Why Would a Building Inspection Engineer be a Member of NABIE? (Infographic)
With the rising demand for real estate in New Jersey, investing in a commercial or residential building is a reasonable proposition these days. To ensure that the property is in good condition and will not cause significant headaches to all parties involved in the sale, a thorough and detailed pre-purchase building inspection report is essential.
An accurate and reliable building inspection report can only be obtained by hiring a professional engineer that is certified to evaluate the structural integrity and overall safety of a building.
There are several independent home and building inspection agencies and organizations that certify and endorse inspectors. However, of all these organizations, the National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers (NABIE) is the only recognized chartered group of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), thus making NABIE-certified building inspectors the ideal professionals to hire for any type of building inspection.
What is NABIE?
Established in 1989, NABIE is the professional organization that serves the public by advancing the art and skill of engineers who offer their services as expert inspectors, investigators, and consultants related to the structural and mechanical components of buildings and homes of all types.
NABIE is the original sponsor of the certification program for building inspection engineers.
Who is Eligible for Building Inspection Certification?
NABIE offers Building Inspection Certification to Professional Engineers and Registered Architects who can meet the following criteria:
- Have had at least eight (8) years of building inspection engineering experience acceptable to the Board of Governors (BOG). Four of the eight years of experience shall be in responsible charge of work acceptable to the BOG, which must include active participation in inspection, evaluation, deficiency repair design, research related to building condition assessment or inspection, or teaching.
- Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Engineering.
- Have passed a written examination given by a state board of registration for licensure.
In addition to these requirements, one must also pass a written examination that includes questions on the following topics to become a NABIE-certified building inspection engineer:
- History of building and construction, including historic preservation
- Building materials
- Construction detailing and techniques
- Structural analysis and theory of structures
- Thermal systems
- Surveying engineering
- Timber and wood frame structures
- Steel structures
- Concrete and masonry structures
- Plumbing/waste management
- Life safety
- Building electrical systems
- Integrated building system design
- Geotechnical engineering
- Building mechanical systems (e.g., vertical transportation)
- Site features, including security
- Building codes and standards, including ADA compliance
- Engineering economics (e.g., cost estimation, financial analysis)
- Investigative methods and forensics
- Environmental issues
- Written communication for building inspection engineers
- Standards of practice
- Professional practice/ethics
By being NABIE-certified, building inspection engineers can assure their clients that the services they will provide are compliant with the latest best practices and that they can be held accountable if they do not perform according to industry standards.
Why Hire a NABIE-Certified Building Inspection Engineer?
Here are the advantages of hiring a NABIE-certified professional engineer to perform a building inspection:
- They Are Updated with the Industry Best Practices
NABIE conducts annual conferences where they offer continuing education programs to their members. This includes thought-provoking presentations, webinars, case study analyses, and live workshops led by successful peers and regionally- and nationally-recognized experts. As such, NABIE-certified inspectors are much more capable of providing their clients with up-to-date industry information than those who are not.
- They Follow Standards of Practice
NABIE has developed a Standards of Practice that all of its members must comply with. Some states have modeled their own building inspection standards after this document, while others have fully adopted NABIE standards by reference. This document is regularly reviewed and updated to keep up with the latest developments in the industry. This provides the clients of NABIE-certified inspectors the assurance that the inspection report that they will receive includes all the information they need before purchasing a property.
- They Adhere to a Strict Code of Ethics
Misconduct during the inspection process is common in the building inspection industry. They could disclose their client’s information with outside parties, refuse to give critical information about the building’s structural integrity, or even recommend a repair services firm that they secretly own.
NABIE’s Code of Ethics requires all of its members to exhibit the highest standards of honesty and integrity. This code assures that NABIE-certified inspectors will put the interests of their clients first and always provide their expertise for the assurance of public health, safety, and welfare.
- They Are Committed to Their Profession
Lastly, it would be great if the building inspector is genuinely passionate about their profession. Becoming NABIE-certified is not a simple matter, and it demonstrates how dedicated they are to their work. In contrast, non-certified inspectors who didn’t undergo the strict certification process of NABIE are much more likely to miss defects or issues during the inspection. Those lapses could cost a considerable amount of money in the future, or worse, lead to more serious defects that could risk the health and safety of the occupants.
In conclusion, it is impractical, let alone dangerous, to trust a non-certified building inspector to do the job as they are not bound to comply with the industry standards of building inspection engineering set by NABIE. If searching for a commercial building inspector in NJ, owners or prospective buyers should hire a licensed building inspection engineer that is certified and trained by NABIE. By doing so, they can ensure a detailed inspection process and produce a report that complies with the format and content standards of NABIE.
The engineers at Lockatong Engineering perform commercial building inspections, often referred to as Property Condition Assessments (PCA), per the NABIE Standards of Practice and following ASTM E2018, which is the standard guide for Property Condition Assessments.
To learn more about the expertise and services of our NABIE-Certified Building Inspection Engineers in New Jersey, visit our website today at www.lockatong.com.
