Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Florida Construction Workforce Taskforce:
Address training issues among building code inspectors to
increase the number qualified inspectors.
Prepared by:
James G. Sullivan
Charles J. Kibert
Andriel E. Fenner
Shirley N. Morque
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
2
Sponsored by a grant from the
“Department of Business and Professional
Regulation” and “Building a Safer Florida, Inc.” to the
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction
Management at the University of Florida
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management
The M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida
combines the skills, diverse experiences, and talents of its faculty with an innovative educational
curriculum to educate future construction professionals. Housed in the College of Design,
Construction and Planning, the Rinker School is dedicated to construction science and
management and is committed to excellence in education and research. Established in 1935, it is
the oldest school of construction in the U.S. and the first program to receive accreditation from
the American Council for Construction Education (1975). Twenty faculty members teach and
guide the School’s 500 undergraduate and 120 graduate students. The School’s new building,
Rinker Hall, is the 26th building to have been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green
Building Council. The Rinker School has substantial experience with crafts training and has had
extensive collaboration with the National Center for Construction Education and Research
(NCCER), the premier crafts training education organization, for the past 18 years. Most recently
the Rinker School developed a crafts training program, Training for Manufactured Construction
(TRAMCON), that provides students with hybrid manufacturing/construction credentials. These
credentials also provide training across multiple crafts including carpentry, plumbing, electrical,
and HVAC using NCCER training modules.
Mission Statement
The mission of the M. E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management is to be the center
of excellence for construction. The Rinker School will pursue this by:
Promoting professional and ethical behavior in education and practice.
Advancing the industry by creating new knowledge through research and scholarly
activities.
Educating individuals in principles, knowledge and skills required to be successful in
their professional careers.
Providing service and transferring knowledge to the citizens of Florida, the
construction industry, professional societies, the nation, and the world.
The Rinker School will achieve this mission by fostering a core culture of value and quality.
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
3
Executive Summary
The Rinker School of Construction
Management at the University of Florida has
been tasked with evaluating workforce
training availability in Florida. This study
will support the evaluation of workforce
development programs in the state and allow
for better understanding of the types and
training offered as well as where they are
offered and how they are sponsored.
Workforce shortages in the state are
historically cyclical and follow significant
lulls in construction volume over time. Most
recently, there was a significant downfall in
construction volume in Florida starting in
2007 (see Figure 1 below), with the recovery
beginning in 2012. The significance of this
most recent economic cycle to the state is that
the downturn started earlier in Florida and
lasted longer than the national average.
Construction employment follows
general housing and building trends as well.
The difficulty for the recovering market is
replacing the trained workforce that left the
state or the industry during the economic
downturn. High demand for trained workers
increases pressure on construction firms to
employ unqualified workers who are trained
through an informal on-the-job training
(OJT) process, resulting in initial quality,
productivity, and safety issues compared to a
trained worker. National construction
employment demands are reflected in Figure
2 below.
Figure 1 - Housing starts from 2005 through 2014
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
4
Figure 2 - Department of Labor Statistics (Job openings in 1000’s)
Construction workforce training appears
in various formats, including high school magnet
programs, vocational schools, and
apprenticeships. The purpose of this report is to
provide a snapshot of the availability of training
relative to the increased demand and the lack of
interested applicants. Training programs
themselves are not adequate for filling the
workforce void. Current studies indicate that
50% of the construction workforce is 45 years or
older. An aging workforce, increasing in
construction volume and decreasing interest in
construction employment is creating the perfect
storm for severe labor shortages. These labor
shortages have the potential to limit the growth
of the construction industry, increase
construction costs, and limit the types of
construction trades available to service market
needs. These factors are the reasons that a
Workforce Task Force and research are required.
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
5
Project Deliverables
The Construction Workforce Taskforce has been established via state legislation to address the
shortage of skilled crafts people and inspectors training in Florida. The taskforce will discuss and
recommend methods for craft workers and inspectors in the state of Florida.
The Workforce Taskforce specifically aims to analyze the following:
Address the critical shortage of individuals trained in building construction and inspection.
Develop a consensus path for training the next generation of construction workers in the state.
Determine the causes or the current shortage of a trained construction industry work force and
address the impact of the shortages on the recovery of the real estate market.
Review current methods and resources available for construction training.
Review the state of construction training available in K-12 schools.
Address training issues relating to building code inspectors to increase the number qualified
inspectors.
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
6
Contact Information
Dr. James Sullivan
Undergraduate Program
Coordinator at M.E. Rinker Sr.,
School of Construction
Management
Dr. Charles Kibert
Director of the Powell Center
for Construction &
Environment at M.E. Rinker Sr.,
School of Construction
Management
Andriel E. Fenner
Ph.D. Student at Rinker School
for Construction Management
Shirley Morque
Ph.D. Student at Rinker School
for Construction Management
Board Members
Chairman: Peter Dyga
(Associated Builders & Contractors of Florida)
Alarm Association of Florida
American Fire Sprinkler Association
Florida Chapter
Associated Builders & Contractors of
Florida
Chair of the Florida Building
Commission
Florida Carpenters Regional Council
Florida Fire Sprinkler Association
Florida Home Builders Association
Florida Representative
Florida Roofing, Sheet Metal & Air
Conditioning Contractors Association
Florida Senator
Florida Swimming Pool Association
Independent Electrical Contractors
National Utility Contractors
Association of Florida
Asphalt Contractors Association of
Florida
Building Officials Association of
Florida
Florida Associated General
Contractors Council
Florida Building & Construction
Trades Council within the Florida AF-
CIO
Florida Concrete & Product
Association
Florida Electrical Workers
Association
Florida Plumbing-Heating-Cooling
Contractors Association
Florida Refrigeration & Air
Conditioning Contractors Association
National Contractors Association Florida
Chapter
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
7
Key Discussion 6:
Address training issues among
building code inspectors to increase
the number qualified inspectors.
National Outlook of Construction and
Building Inspectors
Construction and building inspectors are
the link between construction activities and
the law. They ensure that all buildings
constructed (both new building construction
and renovations) meet all necessary local and
national laws, codes and regulations.
Building inspectors make sure that
construction is done in accordance with
contract specifications. They also have the
power to approve a building, monitor
construction activities, perform inspections,
issue stop work orders and violation notices.
More importantly, inspectors ensure that
buildings are safe for people to live in and are
also environmentally friendly. This makes
this profession an important one for the
construction trade. This report seeks to find
probable solutions to building inspection
trade labor shortages in Florida and to
identity training programs available in the
state of Florida for construction and building
inspectors, what improvement needs to be
done, and how.
There are different types of construction
building inspectors depending on the specific
tasks they perform. Examples of the type of
construction and building inspectors are;
building inspectors, elevator inspectors,
coating inspectors, electrical inspectors,
home inspectors, mechanical inspectors,
specification inspectors, plumbing
inspectors, public work inspectors, and plan
examiners. Since inspectors have different
specializations, they normally work
independently but can work as teams as well.
In 2014, the construction and building
inspectors profession had about 101,200 job
available, with the government sector alone
employing about 48% (most of which were
by local governments). About 1 to 10 percent
was self-employed and about 28% were in
architecture, engineering and other similar
jobs. In addition to construction work
experience, an inspector should at least
possess a high school diploma, and usually
most states require inspectors to have an
inspector license or certificate in areas such
as engineering, architecture, drafting, home
or building inspection, or other related
courses. There are also On-the-Job Training
(OJT) opportunities available for
construction and building inspectors.
Inspector training and certifications vary
from state to state and the type of inspector
job. Certification can be state issued or other
associations such as the International Code
Council, International Association of
Electrical Inspectors, International
Association of Plumbing and Mechanical
Inspectors, and the National Fire Protection
Association. Construction and building
certifications, like any other certificate,
require taking an exam. The American
Society of Home Inspectors and the National
Association of Home Inspectors are two
organizations that organize the inspectors’
exam. Most construction and building
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
8
inspector certifications also involve periodic
license renewal and continuous education.
The average annual wage for construction
and building inspectors as of May, 2015 was
$57,340. This was more than the average
annual wage of regular construction trade
workers, as shown in Figure 1. $91,600 and
$34,800 were the highest and lowest 10% of
the annual wage respectively. In 2014,
construction and building inspectors had a
greater percentage of union association.
Figure 1 - Average Annual Wage of Construction and Building Inspectors. Note: All occupations include
all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics
projected an 8% increase (from 101,200
employees in 2014 to 109,200 employees in
2024) in construction and building inspector
jobs for the 10-year period. This was 2%
lower than the projected growth in other
construction trades. Figure 2 shows these
percentages. Along with this, financial
constraint forces some organizations to
employ construction and building inspectors
with several specialties, therefore adding to
the low employment of inspectors.
Figure 2 - Change in Employment of Construction and Building Inspector Trade, 2014 – 2024. Note: All
occupations include all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
$57,340
$41,020
$36,200
Construction and Building Inspectors
Construction trades workers
Total, all occupations
Construction and Building InspectorsMedian annual wages, May 2015
8%
10%
7%
Construction and Building Inspectors
Construction trades workers
Total, all occupations
Construction and Building InspectorsPercent change in employment, projected 2014-
2014
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
9
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics
The Department of Labor listed
Florida as the fourth highest state (6,160
inspectors employed as of May, 2015) with
employment in construction and building
inspector jobs. The Department listed
California, Texas and New York as the top
three states for inspector employment. Figure
3 shows the first five highest inspector
employment states.
State Employment Employment per thousand jobs
Location quotient
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
California 9,790 0.63 0.95 $ 38.95 $ 81,030
Texas 7,280 0.63 0.95 $ 26.52 $ 55,150
New York 7,250 0.81 1.22 $ 30.44 $ 63,320
Florida 6,160 0.78 1.17 $ 27.40 $ 56,980
Pennsylvania 5,520 0.97 1.46 $ 25.43 $ 52,890
Figure 3 - States with highest employment in construction and building inspector trade.
Source: DOL, 2015
Figure 4 - Average wages for jobs in Florida.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
As mentioned earlier, nationally,
construction and building inspectors can be
government employed, self-employed or
belong to architectural, engineering or related
job organizations and associations. One such
organization is the Florida Association of
Building Inspectors, Inc. (FABI). This is a
non-profit, professional organization
established in 1984 in Florida. FABI is the
“Florida inspection voice.” This means FABI
uses inspection guidelines, standard
practices, and a professional code of ethics to
ensure customer satisfaction, which in this
case is the safety of building occupants. They
also provide the Florida Home Inspection
Exams (FHIE). Construction and building
inspector wages in Florida compare well to
average annual wages nationally. Figure 4
gives a state overview of construction and
building inspector average wages in Florida.
This compares the average construction and
building inspector wages to other
construction jobs. Construction and building
inspector jobs in Florida also require a
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
10
minimum of a high school diploma, license
or certification and continuous education.
The Building Codes Administrator and
Inspections Board, a branch of Florida
Department of Business and Professional
Regulation issues certificates to building
inspectors in Florida. Florida has three
building inspector license categories,
namely; standard, limited and provisional. In
addition to passing the test, Florida
construction and building inspectors are also
required to complete 140 hours of continuous
education every two years. Table 1 shows the
ten largest schools in Florida that provide
construction and building inspector related
course.
Table 1 - Ten largest schools in Florida with construction and building inspector related courses.
School Name Duration Building Inspector Programs Offered
Erwin Technical College 2 years Certificate in Building Construction Technology
Hillsborough
Community College 2 years
AA in Building Construction,
AS in Architectural Design & Construction
Technology
Immokalee Technical
College 2 years Certificate in Building Construction Technology
Miami Dade College 2 years
AS in Building Construction Technology,
AS in Architectural Design & Construction
Technology
Pinellas Technical
Education Center-St
Petersburg
2 years Certificate in Building Construction Technologies
Seminole State College
of Florida 2 years
College Credit Certificate in Building Construction
Technology,
AA in Construction Engineering,
BS in Engineering Technology
State College of Florida-
Manatee-Sarasota 2 years
Associate in Science in Construction Management
Technology
2 years Building Construction Minor,
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
11
The University of West
Florida
BS in Engineering Technology - Building
Construction Specialization
Valencia College 2 years
Certificate in Building Construction Specialist,
Associate in Science in Building Construction
Technology
Common construction and building
inspection courses include but are not limited
to introductory building inspection courses,
plumbing systems inspection courses,
electrical systems inspection courses, and fire
safety courses.
Few apprenticeship programs offer
training and courses specific to the inspector
trade. This is because the profession requires
a general and basic knowledge in
construction trade and a good knowledge of
building codes and regulations. So normally,
people with construction backgrounds and
experience for at least five years, can take a
short online or in person inspector training
course and take the exams to become a
certified construction and building inspector.
Afterwards, OJT programs and continuous
education will equip the individual to become
a great inspector. A meeting of the Florida
Building Code Administrators and Inspector
Board in 2010 reported that the application
review committee approved 58 applications
and denied 47 applications for licenses and
also approved 9 previously denied
applications. The board also approved 23
continuous education courses and denied five
courses (FBCA, 2015). These numbers are
small and a cause for concern. This might be
due to the fact that people are not aware of
the certification requirements and procedure.
Awareness in this respect can go a long way
to increase the number of building inspectors
in Florida
The Construction and Building Inspector
Shortages in Florida
For many years, the Florida Building
Division has been successful in reviewing
plans within 10 days from the previous 30-
day review period for a single-family home
and also in responding to almost all requests
within 24 hours. However, some more
complex commercial buildings may take a
much longer time, whereas, simple
replacement work like roof and air
conditioning replacement will normally take
less time for review and permits and approval
can be given the same day. During the
recession in 2008, many inspectors were
either laid off or retired. This led to a shortage
in building inspectors in the state and
nationally. In some cases, the retired building
inspectors were replaced with level 1
building inspectors (which slowed
performance and caused delays in
inspections). Also, for instance, Alachua
county employed dual-certified plan
examiners to help assist with building
inspection. This was an increased effort to
mitigate the construction and building
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
12
inspectors shortage in the state. Even with
this increased effort the demand for
inspectors still exceeds the available supply
leading to plan review backlogs and
increased review times.
Research has shown that the construction
and building inspector profession is attracting
less construction related workers. This can be
attributed to the fact that the state of Florida
requires five-years of construction trade
experience in order to obtain an inspector
license. Many contractors would rather stay
in their construction trades than to become an
inspector. Contractors see the construction
and building inspector trade as a job people
turn to after being laid off, or to be in the
public sector or to have a good retirement
benefit. With increase in construction work,
leading to high construction worker demand,
skilled contractors would rather stay in
construction trade than to become an
inspector.
Construction and building inspectors in
Alachua county, Florida perform 12
inspections per day and sometimes time
constraints make this impossible, leading to
delays. The ISO standard requires a
maximum of 10 inspections per day.
Therefore, Florida exceeds the ISO standards
due to an inspector shortage. Figure 5 shows
a relation between required inspections and
available inspectors.
Figure 5 - 2015 requested building inspection and what was actually inspected.
Source: Growth Management Department, 2016
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
13
Note that these numbers are just estimates
and might not represent the actual values.
The estimates were done using a high case
scenario. They were calculated using 12
inspections per day with no deductions made
for annual leave days for inspectors, sick
days, training sessions, and holidays. These
estimates also assume five-man inspectors,
working five days per week. A projection
was also done for the first three months of
2016. This projection showed an increased
number of requested inspections, as shown in
Figure 6.
Figure 6 - Requested building inspections in the first three months of 2016.
Source: Growth Management Department, 2016
Attaining a construction and building
inspector license is seen as a difficult task.
The requirements are too high to attract
regular skilled construction workers. Five
years is a long time to wait before attaining
an inspector license or certification. This
deters most skilled construction workers
from getting into the inspector profession.
Construction and building inspectors are
classified at four levels. This is dependent on
the number on which of the four certificates
the individual holds. The levels are Level I
(holds a residential 1 and 2 family license)
and Level II, III and IV (holds multiple
licenses including electrical, mechanical,
plumbing, fire safety and many others).
Holding multiple licenses becomes
advantageous when working or reviewing
commercial constructions. Coupled with this
is low wages. There have been instances
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
14
where building inspectors have resigned for a
higher paying construction related jobs.
The shortage was so severe in the state
that the Alachua county inspection board
started hiring retired building inspectors on a
temporary basis. This helps mitigate some of
the problem and should be encouraged.
However, not every construction worker will
settle for a temporary part time building
inspection job. The introduction of online
services has helped improve services
provided by building inspectors. This should
also be encouraged and broadened to cover a
large variety of online services. On the other
hand, no online service can be used to
substitute physical site visit inspections
(GMD, 2016).
Proposal and Recommendations
A. Alternative Internship Certification
Program to current standard
qualifications
B. Changes to Florida Statute 468:
a. Add Residential Inspector and Plan
Examiner categories for all trades.
b. Do not restrict provisional and 120-
day period to newly hired or
promoted staff.
C. Inter-agency service agreement
inspections and plan examination for
standard certified building officials
across jurisdictions of populations 50,000
or less.
D. Have Building Code Administrators and
Inspectors Board (BCAIB) streamline
application for certification process by
providing online electronic submissions
and combining the examination
registration with provisional application.
E. High school education guidance material
for construction related careers.
F. Higher education code curriculum in
engineering, architecture and
construction management degrees.
G. State funded compensation study for
building code compliance personnel.
Detailed proposal
A. Alternative Internship Certification
Program (Intern Certificate)
Qualifications for Standard Certification
468.609(2) A person may take the
examination for certification as a building
code inspector or plans examiner pursuant to
this part if the person:
a. Is at least 18 years of age.
b. Is of good moral character.
c. Meets eligibility requirements
according to one of the following
criteria:
1. Demonstrates 5 years’ combined
experience in the field of construction or a
related field, building code inspection, or
plans review corresponding to the
certification category sought;
2. Demonstrates a combination of
postsecondary education in the field of
construction or a related field and experience
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
15
which totals 4 years, with at least 1 year of
such total being experience in construction,
building code inspection, or plans review;
3. Demonstrates a combination of technical
education in the field of construction or a
related field and experience which totals 4
years, with at least 1 year of such total being
experience in construction, building code
inspection, or plans review;
4. Currently holds a standard certificate
issued by the board or a fire/safety inspector
license issued pursuant to chapter 633, has a
minimum of 3 years’ verifiable full-time
experience in inspection or plan review, and
has satisfactorily completed a building code
inspector or plans examiner training program
that provides at least 100 hours but not more
than 200 hours of cross-training in the
certification category sought. The board shall
establish by rule criteria for the development
and implementation of the training programs.
The board shall accept all classroom training
offered by an approved provider if the
content substantially meets the intent of the
classroom component of the training
program;
5. Demonstrates a combination of the
completion of an approved training program
in the field of building code inspection or
plan review and a minimum of 2 years’
experience in the field of building code
inspection, plan review, fire code inspections
and fire plans review of new buildings as a
fire/safety inspector certified under s.
633.216, or construction. The approved
training portion of this requirement shall
include proof of satisfactory completion of a
training program that provides at least 200
hours but not more than 300 hours of cross-
training that is approved by the board in the
chosen category of building code inspection
or plan review in the certification category
sought with at least 20 hours but not more
than 30 hours of instruction in state laws,
rules, and ethics relating to professional
standards of practice, duties, and
responsibilities of a certificate holder. The
board shall coordinate with the Building
Officials Association of Florida, Inc., to
establish by rule the development and
implementation of the training program.
However, the board shall accept all
classroom training offered by an approved
provider if the content substantially meets the
intent of the classroom component of the
training program, or;
6. Currently holds a standard certificate
issued by the board or a fire/safety inspector
license issued pursuant to chapter 633 and:
a. Has at least 5 years’ verifiable full-
time experience as an inspector or
plans examiner in a standard
certification category currently held
or has a minimum of 5 years’
verifiable full-time experience as a
fire/safety inspector licensed
pursuant to chapter 633.
b. Has satisfactorily completed a
building code inspector or plans
examiner classroom training course
or program that provides at least 200
but not more than 300 hours in the
certification category sought, except
for one-family and two-family
dwelling training programs, which
must provide at least 500 but not more
than 800 hours of training as
prescribed by the board. The board
shall be established by rule criteria for
the development and implementation
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
16
of classroom training courses and
programs in each certification
category.
7. Complete an internship certification
program as an inspector or plans
examiner by demonstrating all of the
following:
a. Pass an International Code Council
(ICC) administered examination in
the category sought prior to beginning
a 4-year internship while employed
full-time in Florida (city, county or
other governmental jurisdiction)
under the direct supervision of a
governmental employer sponsoring
standard certified building official.
Related vocational or college degree
achieved and/or verifiable on-the-job
experience may reduce the internship
period year-for-year to no less than
one-year.
b. Pass the state of Florida Principals &
Practice Exam prior to completing the
internship period.
c. Pass the Building Code Administrator
and Inspectors Board (BCAIB)
approved 40-hour code training in the
category sought prior to completing
the internship period.
d. Obtain favorable recommendation
from a sponsoring building official
upon completion of the internship
period.
The Board shall establish the
following parameters by rule:
Reciprocity for an International Code
Council (ICC) administered
examination from any state.
Candidate shall be permitted to
perform duties during the first 120-
days after initial application submittal
to the board.
Candidate shall be permitted to apply
for a one-year provisional prior to
completing the internship period if the
Principals & Practice and/or 40-hour
code training course have not been
passed.
Partial internship periods successfully
acknowledged shall be permitted to
transfer across jurisdictions using a
form developed by the board.
Application for Standard Certification
upon successful completion of the
internship program on an electronic
form developed by the board shall be
permitted.
Candidate shall be permitted to apply
for standard certification no less than
30-days and no more than 60-days
prior to completing the internship
period.
Additional certifications in other
categories may be sought after
achieving initial standard certification
by completing additional non-
concurrent internship programs when
passing an ICC examination, passing
the BCAIB approved 40-hour code
training and completing an additional
one-year full-time internship in the
respective category sought (anyone
holding a standard certification may
participate).
B. Proposed changes to Florida Statute
468
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
17
Add residential inspector and plan
examiner categories
468.603 Definitions — As used in this part:
1. “Building code administrator” or
“building official” means any of those
employees of municipal or county
governments with building construction
regulation responsibilities who are charged
with the responsibility for direct regulatory
administration or supervision of plan review,
enforcement, or inspection of building
construction, erection, repair, addition,
remodeling, demolition, or alteration projects
that require permitting indicating compliance
with building, plumbing, mechanical,
electrical, gas, fire prevention, energy,
accessibility, and other construction codes as
required by state law or municipal or county
ordinance. This term is synonymous with
“building official” as used in the
administrative chapter of the Standard
Building Code and the South Florida
Building Code. One person employed by
each municipal or county government as a
building code administrator or building
official and who is so certified under this part
may be authorized to perform any plan
review or inspection for which certification is
required by this part.
2. “Building code inspector” means any of
those employees of local governments or
state agencies with building construction
regulation responsibilities who themselves
conduct inspections of building construction,
erection, repair, addition, or alteration
projects that require permitting indicating
compliance with building, plumbing,
mechanical, electrical, gas, fire prevention,
energy, accessibility, and other construction
codes as required by state law or municipal or
county ordinance.
3. “Board” means the Florida Building
Code Administrators and Inspectors Board.
4. “Department” means the Department of
Business and Professional Regulation.
5. “Certificate” means a certificate of
qualification issued by the department as
provided in this part.
6. “Categories of building code inspectors”
include the following:
a. “Building inspector” means a person
who is qualified to inspect and
determine that buildings and
structures are constructed in
accordance with the provisions of the
governing building codes and state
accessibility laws.
b. “Coastal construction inspector”
means a person who is qualified to
inspect and determine that buildings
and structures are constructed to resist
near-hurricane and hurricane velocity
winds in accordance with the
provisions of the governing building
code.
c. “Commercial electrical inspector”
means a person who is qualified to
inspect and determine the electrical
safety of commercial buildings and
structures by inspecting for
compliance with the provisions of the
National Electrical Code.
d. “Residential electrical inspector”
means a person who is qualified to
inspect and determine the electrical
safety of one and two family
dwellings and accessory structures by
inspecting for compliance with the
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
18
applicable provisions of the
governing electrical code.
e. “Mechanical inspector” means a
person who is qualified to inspect and
determine that the mechanical
installations and systems for
buildings and structures are in
compliance with the provisions of the
governing mechanical code.
f. “Plumbing inspector” means a person
who is qualified to inspect and
determine that the plumbing
installations and systems for
buildings and structures are in
compliance with the provisions of the
governing plumbing code.
g. “One and two family dwelling
inspector” means a person who is
qualified to inspect and determine
that one and two family dwellings and
accessory structures are constructed
in accordance with the provisions of
the governing building, plumbing,
mechanical, accessibility, and
electrical codes.
h. “Electrical inspector” means a
person who is qualified to inspect and
determine the electrical safety of
commercial and residential buildings
and accessory structures by
inspecting for compliance with the
provisions of the National Electrical
Code.
7. “Plans examiner” means a person who is
qualified to determine that plans submitted
for purposes of obtaining building and other
permits comply with the applicable building,
plumbing, mechanical, electrical, gas, fire
prevention, energy, accessibility, and other
applicable construction codes. Categories of
plans examiners include:
a. Building plans examiner.
b. Plumbing plans examiner.
c. Mechanical plans examiner.
d. Electrical plans examiner.
8. “Residential Plans examiner” means a
person who is qualified to determine that
plans submitted for purposes of obtaining
building and other permits comply with
the applicable residential building,
plumbing, mechanical, electrical, gas,
energy, accessibility, and other
applicable construction codes.
9. “Building code enforcement official” or
“enforcement official” means a licensed
building code administrator, building code
inspector, or plans examiner.
a. The board shall provide for the
issuance of provisional certificates
valid for 1 year, as specified by board
rule, to any newly employed or
promoted building code inspector or
plans examiner who meets the
eligibility requirements described in
subsection (2) and any newly
employed or promoted building code
administrator who meets the
eligibility requirements described in
subsection (3). The provisional
license may be renewed by the board
for just cause; however, a provisional
license is not valid for longer than 3
years.
b. A building code administrator, plans
examiner, or building code inspector
may not have a provisional certificate
extended beyond the specified period
by renewal or otherwise.
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
19
c. The board shall provide for
appropriate levels of provisional
certificates and may issue these
certificates with such special
conditions or requirements relating to
the place of employment of the
person holding the certificate, the
supervision of such person on a
consulting or advisory basis, or other
matters as the board may deem
necessary to protect public safety and
health.
d. A newly employed or hired person
may perform the duties of a plans
examiner or building code inspector
for 120 days if a provisional
certificate application has been
submitted if such person is under the
direct supervision of a certified
building code administrator who
holds a standard certification and who
has found such person qualified for a
provisional certificate. Direct
supervision and the determination of
qualifications may also be provided
by a building code administrator who
holds a limited or provisional
certificate in a county having a
population of fewer than 75,000 and
in a municipality located within such
county.
C. Inter-agency Service Agreement
Inspections and Plans Examination
Small jurisdictions often support each
other using an inter-agency service
agreement. When it is a Building Official
providing this support, the building official is
limited to providing services only in the plan
review or inspector categories that he or she
has obtained in addition to the Building Code
Administrator certification. A Building
Official that is authorized by law to perform
any trade plan review or inspection in his or
her jurisdiction should also be authorized to
perform those same services under an inter-
agency service agreement with another
jurisdiction with a population of 50,000 or
less without requiring additional
certifications.
Legislative Proposal:
468.603 Definitions —As used in this
part:
1. “Building code administrator” or
“building official” means any of those
employees of municipal or county
governments with building construction
regulation responsibilities who are
charged with the responsibility for direct
regulatory administration or supervision
of plan review, enforcement, or inspection
of building construction, erection, repair,
addition, remodeling, demolition, or
alteration projects that require permitting
indicating compliance with building,
plumbing, mechanical, electrical, gas, fire
prevention, energy, accessibility, and other
construction codes as required by state law
or municipal or county ordinance. This
term is synonymous with “building
official” as used in the administrative
chapter of the Standard Building Code
and the South Florida Building Code. One
person employed by each municipal or
county government as a building code
administrator or building official and who
is so certified under this part may be
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
20
authorized to perform any plan review or
inspection for which certification is
required by this part, including when
performing any plan review or inspection
as a currently designated standard
certified Building Official under an inter-
agency service agreement in a jurisdiction
with a population of 50,000 or less.
D. Streamline Application for
Certification Process
The existing Department of Business and
Professional Regulation (DBPR) process for
making applications for certification is
archaic, which creates unnecessary
duplication of effort by both the applicant and
the Building Code Administrators and
Inspectors Board. The existing multiple
application process also creates confusion
and lengthens the time it takes to get
approved for examination.
Legislative Proposal:
Create an online application process for
applying for certification as an inspector,
plans examiner or building code
administrator.
Legislative Proposal:
Combine the application process to
include approval to take an examination
for inspector and plans examiner in the
category sought as well as automatic
provisional status when the applicant is
employed by a local jurisdiction as an
inspector or plans examiner.
E. High School Education Guidance
High schools no longer provide guidance
or training in construction careers. Walk into
any high school in Florida and ask for the
“Careers in Construction” guidance materials
and you will be ridiculed for suggesting that
today’s youth would be interested in
construction. The void created by high
schools ignoring this segment of Florida’s
economy is creating entire generations that
will not consider construction jobs as a viable
career.
Legislative Proposal:
Provide funding and direction to develop
guidance materials and training courses
for high school guidance counselors so that
they can appropriately council high school
students about rewarding and satisfying
careers in construction.
F. Higher Education Building Code
Training
Unfortunately, building codes and the
scientific principles that they are based on are
not generally taught in college degree
programs such as architecture, engineering,
and construction management.
Legislative Proposal:
Work with accrediting agencies to include
at least one 3-hour college course on
building codes and building code theory in
college level degree programs for
architecture, engineering and construction
management degree programs, offered by
state colleges and universities.
G. Competitive Compensation Study
FLORIDA WORKFORCE TASKFORCE REPORT
January 27, 2017
21
Building departments are in direct
competition with construction companies for
skilled workers. Local jurisdictions often do
compensation studies that unfairly compare
job categories between local jurisdictions and
exclude choices that candidates have in the
private sector. This leads to pay scales that
are not attractive to job seekers and a shortage
of available inspectors and plans examiners.
Legislative Proposal:
Provide funding and direction to do a
statewide “Building Code Compliance”
compensation study covering inspectors
and plans examiners with various
certifications, and Building Officials to
demonstrate to local human resource
managers that existing pay scales are
generally below market.
References:
Florida Building Code Administrators and Inspectors Board (2015). Executive Summary. Retrieved from:
http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pro/build/documents/bcaib_executive_summary_octob
er_2010.pdf.
Growth Management Department. (2016, April). Analysis of Existing Current Building Division Service
Demands with Recommendations. Retrieved from:
http://meetingdocs.alachuacounty.us/documents/bocc/agendas/2016-05-10/87b1e1a2-4077-
4d8e-a5ab-098445c458fa.pdf
