Who are they?
The study found 8,401 electrical AHJs employed by jurisdiction; the numbers of electrical inspectors range from 1 (Town of Wheatland, Wyoming) to 77 (State of Tennessee).
The average number of inspectors per jurisdiction was 2.
What Are They Called?
The job title of electrical AHJ varies greatly not only throughout local jurisdictions, but also within different regions of the country. An Inspector of Wires in Massachusetts might perform the same job duties as a State Electrical Inspector from Colorado. Titles with Building Inspector as the main subset are the most common at 49%. Grouped classifications of Electrical Inspectors titles — such as Electrical Inspectors or Electrical Subcode Officials — come in next at 31%. Variations of Combination Inspectors make up 7% and Plans Reviewers/Examiners make up a total of 2%. The rest include titles such as Engineers, Electricians, and Fire Marshalls who also perform electrical inspections.
Most Common Job Titles Among Electrical AHJs
- Building Inspector 28%
- Electrical Inspector 22%
- Building Official 13%
- Code Compliance Inspector/Officer 4%
- Combination Inspector 4%
- State Electrical Inspector 4%
- Inspector (General) 4%
- Electrical Subcode Official 2%
- Inspector of Wires/Wiring Inspector 2%
- Plans Examiner/Reviewer 2%
- Construction Code Inspector/Officer 1%
- Residential Inspector 1%
- Code Inspector/Official 1%
Inspectors: Multi-hats and Single-hats
One of the largest questions we face is in the evolution of the job of the electrical inspector. With increasing budgetary restraints, more and more jurisdictions are facing the need for what we call multi-hat inspectors, or inspectors who perform more than one type of inspection. These additional inspections range from building to plumbing to mechanical.
What % of jurisdictions use single-hat electrical inspectors?
If we look at the 3,938 jurisdictions as a stand-alone unit, the numbers change only slightly. For example, the city of Birmingham, Alabama, has 6 single-hat (electrical) inspectors, but they are one jurisdiction. Nationwide, 66% of these jurisdictions use multi-hat inspectors, while 34% use single-hat inspectors.
