Building Inspector/Plans Examiner

Are you ready to become a plans examiner and inspector to help keep the residents and visitors of Albany safe?  The Community Development Department is looking to add to our team of plans examiners and inspectors. This position plays a key role in permitting and code compliance within Community Development, providing guidance to the public, customers, and contractors to ensure they understand the permitting process and meet all requirements for their projects. An ideal candidate will have a professional approach to providing information on requirements, while providing great customer focused service.   This position will focus on plan review and counter service, while also backing up inspections.
Building Inspector/Plans Examiner II: $35.54 - $45.93
Building Inspector/Plans Examiner III: $38.42 - $49.65
Building Inspector/Plans Examiner IV: $41.53 - $53.68

This job posting has been updated to reflect a cost-of-living adjustment (salary increase) of two percent (2.0%) effective January 1, 2025.

Benefits include:

• Excellent medical, vision and dental (Download PDF reader) benefit package for the employee and qualified family members with low monthly out-of-pocket cost (Download PDF reader).  Currently, the employee-paid premium is approx. $51/mo. for employee-only coverage up to a max of $147/mo. for family coverage.  
• City-paid contribution to a VEBA Trust account for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.  Currently, the annual contribution is $1,000 for employee-only and $2,000 for employee plus dependent(s).
• Paid time off –

• 10 paid holidays plus an additional 24 hours of "floating holiday" pay per year
• 8 hours of sick leave per month
• 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with progressive increases
• Excellent retirement benefits - 
  • City-paid participation in the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (OPSRP and IAP) 
  • City-paid contribution into pre-tax deferred compensation plan 
• In addition, other benefits such as education reimbursement, employee assistance program, basic life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and flexible spending accounts for healthcare and child care expenses.

• Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Oregon driver's license and a driving record that meets the City’s driving standards.
• The individual shall not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of themselves or others.
• An active Oregon Inspector Certification and the following Oregon Code Certifications in the appropriate Building Inspector/Plans Examiner grade and certification option, in accordance with Oregon Administrative Rule. Incumbents into the Building Inspector/Plans Examiner I position shall have the required certifications at the time of hire or within six months of job placement.  

Building Inspector/Plans Examiner I:
Option i:    Residential Plans Examiner (CAX) and Residential Structural Inspection (CAS);
-or-
Option ii:   Structural Building Inspector (SIA) and Commercial Mechanical Inspector (MIA);
-or-
Option iii: Structural Plans Examiner (PEA) and Commercial Inspector (MIA).
           
Building Inspector/Plans Examiner II:
Option i:    Residential Plans Examiner (CAX), Residential Structural Inspection (CAS), Structural Plans Examiner (PEA), and Commercial Mechanical Inspector (MIA);
-or-
Option ii:   Residential Plans Examiner (CAX), Residential Structural Inspection (CAS), Dwelling Plumbing Inspector (CAP), and Dwelling Electrical Inspector (CAE);
-or-
Option iii: Residential Plans Examiner (CAX), Residential Structural Inspection (CAS), Structural Building Inspector (SIA), and Commercial Mechanical Inspector (MIA);
-or-
Option iv:  Electrical Inspector (EI) or Plumbing Inspector (PI).

Building Inspector/Plans Examiner III:
Option i:    Residential Plans Examiner (CAX), Residential Structural Inspection (CAS), Structural Plans Examiner (PEA), Commercial Mechanical Inspector (MIA), Dwelling Plumbing Inspector (CAP), Dwelling Electrical Inspector (CAE), and Structural Building Inspector (SIA);
-or-
Option ii:   Residential Plans Examiner (CAX), Residential Structural Inspection (CAS), Dwelling Plumbing Inspector (CAP), Dwelling Electrical Inspector (CAE), Structural Building Inspector (SIA), Commercial Mechanical Inspector (MIA), and Specialized Plumbing Inspector (SPI);
-or-
Option iii: Residential Plans Examiner (CAX), Residential Structural Inspection (CAS), Structural Plans Examiner (PEA), Fire and Life Safety Plans Examiner (PEF); Commercial Mechanical Inspector (MIA), and Structural Building Inspector (SIA);
-or-
Option iv: Electrical Inspector (EI) or Plumbing Inspector (PI); and Residential Plans Examiner (CAX), Residential Structural Inspection (CAS), and Commercial Mechanical Inspector (MIA).

Building Inspector/Plans Examiner IV:
Option i:    Residential Plans Examiner (CAX), Residential Structural Inspection (CAS), Structural Plans Examiner (PEA), Commercial Mechanical Inspector (MIA), Dwelling Plumbing Inspector (CAP), Dwelling Electrical Inspector (CAE), Structural Building Inspector (SIA), and Fire and Life Safety Plans Examiner (PEF);
-or-
Option ii:   Residential Plans Examiner (CAX), Residential Structural Inspection (CAS), Dwelling Plumbing Inspector (CAP), Specialized Plumbing Inspector (SPI), Structural Building Inspector (SIA), Commercial Mechanical Inspector (SIA/MIA), and Fire and Life Safety Plans Examiner (PEF);

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of: current commercial, industrial, and residential construction techniques, materials and practices, which are used by the building construction industry; construction inspection methods; all Oregon Specialty Codes, other applicable State codes, and related regulations governing a building inspection program.
 Skill in: prioritizing and meeting multiple demands by the construction industry, the public and other City staff; effectively communicating orally and in writing; the operation of standard office equipment, including copy and fax machines, multi-line telephone; operating computers for data entry, word processing, presentation software, and spreadsheet programs; and the operation of listed tools and equipment.
Ability to: read and understand complicated plans and specifications; interpret, disseminate, and communicate complex technical information, state and local construction regulations, City review process, and City policies effectively with technicians and non-technicians; establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other departments, and the public; provide excellent customer service; and ability to mediate adversarial situations.  

WORK ENVIRONMENT
In the performance of the job duties, the employee will regularly work in outside weather conditions. The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions or airborne particles.  The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet in the office and moderate to loud in the field.  This position routinely travels to various inspection sites.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The factors described herein are representative of, but not all-inclusive of, those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Detailed information may be available in a supplemental Job Task Analysis document. 
The work is light work which lifting up to 25 pounds occasionally, carrying up to 10 pounds occasionally, and pushing and pulling up to 50 pounds occasionally.  Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing:   sufficient to maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Feeling: sufficient to perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: sufficient to pick, pinch, type, or otherwise work, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: sufficient to apply pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: sufficient to pick, hold, or otherwise work, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: sufficient to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound. 
• Lifting: sufficient to raise objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles. 
• Mental Acuity: sufficient to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Pulling: sufficient to use upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Reaching: sufficient to extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time. 
• Stooping: sufficient to bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles. 
• Talking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual Acuity: sufficient to observe violations of codes, to effectively operate standard office equipment; ability to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, drawings, etc.; and to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment, by both day and night.
• Walking: sufficient to move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT USED
In the performance of job duties, the employee may use the following tools and/or equipment:  motor vehicle; computer and/or mobile device; various software programs; calculator; digital camera; phone; copy; ladder or scaffolding; tape measure; GFCI tester; AFCI tester; screw drivers; and other related tools and equipment.
 
SAFETY EQUIPMENT 
This is not an exhaustive list. Hearing protection (including earmuffs), safety glasses, steel toed boots, gloves (nitrile, latex, leather), hardhat, knee pads, respirators and dust masks, traffic cones, safety vest, fall-restraint equipment when required. Develops safe work habits and contributes to the safety of self, co-workers, and the public.

Salary : $1,000