Blog

The construction industry employs a vast array of skilled trade professionals, from architects, engineers, and contractors to carpenters, plumbers, and electricians. The addition of oversight from a code enforcement department ensures safe practices and compliance with applicable building codes.

In Pennsylvania, building code professionals must obtain a proper license from the state Department of Labor & Industry before they may enforce the Unified Construction Code. What licenses are available, and how can you obtain your preferred license?

Available Licenses

Pennsylvania offers licenses for building code officials, code inspectors, and code plan examiners. There are also licenses for inspectors and examiners specializing in residential projects, as well as disciplines like fire, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, energy, and accessibility.

A code official is responsible for overseeing and administering the activities of a local (municipal, county, etc.) Code Enforcement Department. This includes the supervision of deputy code officials, inspectors, plans examiners, and other department staff.

Code officials may be involved in examining plans, performing on-site inspections, and enforcing state building codes, along with other department employees.

A code inspector is tasked with inspecting construction sites to ensure projects progress in alignment with approved plans and safety standards and code compliance are maintained.

A plans examiner assesses construction plan documents before building begins to ensure code compliance. These two positions may be certified by the Office of the State Fire Marshall, depending on the discipline.

Requirements to Obtain a License

Different municipalities may have different education and experience requirements for Code Enforcement Department employees. As for obtaining a license, the primary focus is on passing applicable exams.

Building code officials must take a Building Code Official Exam covering state laws and regulations, administered by the Pennsylvania Construction Codes Academy.

Code inspectors and plan examiners are required to pass applicable exams administered by the National Certification Program for Construction Code Inspectors (NCPCCI) or the International Code Council (ICC).

Building inspectors must pass the NCPCCI 1B Building Inspector General and 3B Fire Protection General Exams or the ICC B2 Commercial Building Inspector Exam, while a residential building inspector must pass the NCPCCI 1A Building Inspector One- and Two-Family Dwellings Exam or the ICC B1 Residential Building Inspector Exam.

A building plans examiner must pass four NCPCCI exams, including:

• 1B Building Inspector General Exam
• 1C Building Inspector Plan Review Exam
• 3B Fire Protection General Exam
• 3C Fire Protection Plan Review Exam

Alternatively, you may take the ICC B2 Commercial Building Inspector and the B3 Building Plans Examiner Exams. NCPCCI exams require you to answer at least 70% of the questions correctly to pass, while ICC exams require 70-75% correct answers, depending on the exam.

Effective Exam Prep

As a working professional, you want to pass licensing exams on the first try so you can move your career forward. The right exam prep program can help you reach this goal with courses designed by expert industry professionals, along with 24/7 access to online materials for convenient, self-paced learning.

If you're interested in obtaining a code official, code inspector, or code plans examiner license or certification in Pennsylvania, contact RocketCert now to sign up for the right exam prep courses.