Building inspectors in short supply across Northwest Corner towns

A series of departures and retirements has left several towns confronting a regional shortage of qualified building inspectors, with four municipalities turning to a newly formed private company while Sharon filled its vacancy with a veteran inspector and contractor.

The vacancies arose throughout the spring and summer, when Jim Clark left his positions in Falls Village and Norfolk in May, Joseph Manley retired from Kent and Warren in July, and Stan MacMillan retired from Sharon in June.

The search for a building inspector was a shared concern among Falls Village, Warren and Kent town leaders. Before a recent Council of Governments meeting, Falls Village First Selectman Dave Barger said he spoke with Warren First Selectman Greg LaCava and Kent First Selectman Eric Epstein about their vacancies. LaCava told them that Warren contractor John Papp was forming an LLC to provide building inspection services.

“We had a vacancy and people weren’t knocking down the doors to take it on because of the stringent requirements,” Barger said.

He reached out to Papp, as did Kent’s Eric Epstein and Norfolk First Selectman Henry Tirrell. Papp has since been hired by all four towns.

Barger said Papp works as a subcontractor and his firm, Litchfield Building Inspection Services LLC, gets a percentage of the building fees.

“It’s interesting,” Barger said. “We no longer do anything by paper. Everything is electronic. This has moved Falls Village into the 20th century. Someday we’ll get to the 21st,” he joked.

Papp, 40, of Warren, and his associate, Jonathan Abbott, 33, of New Preston, were familiarizing themselves with the Kent office last week as they took on their new roles.

Papp acknowledged that the requirements for becoming a building inspector can make the field difficult to enter. There are approximately 200 inspectors around the state, he said.

A longtime contractor, Papp said he was looking for a new experience. He’s finding that Kent has a lot of new construction, especially with three private schools within its borders.

Asked if he’d take on other towns if needed, he said his team would definitely be willing to expand.

In Sharon, William Pietrefase, 61, who took over for MacMillan in Sharon as both building inspector and fire marshal, attributes the shortage to the rigorous and time-consuming courses needed to qualify for the inspector’s job.

William Pietrefase is the new building inspector and fire marshal in Sharon. Ruth Epstein

There are 12 modules that have to be completed, including electrical, plumbing, residential energy and pool and spa installation. Completing all 12 can take multiple years. Classes are held in Hartford, but there is a shift toward online courses.

An alternate route for those with years of experience in the building trades is available. Candidates can challenge having to take particular courses and skip the test.

Pietrefase’s route to his position was a circuitous one. He began his career as a liquor salesman and was familiar with the area because he serviced customers in Sharon. He then worked as a building contractor for 35 years, but the physical demands of the work eventually took their toll.

In August 2022, he was hired as building inspector in Winsted. “They gave me two years to get certified,” he said. “I did it in seven months.”

Josh Kelly, Winsted’s town manager at the time, sent him to fire marshal school, which he was pleased to do, since many of his family members were firefighters.

After 18 months, he became a building inspector in Torrington, his hometown. He was there for two and a half years before learning that MacMillan was retiring. “I applied because this would give me the opportunity to do both,” Pietrefase said.

Pietrefase said Sharon has a lot of construction going on, a mix of both commercial and residential. “It’s a dynamic situation for a small community.”

The two jobs equal a 35-hour-a-week position, but he is on call 24/7 for incidents requiring a fire marshal.

Being an inspector is a natural step for those in the building trades, Pietrefase said, because it allows them to continue using the skills they have learned.