103.3.5 Experience requirements of the applicant

1. Only experience directly related to buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the “OBC” shall be acceptable for any certification.

2. In addition to the experience described in item 1 above, enforcement, inspection, or plans examination experience performed in compliance with any of the following shall also be acceptable for certification:

   1. 2.1. Prior to 1984, for a building department certified by the board of building standards to exercise enforcement authority for buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board; or
   2. 2.2. For an agency or jurisdiction outside the state of Ohio enforcing a model building code of a national model code organization or a code adopted for non-residential buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board; or
   3. 2.3. An employee of a certified non-residential building department who is a holder of a board certification other than that for which application is being made. Certified non-residential building department employees who are applicants for plumbing inspector certification and do not comply with Section 103.3.5.4 shall enter the plumbing inspector trainee program; or
   4. 2.4. Certification by the department of Commerce, division of industrial compliance, as a plumbing inspector when application is made for board certification as a plumbing inspector; or
   5. 2.5. In evaluating experience of an applicant, the board of building standards shall not credit experience gained while acting in violation of rules adopted by the board to establish equivalent experience, and it shall not credit experience gained through the installation of floor and wall coverings, the installation of roofing materials or roofing systems, the finishing of concrete, or any other construction activity that does not provide required knowledge. The board of building standards may credit experience which provides knowledge of different construction methods, processes, or types as it determines applicable.
3. For a building, mechanical, or plumbing inspector applicant, one year of the required experience may be obtained through education credit pursuant to Section 103.3.12.6.

An applicant for a building official certification shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. At least five years experience in non-residential building design and construction for buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board or experience as specified in Section 103.3.5(2) and an Ohio registration as an architect or professional engineer; or
2. At least ten years experience as a construction contractor or superintendent of building construction for buildings or structures dealing with all phases and trades of construction including the responsibility for obtaining approvals and inspections within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board or experience as specified in Section 103.3.5(2).

An applicant for a master plans examiner certification shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. At least five years experience in building design and construction for buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board or experience in plan review, as specified in Section 103.3.5(2), and an Ohio registration as an architect or professional engineer; or
2. Successful completion of a trainee program pursuant to Section 103.3.12.

An applicant for an electrical plans examiner certification shall meet the following requirement:

1. At least five years experience as a full-time electrical safety inspector in a certified building department.

An applicant for a plumbing plans examiner certification shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. At least five years experience as a full-time plumbing inspector in a certified building department; or
2. At least five years experience as a plumbing inspector, certified pursuant to Chapter 3783. of the Revised Code, employed full-time by either the Ohio department of commerce, division of industrial compliance, or by a county board of health.

An applicant for a building inspector certification shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. At least three years experience as a construction contractor or supervisor for non-residential buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board; or
2. At least three years experience as a skilled tradesman for work subject to inspection under a model building code of a national model code organization or a code adopted for non-residential buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board, or experience as specified in Section 103.3.5(2); or equivalent experience that provided knowledge as determined by the board of building standards. The experience must provide knowledge of different construction methods, processes and types; or
3. Successful completion of a trainee program pursuant to Section 103.3.12.

An applicant for fire protection inspector certification shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. At least three years experience in the installation of fire protection systems (automatic sprinkler systems, alternative automatic fire-extinguishing systems, standpipe systems, fire alarm and detection systems and fire pump systems) subject to inspection under a model building code of a national model code organization or a code adopted for non-residential buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board; or
2. At least three years experience as specified in Section 103.3.5(2) or as a certified fire safety inspector (a maximum of two years experience as a certified automatic sprinkler system designer may be substituted for two of the three years of inspection experience).

An applicant for a mechanical inspector certification shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. At least three years as a skilled hvac system and associated refrigeration, fuel gas, and heating piping tradesman for work subject to inspection under a model building code of a national model code organization or a code adopted for non-residential buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board or experience as specified in Section 103.3.5(2); or
2. Successful completion of a trainee program pursuant to Section 103.3.12.

An applicant for a plumbing inspector certification shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. At least seven years experience in the installation of plumbing, subject to inspection under either a model building code of a national model code organization or a code adopted for non-residential buildings or structures and within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board or experience as specified in Section 103.3.5(2); or
2. A degree in engineering or architecture and three years experience in plumbing system design; or
3. Successful completion of a trainee program pursuant to Section 103.3.12.

An applicant for an electrical safety inspector “(ESI)” certification shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. Journeyman electrician or equivalent for four years, two years as an electrician foreman, and two years experience as a building department “ESI” trainee;
2. Journeyman electrician or equivalent for four years and three years experience as a building department “ESI” trainee;
3. Four years experience as a building department “ESI” trainee;
4. Journeyman electrician or equivalent for six years; or
5. An electrical engineer registered in the state of Ohio.

An applicant for a non-residential industrialized unit inspector certification shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. At least three years experience as a construction contractor or supervisor for non-residential buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board, or
2. At least three years experience as a skilled tradesman for work subject to inspection under a model building code of a national model code organization or a code adopted for non-residential buildings or structures within the scope of groups regulated by the rules of the board, or experience as specified in Section 103.3.5(2); or equivalent experience that provided knowledge as determined by the board of building standards. The experience must provide knowledge of different construction methods, processed and types; or
3. At least three years experience as a skilled tradesman for work subject to inspection under a residential dwelling code, three years experience as specified in Section 103.3.5(2); or equivalent experience that provided knowledge as determined by the board of building standards. The experience must provide knowledge of different construction methods, processes and types.

An applicant for a medical gas piping inspector certification shall provide evidence verifying that the applicant has been certified by an “American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE)” recognized third party certifier in accordance with “ASSE” standard 6020.