How to become a building inspector in Australia
Building Inspectors inspect buildings to ensure compliance with laws and regulations and advise on building requirements.
Pay and growth are for the wider architectural, building and surveying technicians group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the architectural, building and surveying technicians group are projected to grow 14.2% between May 2025 and May 2035, about the same as the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Reviews and provides advice on plans to ensure they meet building codes, local ordinances, zoning regulations and contract specifications.
- Approves building plans that are satisfactory and issues building permits.
- Monitors construction sites periodically to ensure overall compliance.
- Inspects plumbing, electrical and other systems to verify alignment level, structure elevation and ensure that they meet the necessary code/specifications.
- Uses survey instruments, metering devices, and test equipment to perform inspections.
- Provides written documentation of findings from inspections.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A diploma or advanced diploma. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the architectural, building and surveying technicians group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 36% a degree or higher, 28% a diploma, 23% a Certificate III or IV.
Apprenticeship or traineeship. Building Inspector is on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List (1 April 2026), with qualifications including Certificate IV in Building and Construction, Diploma of Building and Construction (Building), Advanced Diploma of Building Surveying. Find a provider at Your Career or your state's TAFE.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
We haven't matched this job to courses in the admissions lists. It has its own entry route, so check the requirements with the employer or professional body. See Your Career.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
From O*NET ratings for "Construction and Building Inspectors", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Apprenticeships: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, 1 April 2026.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.