Building Control Surveyor

Building control surveyors make sure that building regulations and other legislation are followed when houses, offices and other buildings are designed and constructed. They also check that property alterations such as extensions meet regulations.

• Before construction gets underway, building control surveyors check applicants' plans, drawings and specifications to make sure they meet the regulations. Surveyors can reject plans that fail to meet building regulations or issue certificates for work to commence.
• Once work begins, building control surveyors visit sites at various phases of construction, checking that work is carried out properly and to the right standards.
• Building control surveyors issue completion certificates. They may also authorise entertainment licences, conduct public venue safety inspections, respond to emergencies to assess building safety and approve building demolition.

They usually work standard office hours, Monday to Friday, although some on-call emergency cover may be required. Time is split between office and site visits. Travel is usually local. Personal protective equipment is usually worn on site.

Salaries may range from around £21,000 to £40,000 or more a year.

Building control surveyors should have:

• a thorough understanding of building regulations
• a broad knowledge and interest in technical building processes
• tact and diplomacy
• strong IT skills
• good communication and interpersonal skills.

There are around 3,000 building control surveyors in England, with a shortage of qualified staff. Local authorities are the main employers. Some work in the private sector for government appointed inspection bodies.

Most direct entrants have at least either two A levels or a BTEC National Diploma followed by a Higher National Certificate/Diploma (HNC/D), a foundation degree or a degree in a related subject. Also useful are the Diploma in construction and the built environment and the Diploma in environmental and land-based studies.

New entrants, especially non-graduates, usually combine on-the-job training with studying for qualifications in areas such as building studies, or relevant NVQs. They may then work towards professional accreditation from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or the Association of Building Engineers (ABE). To work on site, building control surveyors would be expected to apply for a ConstructionSkills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Professionally Qualified Persons (PQP) Card.

Larger local authorities usually have well-established progression routes to senior positions. Some building control surveyors may specialise, move into other areas of surveying or become self-employed.

Further details