensation plan is available to employees.
OTHER – Other pay and benefit items apply to certain positions or assignments, such as Bilingual Pay and Night Shift Differential.

THE EXAMINATION: Your application and supplemental application will be reviewed to determine if you have met the education, experience, training and/or licensing requirements as stated on the job announcement.  If you meet these criteria and are one of the best qualified, you may be required to compete in any combination of written, oral and/or performance examinations or a competitive evaluation of training and experience as described on your application and supplemental application. You must pass all components of the examination to be placed on the eligible list.  The examination may be eliminated if there are ten or fewer qualified applicants.  If the eligible list is established without the administration of the announced examination, the life of the eligible list will be six months and your overall score will be based upon an evaluation of your application and supplemental application. If during those six months it is necessary to administer another examination for this job class, you will be invited to take the examination to remain on the eligible list.

HOW TO APPLY: Apply Online Now!  Click on the link below; or print out an application and supplemental questionnaire and mail/bring them to: Santa Cruz County Personnel Department, 701 Ocean Street, Room 310, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060.  For information, call (831) 454-2600.  Hearing Impaired TDD/TTY: 711.  Applications will meet the final filing date if received in one of the following ways:  1) In the Personnel Department by 5:00 p.m. on the final filing date, 2) submitted online before midnight of the final filing date.  Following a review for minimum qualifications, applicants who are selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be notified that they must submit a completed conviction history questionnaire in order to continue to the examination phase of the process.

Women, minorities and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.  If you have a disability that requires test accommodation, please call (831) 454-2600.  

To comply with the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, Santa Cruz County verifies that all new employees are either U.S. citizens or persons authorized to work in the U.S.  

Some positions may require fingerprinting and/or background investigation.

NOTE: The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract.

An Equal Opportunity Employer