What Is a Bridge Inspector and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

As a bridge inspector, your duties include monitoring construction sites, performing surveys and inspections, issuing violation notices or stop-work orders, creating written documentation, and reviewing plans to ensure compliance with ordinances, regulations, and building codes. Your responsibilities include ensuring a bridge (or another building) is safe from the design phase through to testing after construction. Being a bridge inspector requires you have some formal qualifications and education, typically at least a bachelor’s degree with a focus on building inspection and ideally further certification in building or bridge inspection. However, each state requires different training and skills from its inspectors, so be certain to check with your local regulatory agencies for particulars.

To become a bridge inspector you have to complete the necessary training and certification. The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) offers four certification levels for bridge safety inspection. Certification requires a specified amount of work experience and a passing score on an exam. An entry-level position on an inspection team can help you earn the required experience as often you learn best by doing and observing. Vocational schools and community colleges offer bridge inspection training courses. These courses focus on building, construction, engineering, and how to ensure safe and secure steel structures and waterway passages.