subject: Building Inspector Course: An Overview [print this page] Building inspector is a profession that consists of practical and technical work and can be presumed as hands on profession. A building inspector course is most commonly offered as a subject of study in the form of an associate degree after which the student enters its respective professional field for hands on practice work. Most of the courses offered in the building inspector degree are related to building inspections and its related fields.
The coursework is designed to impart students the latest building codes, be it residential or commercial and most importantly, things that should be kept in mind during building inspections. A typical building inspector course would start off with an introductory session of classes. These introductory classes provide the students with a history and background about the building standards.
These standards are must for any builder as these are the grounds on which the building would stand and the inspector must have good skills as during inspections this would be basis for a rejection or acceptance. Other things that the students usually learn during the introductory sessions are the different types of materials used in building of houses and apartments. The classes also focus on other materials such as the type of steel or wood and the proper concrete that builds the foundations of a building. The classes finish off by providing the students with report writing skills that would enable them write inspection reports in professional manner.
A typical building inspector degree offers various other specializations that are mandatory for students who want to make a career in any one of them. These include electrical, plumbing and fire safety inspection courses. These courses provide the students with in depth knowledge about their chosen area of study.
Students with electrical home systems inspection are taught the basics about the electricity setup in a commercial or residential building. They learn about the recommended electricity security and precautions that must be kept in consideration during the installation of electricity wirings. Practically, students tour various houses to examine the wirings and whether they are according to the building codes.
Plumbing is also an important aspect of any commercial and residential property and home inspectors have to learn the complete plumbing codes in relation to providing safety to commercial and residential properties. The students will learn whether these installations have been installed correctly and pass the various standard tests. Sewer and storm drainage system is a must for any property and students will learn how to investigate storm and sewer water drainage in the houses.
Finally, students also learn about the overall fire safety of the houses or apartments. This part of their study is very important, as from this they wisely determine the overall safety of a house. Students must know the domestic and international fire safety standards which include emergency fire exits, fire protection and water dispensing systems.
Overall all, these three building inspector studies are imperative for a trainee home inspector, and one, who has complete command over the three subjects, has the ability to easily become a successful and respected home inspector.