How to become a Building Inspector
Inspects and reports on the structural quality and safety of buildings. May perform tasks related to regulatory building inspection and reporting in support of Building Surveyors.
Main tasks
- Undertakes pre-purchase building inspections on behalf of clients and prepares pre-purchase reports
- Identifies non-structural defects, structural issues, and conditions that may contribute to structural issues in buildings, and provides reports on their severity along with recommendations for a course of action to be undertaken within a suggested timeframe
- Advises builders, contractors and property owners on building regulations and requirements
- May carry out inspection of buildings to verify if building work complies with approved permits and legislative and building regulations, and produces reports on their non-compliance at the request of a Building Surveyor
Ways in
- University: Architecture & Built Environment degrees, Offered by 24 universities in Australia
- TAFE and VET: Advanced Diploma of Building Surveying (CPC60121); Diploma of Access Consulting (CPP50721); Diploma of Construction Waterproofing Design and Survey (CPC50722); Certificate IV in Building and Construction (CPC40120); Certificate IV in Local Government (LGA40120); Diploma of Local Government (LGA50120); Advanced Diploma of Building and Construction (Management) (CPC60220); Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) (CPC50220)
- Licence or registration: Registration or licensing may be required.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Typical full-time pay: $118,560 a year
- About 84,200 people work in this job group now, and about 96,100 are projected by 2035. (+14.2%)
- Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Building Inspector?
Ways in include: Architecture & Built Environment degrees; Advanced Diploma of Building Surveying; Diploma of Access Consulting.
How much does a Building Inspector earn in Australia?
Median full-time pay is $118,560 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Is a Building Inspector a growing career in Australia?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 14% by 2035, from about 84,200 to about 96,100 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become a Building Inspector?
Not always. 36% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Architecture & Built Environment degrees; Advanced Diploma of Building Surveying; Diploma of Access Consulting.
Will AI change the work of a Building Inspector?
Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04
Updated 2026-10-04