Building technician
Building technicians support engineers, surveyors and architects on construction projects.
Also known as: Site technician
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£40,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a building technician, you could:
- estimate construction costs to support bids for new work
- negotiate materials, equipment and labour costs with suppliers
- check quality standards of materials
- help to plan the methods used in each construction stage
- draft construction plans and blueprints using CAD software
- monitor build progress against completion dates
- give update reports at progress meetings
- prepare construction sites before work begins
- supervise teams of contractors
Working environment
You could work on a construction site or in an office.
Your working environment may be at height and outdoors in all weathers.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of building and construction
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- analytical thinking skills
- maths knowledge
- knowledge of engineering science and technology
- excellent verbal communication skills
- knowledge of public safety and security
- the ability to analyse quality or performance
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a building technician
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
University
You could study for a foundation degree or higher national diploma in:
- construction
- the built environment
- surveying
- civil engineering
Courses that give you the opportunity to gain work experience through internships or industry placements may give you an advantage when looking for jobs.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
College
You can do a college course, which may help you to get a job as a trainee technician.
Courses include:
- civil engineering
- construction and the built environment
- computer-aided design
- T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You could apply for a place on an apprenticeship wth a construction company. These include:
- Construction Support Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Surveying Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Building Services Engineering Senior Technician Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
- Construction Design and Build Technician Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
- Civil Engineering Senior Technician Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
These can take between 2 and 3 years to complete and combine on-the-job training with study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
Career path and progression
With experience, you could move into construction project management, or specialise in estimating, computer-aided design or buying.
You could find work with:
- national and international building firms and contractors
- central and local government
- organisations that do their own construction work, like utility companies, major retailers and the NHS
Registration
- you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleEstimator
- Job roleSurveying technician
- Job roleQuantity surveyor
- Job roleBuilding control officer
- Job roleCAD technician
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0