Legal Issues Facing Building Inspectors

Building inspectors must be careful to avoid legal wrongdoing.

Whether they are responsible for examining new, existing or recently re-built structures, building inspectors must take into account the potential legal issues of their profession. Certification, repeat violations and bribery are just a few potential pitfalls that inspectors face on the job every day.

Certification

Depending upon their state and municipality, building inspectors are usually required to be certified or licensed in their profession. Failing to obtain, renew or maintain certification while continuing to operate as an inspector can lead to a host of penalties, including prosecution and job loss.

Violations

Another common legal issue that building inspectors face is reporting code violations or repeat violations by the same offender. Failing to issue such reports, especially within necessary time frames, is usually illegal. This is because it is dangerous for the buildings to continue operating in an unsafe manner while structural problems go uncorrected.

Bribery

Finally, an unfortunate circumstance building inspectors often find themselves in is being the object of bribery. Building owners, supervisors and maintenance crews may attempt to placate the inspector with monies intended to cover up code violations. Accepting these monies can lead to both civil and criminal penalties for the inspectors.

References

• Building Code Compliance & Enforcement; Lynn Underwood, Gary Moselle, and Devona Quindoy; 2010