In this episode, I’m joined by registered building inspector and building control surveyor, Jack Calveley. Jack talks through his journey from SAVA residential surveying into LABC’s trainee programme, gaining his Level 4 and 5 qualifications, and moving from local authority into private sector building control.

We unpack what building control actually is, what a registered building inspector does all week, why the role is now a protected title, and how the profession is changing with new competency and registration requirements. We also cover training, CPD, career progression, and Jack’s own podcast, Behind the Regs, which shines a light on the building control community.

What We Cover

• Jack’s background – SAVA residential surveying, joining professional bodies and discovering building control
• How the LABC trainee programme works, and what Level 4 and 5 training looks like in practice
• The day to day role of a building control surveyor – design stage checks, site inspections and completion sign off
• Independence and impartiality – why inspectors cannot design the solution or tell builders exactly what to do
• Registration, protected titles and how to look up a registered building inspector on the GOV.UK register
• The shortage of building control surveyors, and why older surveyors left when competency proof was required
• Advice for trainees and career changers – how to approach the legislation, Approved Documents and CPD
• Salary bands and progression from trainee to Class 2 inspector and beyond in public and private sectors
• Behind the Regs – why Jack started a dedicated building control podcast and LinkedIn group
• What homeowners need to know about building regulations, re-roofs, knock throughs and social media myths

Guest Links

• Jack Calveley on LinkedIn 
• Behind the Regs podcast LinkedIn group 

Useful Links

• Building Control group - The Surveying Room - join here
• LABC – Building control careers and trainee programmes 
• Total Training and Development – Building control qualifications (Level 4, 5, 6) 
• CABE – Chartered Association of Building Engineers 

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn