Lighting quality control inspector job description
A lighting quality control inspector checks finished jobs before the customer signs off: fixture counts, light levels, aim, wiring, timers and controls. They log what's wrong, send it back to the crew with photos, and track which mistakes keep coming back so training can change.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $45,370, middle half $52,210 to $86,270, 90th percentile $104,560. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Operations Manager
Department
Operations
Schedule
Weekdays, some nights and weekends · Evening checks on yard and holiday jobs, since light can only be judged after dark, and weekend checks after retrofits
Also called
Lighting QC inspector · Installation quality inspector · Field quality inspector · Punch list inspector
Lighting quality control inspector job description template
This is our Role Blueprint, word for word. Replace the highlighted fields and adjust the example targets and pay to fit your company.
The Quality Control Inspector ensures that all lighting installations meet the highest standards of safety, durability, and aesthetics. This role is pivotal in maintaining customer satisfaction and company reputation by conducting thorough inspections and ensuring compliance with industry standards. Your work directly impacts the quality and reliability of our services, reinforcing our commitment to excellence.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Conduct detailed inspections of completed lighting installations to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.
Utilize industry-standard tools and systems such as Lux meters and inspection checklists to assess installations.
Document inspection results and provide actionable feedback to installation teams.
Collaborate with installation teams to resolve any identified issues promptly.
Ensure adherence to company protocols and industry regulations.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry standards and best practices.
Prepare and submit detailed inspection reports to the Quality Assurance Manager.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to enhance service quality.
Train and mentor new inspectors on company standards and inspection techniques.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct site visits to inspect completed installations on a daily basis.
Use inspection software to log and track inspection outcomes and corrective actions.
Schedule and prioritize inspections based on project timelines and urgency.
Communicate with installation teams to discuss inspection findings and improvements.
Follow up on previous inspections to ensure corrective actions have been implemented.
Attend weekly meetings with the Quality Assurance Manager to review inspection trends.
Provide feedback and suggestions for improving installation processes.
Develop and update inspection checklists and procedures as needed.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Inspection Accuracy Rate: ≥ 95%.
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): ≥ 4.7/5.0.
Callback Rate: ≤ 3% of installations.
Inspection Completion Rate: 90% of scheduled inspections completed within the designated timeframe.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations: Achieve 80% of KPIs by 30 days, 90% by 60 days, and full KPI achievement by 90 days.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent required; technical training in electrical or lighting systems preferred.
Certification in Quality Control or related field is advantageous.
Proficiency in using inspection tools and software relevant to lighting installations.
Strong attention to detail and analytical skills.
Excellent communication and report-writing skills.
Ability to work independently and make sound judgments.
6. Preferred Experience
2+ years of experience in a quality control role within the lighting or electrical industry.
Familiarity with industry standards such as the National Electrical Code (NEC).
Experience with customer-facing roles, enhancing communication skills.
Previous experience in a supervisory or mentoring capacity is a plus.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
Comfortable working at heights and in various weather conditions.
Regular travel to job sites is required; a valid driver's license is essential.
Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as required by job site conditions.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional weekend or after-hours work may be required based on project deadlines.
Work is primarily conducted on-site with some office-based reporting.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive hourly wage with performance-based bonuses tied to KPI achievement.
Bonuses contingent on maintaining high CSAT scores and low callback rates.
Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.
Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we are dedicated to delivering exceptional lighting solutions with a focus on quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Our team values accountability, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement. Join us in creating brighter, safer spaces while advancing your career in a supportive and dynamic environment.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What a lighting QC inspector checks that a city inspector doesn't
A city inspector checks permitted wiring against code. Your inspector checks the whole job against the design, the proposal and what the customer was promised, often after dark.
California controls need a certified tester
In California, acceptance testing of lighting controls is mandatory under the state energy code, and since July 2014 a certified Acceptance Test Technician has had to run those tests. Certification programs take only people with at least three years of verifiable experience in lighting controls and electrical systems. A QC inspector there may hold the certification or schedule the person who does. Source: California Energy Commission: Acceptance Test Technician Certification Provider program FAQ.
Light levels, not just lit fixtures
Every fixture can be on and the job can still miss. On retrofits, the inspector takes light meter readings at the spots the design names and compares them with its targets, then checks that sensors and dimming do what the plan says. A low reading can point to a wrong driver setting or a fixture someone swapped without asking.
Rebate jobs may get a second inspector
Utility rebate programs can send their own people. Efficiency Vermont's commercial lighting rebate form, for example, says the program may conduct field inspections. Before closeout, the QC inspector matches installed models and counts to the rebate paperwork, so a mismatch doesn't hold up the customer's check. Source: Efficiency Vermont: Commercial lighting rebate form.
Homes get checked at night
Yard and holiday work only shows its flaws after dark. The inspector looks for fixtures aimed off target, glare toward neighbors, gaps along a roofline and timers set wrong. They check rooflines from the ground or from wherever the safety officer's plan allows, and note sagging runs or loose clips for the crew to fix.
Patterns matter more than blame
One loose splice is a fix. The same loose splice on three crews is a training problem. The inspector logs each finding by cause and crew, brings trends to the operations manager each week, and updates the checklist when the same miss keeps getting past it.
How much lighting quality control inspectors make
The closest BLS group for lighting quality control inspectors is construction and building inspectors. Construction and building inspectors who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $33.16 an hour ($68,980 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $74,690 median for construction and building inspectors in all industries. About 1,340 of the 146,720 construction and building inspectors in that survey work for electrical contractors.
Hourly in the template, with a bonus that rides on customer ratings and few callbacks. BLS has no code for in-house lighting inspectors, so these figures are for construction and building inspectors, a group whose titles include electrical inspectors. O*NET describes that work as checking structures against codes and specifications, so an inspector promoted from your crews to check work against your own checklist may start below this median.
Electrical contractors
$68,980$68,980 median Middle half $52,210–$86,270 10th–90th $45,370–$104,560
All industries
$74,690$74,690 median Middle half $58,860–$94,710 10th–90th $47,140–$114,200
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Electrical contractors
$45,370
$52,210
$68,980
$86,270
$104,560
All industries
$47,140
$58,860
$74,690
$94,710
$114,200
BLS doesn’t publish pay for lighting installers on their own. These figures cover electrical contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has installed or serviced lighting and spots a bad splice or a loose clip quickly
Uses a light meter and a multimeter and records readings correctly
Reads a lighting plan, a fixture schedule and a controls sequence
Writes findings with photos that a crew can act on
Gives crews hard feedback without starting a fight
Teach these on the job
Your inspection checklist and scoring
Your inspection software and photo standards
Each rebate program's closeout paperwork
Lighting controls testing steps
Your holiday and yard lighting standards
Inspectors carry a light meter, a multimeter, a ladder for close checks, and a tablet loaded with your inspection checklist. Say in the ad that some inspections happen after dark, and whether you'll pay for controls testing certification if you work in California.
Lighting quality control inspector interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Holding the standard
A crew lead argues that the item you failed is only cosmetic and the customer won't notice. What do you do?
A strong answer: Explains the standard, documents it with photos, holds firm on what matters, stays fair on minor items and escalates if needed.
Behavioral · Reports that change work
Tell me about an inspection report you wrote that changed how crews installed, labeled or aimed fixtures.
A strong answer: Wrote findings with photos and locations, such as missing conversion labels or glare from misaimed fixtures, gave a fix crews could follow, and checked later jobs to confirm the change stuck.
Inspector numbers should reward finding problems, not hiding them. Set targets from your own inspection logs, and re-check a sample of passed jobs.
Inspection Accuracy Rate
Have someone re-check a sample of jobs the inspector passed and count how many hold up. Callbacks on passed jobs for items on the checklist count against accuracy.
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
Survey scores on jobs the inspector checked before sign-off, compared with jobs that skipped inspection. Look for comments about problems the checklist should have caught.
Callback Rate
Callbacks on inspected jobs divided by inspected jobs, sorted by cause. A rising rate on one crew is a coaching note; a rise across every crew may mean the checklist needs work.
Inspection Completion Rate
Inspections done within the window your process sets, divided by those scheduled. Track night inspections apart, since sunset times and weather limit when they can happen.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations
At each mark, compare the new inspector's results with the targets, and have a senior inspector or the operations manager re-inspect some of their jobs.
Is a lighting QC inspector the same as a building inspector?
No. The inspector who checks a permitted job enforces the code for the city, county or state that issued the permit. Your QC inspector works for you and checks the job against the design, the proposal and your own standards. Their check never replaces a required permit inspection, but it can catch problems before the code inspector or the customer does.
How much does a lighting quality control inspector make?
Construction and building inspectors who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $33.16 an hour ($68,980 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $52,210 and $86,270 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Should a QC inspector come from our own crews?
Often that's the best source, since a former installer knows where corners get cut. The risk is checking friends' work, so rotate which crews they inspect and have the operations manager back their findings. An outside hire from electrical or construction quality work brings fresh eyes but needs time to learn holiday and yard standards.
Which jobs should a QC inspector check?
Start with the jobs where a miss costs the most: commercial retrofits tied to a rebate, the first jobs of a new crew or crew lead, and large holiday displays. Spot-check routine yard and holiday installs. As callbacks fall on a crew, check fewer of its jobs and move the time to crews that need it.
What should a QC inspector do when a crew disagrees with a finding?
Point to the checklist line, the reading or the photo, not opinion. If the standard itself is unclear, the inspector notes it, lets the operations manager decide, and updates the checklist afterward. Crews accept findings more easily when the same rules apply to every crew and the inspector also notes what was done well.
