Construction and Building Inspectors
Inspect structures using engineering skills to determine structural soundness and compliance with specifications, building codes, and other regulations. Inspections may be general in nature or may be limited to a specific area, such as electrical systems or plumbing.
146,720 people do this job in the US. $74,690 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 48%
- 9%
- 43%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 16%. Today's estimate: 24%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 19 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review and interpret plans, blueprints, site layouts, specifications, or construction methods to ensure compliance to legal requirements and safety regulations.Done several times a day by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 29% | 3.3 h50 min to 5 h | 38%Half by Nov 2026 | |
| Inspect bridges, dams, highways, buildings, wiring, plumbing, electrical circuits, sewers, heating systems, or foundations during and after construction for structural quality, general safety, or conformance to specifications and codes.Done daily by most who do it. | 11% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Approve building plans that meet required specifications.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 11% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | 46%Half by Oct 2026 | |
| Monitor installation of plumbing, wiring, equipment, or appliances to ensure that installation is performed properly and is in compliance with applicable regulations.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 11% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect and monitor construction sites to ensure adherence to safety standards, building codes, or specifications.Done daily by most who do it. | 10% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Train, direct, or supervise other construction inspectors.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Conduct inspections, using survey instruments, metering devices, tape measures, or test equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Issue permits for construction, relocation, demolition, or occupancy.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 95%Half by now | |
| Confer with owners, violators, or authorities to explain regulations or recommend remedial actions.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Maintain daily logs and supplement inspection records with photographs.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Measure dimensions and verify level, alignment, or elevation of structures or fixtures to ensure compliance to building plans and codes.Done daily by most who do it. | 2% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Evaluate project details to ensure adherence to environmental regulations.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 2% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | 55%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators18% now, 67% by 2028
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers42% now, 48% by 2028
- Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation13% now, 28% by 2028
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians21% now, 76% by 2028
- Aviation Inspectors17% now, 26% by 2028
- Solar Energy Installation Managers18% now, 61% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).