Maintenance

Building technician

Building technicians support engineers, surveyors and architects on construction projects.

Annual Salary

£19,000 to £35,000

Working hours

37 to 40 a week

You could work: between 8am and 6pm;

2.8%
Future employment

There will be 2.8% more Building technician jobs in 2029.
In your local area

What's it all about?

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 may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work on a construction site or in an office.

Your working environment may be at height and outdoors in all weathers.

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
University

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
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
  • university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
College

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
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship

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
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

More information

Further information

You can get more advice on how to become a building technician from Go Construct.

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

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

  • 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
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