Career Opportunity

Building Inspector - Department of Building Inspection (6331 TPV)

Recruitment: RTF0162491-01123582

Published: December 15, 2025

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Application Opening: December 15, 2025.
• Application Deadline: Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this recruitment may close at any time, but no earlier than Monday, January 5, 2026.
• Annual Salary for position: $137,280 - $166,894.

Appointment Type: This is a Temporary Provisional (TPV) position, limited to no more than 3 years in duration. This temporary position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process. This is considered "at will" and shall serve at the discretion of the Department Head. This position will be subject to the Permanent Civil Service examination process at a later date. Successful participation in the Permanent Civil Service examination and selection through an open competitive process is needed in order to be considered for the permanent appointment.

What We Do: The Department of Building Inspection (DBI) oversees the effective, efficient, fair and safe enforcement of City building, housing, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and disability access codes for San Francisco’s more than 200,000 buildings.

Role description

Under direction, performs responsible inspection work in connection with the construction and modification of buildings or other structures both public and private with respect to the use of materials and conformance with building and housing codes and approved plans and specifications; and performs related duties as required. Requires responsibility for: explaining and enforcing existing ordinances and code regulations applicable to construction and reconstruction and urban renewal and rehabilitation activities; making regular contact with property owners, contractors or their representatives, and representatives of outside organizations in connection with inspection activities and the enforcement of codes relating to building, housing, health, and sanitation, laws and ordinances pertinent to building construction and housing; preparing and submitting records and reports on the above activities.

MAJOR, IMPORTANT, AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Inspects materials and methods employed in the construction and repair of public buildings or other structures for conformity to the construction plans and specifications set forth therein; assures adherence to laws, codes and ordinances regulating public building construction; and reviews and resolves routine field construction problems that may include identifying and referring difficult problems for resolution.
2. Prepares periodic progress and related reports on assigned projects; reports on work performed and time utilized by the various crafts assigned to projects; coordinates work sequences of various contractors participating in assigned projects; investigates complaints on completed projects and initiates necessary remedial action.
3. Inspects buildings or structures to ensure that the construction, alteration or maintenance work being performed complies with applicable building codes, ordinances and laws; observes violations of other codes and notifies the proper agency; interviews applicants for building permits; provides information on building codes, laws and ordinances; estimates cost of proposed construction in order to establish a proper building permit fee; investigates complaints referred from other agencies; assists property owners and provides information on the application of building codes; reviews applications and plans submitted for building permits; issues Certificate(s) of Final Completion and Occupancy when code violation(s) are abated; and prepares work summaries, reports and correspondence..
4. Makes special investigation of buildings and structures for possible condemnation or removal; advises property owners of such buildings or structures as to necessary revision to bring buildings and structures up to code requirements. Performs and participates in inspections in the event of emergencies and disasters per the citywide disaster plan.
5. Performs periodic inspections of existing buildings and structures for compliance with building codes; conducts enforcement investigations of non-permitted work and/or substandard buildings; reviews conditions noted in previous inspections as hazardous or violations for code compliance; determines the nature and extent of any violations and provides the necessary corrective action; prepares violation and ‘Stop Work’ notices, and related documents; investigates complaints and follow-up to assure correction of code violation; reviews and approves plans to correct code violation(s); and may inspect multiple dwellings with respect to the issuance of permit of occupancy. Prepares and processes forms and records on the enforcement activities related to code violations, including issuing citations which may require court appearances and coordination with other departments and agencies.

IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Requires considerable knowledge of: building construction methods and techniques as well as the properties and uses of a wide variety of construction materials and equipment; the laws, ordinances, buildings or other structures as well as health and sanitation codes; and building design.
• Requires skill in the use of surveying instruments.
• Requires ability to: read and interpret blueprints, plans, and specifications; inspect and analyze building construction methods and materials; deal effectively with property owners, contractors and others with respect to code or contract enforcement; prepare clear and concise reports on inspection activities.

How to qualify

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification.

• Experience: Four (4) years of building construction work experience responsible for the supervision of building construction and/or inspection as a carpenter supervisor, or as a superintendent of building construction, or as a licensed building contractor with an annual gross contract value of $750,000in business, or a civil engineer or an architect responsible for the supervision of building construction and/or inspection.

Substitutions:

1. Possession of a Commercial and Residential Building Inspector certificates issued by the International Code Council (ICC) may substitute for six (6) months of the required experience.
2. Possession of a Building Plans Examiner certificate issued by the International Code Council (ICC) may substitute for six (6) months of the required experience.
3. Completion of a Building Inspection certificate program from an accredited college or university may substitute for one (1) year of the required experience.

LICENSE AND CERTIFICATION

• Possession of a valid Class C California driver license.
• Possession of the Commercial and Residential Building Inspector certifications or the Building Plans Examiner certification, issued by the International Code Council (ICC), is required within two (2) years of appointment. Inspectors must maintain the certification as a condition of continued employment.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

• These positions require the ability to work in inclement weather; and possible exposure to hazardous conditions found in and around damaged buildings, structures or construction sites. Also required is the ability to move into and out of vehicles frequently, buildings, tunnels, ditches, and other related areas; to climb or crawl into and out of spaces which must be inspected; and to use ladders, scaffolds and other special equipment. These positions require the operation of a motor vehicle in order to visit inspection sites and to respond to emergencies and disasters. The nature of work includes customer service, responding to difficult situations, and performing plan review that requires sitting for prolonged periods of time under normal office conditions.

Verification of Education and Experience:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Selection Procedures: The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to participate in the oral/performance interview.

What else should I know?

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process. No other methods of application will be accepted.

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Upon successful submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@careers.sf.gov. Keep this email for your records. If you do not receive it, your application was not submitted successfully.

Human Resources Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the Analyst, Jason Hammack at Jason.hammack@sfgov.org

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.