- Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
The Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL) is responsible for overseeing 26 boards that regulate individuals, businesses, and organizations. The Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) makes sure that buildings in Massachusetts are inspected and up to code, and licenses municipal building inspectors.
What do Building Inspectors do?
Building inspectors review building permit applications for new construction as well as renovations to existing buildings for compliance with building codes. They also conduct periodic inspections of certain use group buildings, for example, those with high occupant loads for maintenance of life safety systems like fire alarms and sprinkler systems. It is important that safety systems in buildings are checked for compliance, because this is a matter of public safety, especially in the case of an emergency. While most inspections are routine, sometimes they are prompted by complaints. When a complaint is received, the matter is investigated, and sometimes disciplinary action may be taken against a building owner.
Meet Building Inspector Brianna Skowyra
Brianna Skowyra is a Building Inspector with the DOL, an agency at the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. She has quite an inspiring story about how she entered the trades and how she became a building inspector.
“I basically stumbled into my career in the trades. I went to college for Athletic Training/Sports Medicine but realized shortly into my sophomore year that it was not what I wanted to do,” said Skowyra. She then left school to go to work with her father doing carpentry and took time to figure out her next steps. Realizing she loved carpentry, she became a third-generation carpenter in the family business. She also became certified as a Building Inspector to keep up with the Building Codes and as “something to fall back on” as she became older. She had been working for a few towns in her area when she saw the open position for State Building Inspector. In 2020, she made the decision to apply for the job to challenge herself and because she felt there was greater growth potential in that position.
Five years later she is still working here today! “My favorite part of the job is the ever-changing work environment,” says Skowyra. She enjoys the fact that some days are in the field at construction sites, some are in the office on the computer, some are meeting with other industry professionals or even teaching classes. She adds, “The most rewarding part for me, is when municipal building inspectors come to me with questions, they are often quite challenging and require research in the codebook, and sometimes even of case law. I have learned a tremendous amount by coming to work for the state.”
Being a Woman in the Trades
The trades are traditionally male dominated, however, Skowyra feels like she has been lucky to not face too many challenges as a woman in her field. “I have been fortunate that for many years I lived and worked in the area that I grew up in. Most people knew of me and knew that I came up through the trades and earned my position and my knowledge,” she says. Although she has encountered a few people over the years that seemed to want her to prove herself, or who have felt that they could intimidate her, she explains, “I have always brought it back to the code. The regulations are black and white, and the end goal is public safety.”
Skowyra has spent time encouraging young women to join the trades, telling them to “Give it a try!” She shares information on different opportunities, from being a carpenter to working with heavy machinery, to design and engineering. The trades are always evolving yet never going anywhere. Skowyra always told her kids “to be open-minded and that the world needs plumbers and electricians just as much as they need doctors and lawyers.” She also believes that gender shouldn’t preclude anyone from trying anything and encourages girls to do something that may scare them: “Some of our greatest growth comes from trying something that we are not sure we can do,” Skowyra explains. It is also important for girls to get into this field because not only are the salaries competitive but the skillsets you can obtain by working in the trades allow you to be very self-sufficient.
We’re Here to Help
Protection of consumer interests is of prime importance to the DOL. Questions about building inspections or anything regarding licensing? Contact DOL’s Consumer Services Unit at 617-701-8600, Monday to Friday, 8:45 am-5:00 pm.
