Jeff Fahrensohn is the Inspections Manager at Auckland Council. He is in his 22nd year at the council, after starting in 1996 at Waitākere City Council, which amalgamated into Auckland Council in 2011. Jeff’s busy team of inspectors will carry out approximately 150,000 inspections across Auckland this year. They help out Aucklanders by making sure our buildings are safe and accessible.
A typical day
Jeff manages a team of 130 building inspectors. Each inspector will carry out 7-12 inspections each day. They will check that the building work complies with the approved building consent by comparing the plans with what has been built. Typically, a house will have 10-12 inspections carried out on it during the construction process.
Building inspector Richard Fromont says, "My typical day involves arriving at work to get my inspections for the day. I then ring all of the builders and let them know approximately what time I will be on site. The rest of my day is then spent completing the inspections assigned to me. At the end of the day I usually discuss my inspections with other inspectors back at the office."
Getting started
Previous work in the building industry as a builder and designer helped to spark Jeff’s interest in building inspection.
“I found that I could easily transfer my construction knowledge into the inspection role with the help of experienced inspectors mentoring and coaching me. As I got more experienced I really started to appreciate the importance that inspectors played in helping the industry deliver quality buildings for Aucklanders."
Improving Auckland
Jeff says what inspectors enjoy most about their jobs is the satisfaction and pride they get when a family moves into a new house.
“As this happens more they start to see empty land become thriving communities with new schools, parks, shopping malls and other work and leisure buildings."
Jeff would tell anyone considering working as a building inspector that if they have good construction experience and would like to contribute to Auckland’s thriving building boom from the other side of the fence, then they will love the diversity and challenge that comes with an inspection job.
"You’ll be part of a team where opportunities to grow your own knowledge and foster new careers are made easier through working with passionate like-minded mates and a world-class training team – no exaggeration!”
