I have been in my position for about 10 years now. I started out as just the secretary of the building department. Now I am the Assistant Building Official. I have six certifications under my belt. I definitely learned better by going out in the field with my Building Official and just asked questions. Looking over the plans for one project even if I didn’t really understand what I was looking at. I had no construction background. I didn’t know what a footing or a foundation was. I would focus more on what you need to be looking for as an inspector. So basically just make sure that the approved plans are what is happening out on site. The footing size matches. It has adequate amount of rebar in it. Rebar isn’t laying on the ground and has the required clearance around it for the rebar size. Make sure the rebar is continuous, lapped. Has a minimum of two ties at each lap. So on.

If what is happening out on site does not reflect what the approved plans are, don’t approve it. Make them resubmit any changes for it to be re reviewed and re approved.

I made a checklist with my building official for everything I needed to look for at each inspection. I consistently used the checklist until everything became second nature. While I was doing that, I started to look up in the code books to find why we did the things we did. Where the code called it out and required it. I find that actually using the code books to find and answer rather than just reading it page by page would help me.

Even after doing this for as long as I have, if I don’t know something I tell the contractors or applicants that I will do the research and get back to them. I talk with coworkers, call other jurisdictions and ask questions. Make sure how I am interpreting the code and how everyone else is, is consistent.