Building Plans Examiner

ABOUT US

At the County of Marin, our employees overwhelmingly report feeling their work is meaningful, they like the work they do, and they are proud to tell people “I work for the County of Marin.” Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture on the Department of Human Resources website . Read on to find out more about this opportunity.

Marin County Community Development Agency: The Community Development Agency (CDA) has a long history of innovation and leadership. CDA is a multifunctional agency shaping many aspects of environment and communities, organized into five mission-oriented divisions: Planning, Building and Safety, Environmental Health Services, Housing and Federal Grants, and Sustainability. CDA’s mission is to promote, protect, and advance healthy, safe, and equitable communities.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Are you passionate about building safety, public service, and helping construction projects move forward with clarity and confidence? Join a team where your expertise directly supports the community’s growth and well-being. As a Building Plans Examiner, you will play a vital role in reviewing architectural plans and construction documents to ensure compliance with local and state codes—and contribute to safe, sustainable, and successful development throughout the County of Marin. There is one (1) Full Time, Regular Hire position in the Building & Safety Division.

This position provides non-engineering review of construction and alteration plans for residential, commercial and industrial structures; critically evaluates technical data to detect deviations from legal requirements; supports building permit applicants and design professionals either in person at the counter or via phone or email by answering building code related questions; works with building technicians by answering building code questions and helps move applicants through the permit process; investigates complaints of Building Code or Municipal Code violations and can guide applicants through the permit process and requirements; performs related duties and special assignments that may include sensitive site investigations and report generation related to accessibility compliance or code enforcement, preparation of requested compliance forms, handouts and procedural manuals.

Hybrid schedule:
CDA has embraced a hybrid work schedule that considers that some duties of this position may be performed remotely. However, the successful candidate must be able to report to County facilities for meetings, work assignments, and/or disaster service work upon short notice, as needed and deemed appropriate. During the initial probationary period, the successful candidate may be required to work primarily onsite before establishing a hybrid work schedule.

ABOUT YOU

Our Highly Qualified Candidate has:

Knowledge of: State and local building codes, including the California Building Standards Code, as well as applicable zoning, accessibility, and energy regulations.

Skill in: Preparing complete and code-compliant architectural or engineering construction documents or critically reviewing such documents for accuracy, clarity, and regulatory compliance.

Ability to: Work independently on complex plan reviews with minimal oversight, while also collaborating effectively with colleagues across planning, land development, environmental health services, and permitting divisions to support efficient, customer-focused project approvals.
QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:

•Principles and methods of residential, commercial and light industrial building construction.
•Properties, application and strength of various building materials.
•Building design and engineering technology.
•Building materials and practices in the structural, plumbing, or electrical construction field.
•Engineering mathematics including algebra, trigonometry, and plane and solid geometry.
•California Building, Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical and Energy Codes.
•Related energy conservation, fire and life safety and disability access codes.
•County Code and Departmental programs and policies.
•Appropriate safety and fire prevention methods in construction.

Ability to:

•Interpret and apply codes, laws, rules, ordinances and policies.
•Perform detailed analyses and examination of building and construction designs, specifications, calculations and plans.
•Detect and explain deviations from codes and regulations.
•Make accurate mathematical computations related to simple engineering calculations.
•Determine loads and stresses on structural members and select beam size from tables and manuals.
•Use computers for permit tracking, data management and internet research.
•Organize work, set priorities and meet deadlines.
•Use sound, independent judgment within regulatory and procedural guidelines to solve problems.
•Prepare clear, concise and accurate written reports and correspondence.
•Establish and maintain effective working relationships with engineers, architects, building contractors, co-workers and the public.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Equivalent to completion of two years of college or technical school training with major course work related to the plan checking, the construction trades or a field related to the work and two years of experience in either reviewing plans for compliance with codes and ordinances or in inspecting a variety of structures for such compliance and conformance to plans and specifications. Additional experience as outlined above may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES
Consistent with California State law, certification by the International Code Council (ICC) or equivalent in plans examination, accessibility, or green building must be obtained within two years. Failure to obtain certification within two years may result in release from employment. Certification must be maintained as a condition of continued employment.

Additional Requirements: Must complete a minimum of 45 hours of qualified continuing education in every three-year period with at least 8 hours regarding disability access requirements.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

All applicants will receive email notifications regarding their status in the recruitment process. Please be sure to check your spam settings to allow our emails to reach you. You may also log into your GovernmentJobs.com account to view these emails.

Testing and Eligible List: Depending on the number of qualified applications received, the examination may consist of a highly qualified review, application screening, online assessment, written examination, oral examination, performance examination, or any combination to determine which candidates' names will be placed on the eligible list. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill the current vacancy, and any future vacancies for open, fixed-term, full-time or part-time positions which may occur while the list remains active.

Disaster Service Workers: All County of Marin employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: If you have questions regarding equal employment opportunities, please contact Roger Crawford, Equal Employment Opportunity Director, at 415-473-2095. If you have questions concerning this position announcement, please contact Stephen Schoengarth, Human Resources Analyst, at 415-473-6946.

PLEASE NOTE: The benefits described herein do not apply to temporary (contingent) or to part-time employees that work less than 50%.

COUNTY OF MARIN BENEFITS: GENERAL
Below are some of the excellent benefits the County offers. More information about our benefits can be found on the Marin County's Benefits Homepage .

Paid Time Off : Competitive vacation accrual; 12 holidays per year; and generous sick leave accruals. Additional types of paid leaves are available for some bargaining units.

Health Plan : Choice of four health plans (two Kaiser HMOs, Western Health Advantage HMO, and an Anthem Blue Cross PPO) along with dental through Delta Dental PPO, and vision through Vision Service Plan (VSP). There is a County contribution toward the premiums (the contribution amount varies depending on coverage tier elected such as employee only, employee + 1, employee + family). Plus, the County offers excellent Life Insurance, Disability, Flexible Spending Plans, a Dependent Care Assistance Program, professional development and more.

Retirement : Defined benefit plan under the County Employees Retirement Act of 1937. More information can be found online at www.mcera.org.

IRS 457 Plan : Choice of pre-tax or post-tax (Roth) employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical : The County provides access to group health plan coverage to eligible retirees.

For specific questions regarding the employment process, please contact Human Resources at (415) 473-6104. For additional details about the benefits or retirement, please contact the Benefits Division at (415) 473-2197.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 5/22/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• County of Marin

• (415) 473-6104

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