Building technician
Building technicians support engineers, surveyors and architects on construction projects.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
You could:
- estimate construction costs to support bids for new work projects
- negotiate materials, equipment and labour costs with suppliers
- check supplier quality
- 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.
Career path and progression
With experience you could move into construction project management or specialise in estimating, CAD drafting 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
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- knowledge of building and construction
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- thinking and reasoning skills
- analytical thinking skills
- maths knowledge
- knowledge of engineering science and technology
- the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
- knowledge of public safety and security
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
You could take 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, placements or a year in industry may give you an advantage.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
More Information
You can do a college course, which may help you to get a job as a trainee technician.
Courses include:
- Level 3 Diploma in Civil Engineering
- Level 3 Extended Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment
- T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction
Entry requirements
You may need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
More Information
The following apprenticeships may be relevant to this role:
- surveying technician advanced apprenticeship
- construction support technician advanced apprenticeship
- building services engineering technician higher apprenticeship
- construction design and build technician higher apprenticeship
- construction site engineering technician higher apprenticeship
The exact apprenticeship you take will depend on the type of company, your job role and duties.
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
More Information
Registration
- you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site
Further information
You can get more advice on how to become a building technician from Go Construct.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.