Career Opportunity

Building Inspector (6331) - Citywide - (X00081)

Recruitment: REF45825J

Published: October 22, 2024

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About:

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

Application Opening: October 22, 2024
Application Deadline: November 6, 2024
Recruitment ID: CBT-6331-X00081

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

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.

6. At the Department of Public Works, inspection areas include hospital facilities.

8. At the Airport, inspection areas include passenger terminals, aircraft hangars, and maintenance facilities.

9. At the Port, inspection areas include tenants, houseboats and marinas for code enforcement and compliance.

How to qualify

EDUCATION AND 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 $750,000 in business, or a civil engineer or an architect responsible for the supervision of building construction and/or inspection.

SUBSTITUTIONS

1. Possession of 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.

NOTE: Items 1, 2, and/or 3 above can be combined to substitute up to 2 years of experience. 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

Possession of a Certified Access Specialist program (CASp) certification highly desired.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

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.

What else should I know?

SELECTION PROCEDURES

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) (Weight: Qualifying): Candidates will be prompted to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online employment application at a later time. This Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications for this position. Applicants must also complete the official application. It is essential that applicants provide complete information in identifying their education, experience and training. The Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Written Examination (Weight: 100%): 
Candidates will be administered a written multiple-choice examination to determine their relative knowledge, skill and ability level in one or more of the following job related areas as appropriate. These areas may include, but not be limited to: knowledge of plumbing and mechanical system design and installation practices; knowledge of plumbing and mechanical materials and their uses; knowledge of existing ordinances, regulations and code requirements regarding the installation and maintenance of plumbing and mechanical systems; knowledge of modern construction methods and techniques, particularly as applied to plumbing and mechanical phases of construction projects; ability to read and interpret plans and specifications of plumbing and mechanical system installations; ability to effectively apply knowledge of the plumbing codes and construction procedures to inspection practices.

This is a standardized written multiple-choice examination. In accordance with Civil Service Rule 111.11.4, inspection privileges do not apply to the questions and answers in this examination.

The score you achieve on this examination shall be valid and "banked" for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, you will not be required to take this test again should you apply and be found eligible for a future announcement for which this particular test is used. If the test for this future announcement is held within 1 year of the date of this examination, your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, you have the option to either (a) apply your test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the test. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the examination and only in association with your eligibility for another announcement for which this test is used. Please note that, should you re-test, your re-test score would become your official score since it is the most recent (even if it turns out to be lower than your original score).

Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of 12 months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance: Candidates for employment with the San Francisco Airport Commission are required to undergo a criminal history record check, including FBI fingerprints, and Security Threat Assessment in order to determine eligibility for security clearance and may be required to undergo drug/alcohol screening. Per Civil Service Commission Rule Section 110.9.1, every applicant for an examination must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for the examination. Failure to obtain and maintain security clearance may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations.  [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ .] The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4.  Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement.  Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

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
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

How to Apply

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.

Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

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).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received. 

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Peter Rosel at peter.rosel@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.