Description
THE AGENCY
The mission of Public Works is to enhance the quality of life for the people of Alameda County by providing a safe, well-maintained, and lasting public works infrastructure through accessible, responsive and effective services. Public services provided by the Alameda County Public Works Agency include flood control planning and design, storm water pollution control, transportation planning and design, roadway and flood control maintenance and inspection, and construction and building inspections.
The goals of the Agency are to keep roads safe and well maintained, provide the highest level of flood protection, provide service levels that optimize infrastructure life cycles, minimize deferred maintenance, ensure that development and construction adhere to applicable State and County rules, optimize disaster preparedness, response and recover, ensure that the Agency’s operations and services minimize negative impacts on the environment, and sustain and advance County and Agency programs through a vital business and administrative support system.
THE POSITION
This series specification describes two Building Inspector classes which, under general supervision at the lower level and under direction at the higher level, examines dwellings and commercial buildings under construction or alteration for conformity to the Alameda County Building, Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical Codes, the Zoning Ordinance, the California Energy Conservation Regulations, Green Buildings, and Disabled Access, and the Alameda County Housing Code; and to perform other related duties.
The class of Building Inspector II is responsible for the examination of all types of building construction, including commercial, high rise, apartments, condominiums and subdivision tracts. This class is distinguished from the next higher class of Supervising Building Inspector in that the latter class has supervisory authority over the Building Inspectors and program responsibility for the Building Regulations Section of the Building Inspection Department.
For more detailed information about the job classification, visit: Job Announcement: Building Inspector II - County of Alameda
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:
Knowledge of:
California Building Code, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Code.
California Energy Conservation Regulations, Green Buildings, and Disabled Access.
County Zoning Ordinances.
Construction and installation practices and methods.
Materials and tools of the building trades.
Principles of supervision.
Ability to:
Read and interpret plans of complex design.
Estimate structural requirements without benefit of plans.
Develop training topics and talks.
Detect substandard materials and workmanship.
Maintain effective working relationships with the public and members of the building industry, sometimes under stressful conditions.
Perform mathematical calculations related to the building trades.
Write clearly and concisely. Read and interpret plans of complex design.
Estimate structural requirements without benefit of plans.
Develop training topics and talks.
Detect substandard materials and workmanship.
Maintain effective working relationships with the public and members of the building industry, sometimes under stressful conditions.
Perform mathematical calculations related to the building trades.
Write clearly and concisely.
EXAMINATION COMPONENTS
THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
A review of applicants' application and supplemental questionnaire to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
An oral examination which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score. The oral examination may be administered virtually and may contain situational exercises.
Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.
Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.
For more information on the Civil Service Selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN
Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance.
The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:
TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT PLAN
Deadline for Filing: 5:00pm, Friday, July 31, 2026
Review of Applications & Questionnaires for Minimum Qualifications: August 10, 2026
Notification to applicants: August 18, 2026
Civil Service Oral Examination: *Week of September 21, 2026
Notification of Exam Results: 1-2 weeks after exam
TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN
Department Selection Process: TBD
*The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification. Candidates selected to participate in the oral exam will receive an email notification at least 10 business days in advance of the exam date.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement no later than the recruitment filing deadline. If this is a continuous open recruitment without a filing deadline, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement within ten (10) business days of submitting your application. Unless your disability is readily apparent (for example, you use a wheelchair and need wheelchair-accessible spaces), Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.
For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, Reasonable Accommodation | HRS.
BENEFITS
The County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing. These benefits include but are not limited to*:
For your Health & Well-Being
Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
Vision or Vision Reimbursement
Share the Savings
Basic Life Insurance
Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
County Allowance Credit
Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
Short-Term Disability Insurance
Long-Term Disability Insurance
Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Long-Term Care, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
Employee Assistance Program
For your Financial Future
Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)
For your Work/Life Balance
12 paid holidays
Floating Holidays
Vacation and sick leave accrual
Vacation purchase program
Catastrophic Sick Leave
Pet Insurance
Commuter Benefits Program
Guaranteed Ride Home
Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
Child Care Resources
1st United Services Credit Union
*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.
Requirements
TO QUALIFY FOR THE COMPETITIVE ASSESSMENT PROCESS, YOU MUST MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS BY FULFILLING ONE OF THE PATTERNS LISTED BELOW (I or II).
EITHER I
The equivalent of one year of experience in the class of Building Inspector I or Plans Checker in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)
OR II
The equivalent of four years full-time journey-level experience in a building trade and the equivalent of three years of experience as an inspector in a public building inspection department.
License:
Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.
Possession of certification as an Inspector or Plan Reviewer by the International Code Council (ICC) is desirable.
Possession of certification as a California Access Specialist (CASp) is desirable.
Special Requirement: As a condition of employment, the State law requires that a Building Inspector must qualify for a certification in at least one of the building codes (Plumbing, Electrical, Building or Mechanical) or combination of all four codes by the International Code Council (ICC) by the end of two years of employment. Not obtaining a certificate in at least one of the building codes after two years of employment will result in termination.
NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.
