More times than not Charlie and I wish we was still in our Mobile Home even though were grateful for our Townhome at Appian Way Townhomes but it is very old and a lot of times things don’t work like they should.

The plumbing is old and I wonder about the quality of water we receive. The windows let in the cold air during the Winter but at least it’s a home. At least we don’t have to worry abut mold like my sister is dealing with.

On morning’s like today when I’m freezing I think about our homes, and I usually think about the people who live there. In my Apartment Complex a lot of older people live her and children to and I worry about them getting sick.

I find myself thinking about family dinners around the table, children doing homework, our dogs waiting by the door, movie nights on the couch, and all those little everyday moments that turn a building into a home.

I know this is how my family thinks about our Townhome. It isn’t just walls, doors, windows, plumbing, electrical outlets, and a roof. It is where our family lives our everyday life.

But have you ever stopped to think about all the people who help make sure those buildings are safe in the first place? That’s where Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day comes in.

#TeachingMoment Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day is celebrated every year on September 1. It is a day to recognize and appreciate the people who work behind the scenes to help make sure our homes, workplaces, schools, businesses, and public buildings are constructed and maintained safely.

That can include building inspectors, code enforcement officers, plan reviewers, permit staff, and other building-safety professionals. In our Apartment Complex its the portors who keep us safe.

In 2026, Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day falls on Tuesday, September 1. The date does not change from year to year—it is observed on September 1. And while this may not be one of the holidays that everyone has heard about, I think it is a pretty wonderful reminder to stop and appreciate people whose work we may never notice unless something goes wrong.

Most of us probably don’t wake up in the morning thinking about building codes. But building codes are important because they establish requirements intended to help keep buildings safe.

The people who work in building and code departments may review construction plans, issue or process permits, inspect construction, identify problems, interpret requirements, and help ensure that buildings comply with applicable safety regulations.

The International Code Council describes building inspectors, plan reviewers, and code enforcement officers as professionals who help implement and enforce building codes, standards, and regulations so that the buildings in our communities remain safe.

That means the next time you walk into a building and don’t give a second thought to whether the stairs are safe, the electrical work was properly completed, or important safety requirements were followed, there may have been professionals working behind the scenes to help make that possible.

As a parent I wanted to remind families they should care about Building Codes? Because building safety isn’t just something that matters to builders. It matters to us. It matters when we buy a home. It matters when we rent an apartment. It matters when we move into a townhome. It matters when our children attend school.It matters when we go shopping, visit a restaurant, stay in a hotel, or walk into a public building.

Building codes can seem like a bunch of complicated rules, but behind those rules is a very simple idea: People deserve to live, work, learn, and gather in places that are as safe as possible. That is something worth appreciating.

I remember moving into our new Townhome, but it also matters with Apartments and Houses? Here is one of the things I think families can take away from Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day.

When we move somewhere new, there are plenty of things to think about. Boxes need to be unpacked, utilities need to be connected, addresses need to be changed, and somebody always seems to have lost the scissors needed to open the next box. But once the excitement settles down, it is worth taking a little time to learn about your new home.

Your New-Home Safety Checklist

Take a walk through your home and learn:

• Where are the smoke detectors?
• Are there carbon-monoxide detectors where appropriate?
• Where are the exits?
• Do you know how to get outside in an emergency?
• Where is the electrical panel?
• Where are the water shutoff valves?
• Who do you call if there is a plumbing problem?
• Who handles heating and air-conditioning repairs?
• What maintenance are you responsible for?
• What does the property owner or management company handle?
• Are there community or townhome rules you need to know?
• Where can you find emergency contact information?
• Do you know where to report a safety concern?

This isn’t a replacement for a professional inspection or your local building requirements. It is simply a way for families to become familiar with the place they call home. And that is something children can participate in, too.

Turn Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day Into a Homeschool Lesson

This holiday gives homeschool families an opportunity to turn an ordinary day into a lesson about architecture, construction, engineering, community workers, safety, government, and careers. And the lesson can grow right along with your child.

Elementary School: Who Builds Our Town?

For younger children, start with something they already understand: People have jobs that help our communities work. Talk about builders, architects, electricians, plumbers, firefighters, maintenance workers, inspectors, and other people who help create and care for the places where we live.

A wonderful book connection is Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? Richard Scarry published the book in 1968, and his books frequently introduced children to the many people and jobs that make a community work.

Read the book together and ask: “Which people in this book help build, repair, inspect, or take care of buildings?” Then take a walk around your neighborhood and see how many different kinds of buildings you can find.

Can your child identify:

• Houses
• Townhomes
• Apartment buildings
• Stores
• Schools
• Churches
• Offices
• Fire stations
• Garages
• Construction sites

Suddenly, your neighborhood becomes a classroom.

Middle School: What Is a Building Code?

Older children can take the lesson a step further. Ask: What is a building code?

Then have your student research how building codes help communities establish safety requirements for construction and building systems.

They can investigate questions such as:

• Who adopts building codes?
• Who reviews building plans?
• Who performs inspections?
• What happens when something does not meet the applicable requirements?
• Why might electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or fire-safety requirements matter?
• How do building requirements help protect people?

This can easily become a research project, writing assignment, or presentation.

High School: Architecture, Engineering, and Building Safety Careers

For high school students, we can turn this into a career exploration lesson. Building and code work connects naturally with:

Architecture

Civil and structural engineering

Construction management

Skilled trades

Building inspection

Code enforcement

Plan review

Urban planning

Fire and life safety

The International Code Council has specifically highlighted programs that introduce high school and college students to the building-safety industry and professionals working in the field. So this holiday can become more than a lesson about buildings. It can become a lesson about future careers.

Take Your Homeschool Lesson Into the Real World

And this may be my favorite idea for Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day. Instead of only reading about building inspectors, see if your family can meet one. Contact your local building department or community development department and ask whether someone would be willing to speak with your homeschool group or family. Depending on the department and what they are able to offer, you might be able to arrange:

• A visit to the building department
• A conversation with a building inspector
• A tour
• An explanation of how inspections work
• A look at how building plans are reviewed
• A career interview
• An approved job-shadowing opportunity

Always ask first and follow the department’s rules for visitors and student activities.

Questions to Ask a Building Inspector

Have your student prepare questions before the visit.

Building Inspector Interview

1. What does a building inspector do during a normal workday?
2. What kinds of buildings do you inspect?
3. What are some of the things you look for during an inspection?
4. Why are building codes important?
5. What happens when something does not meet the applicable requirements?
6. What kind of education or training is needed for this career?
7. What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
8. What is one thing you wish homeowners understood about building safety?
9. What advice would you give a student interested in construction or architecture?
10. What is the most interesting thing you have learned during your career?

For a child, this can feel like an adventure. For a teenager, it can become genuine career exploration.

After your lesson or field trip, put what you learned into practice. Give your student a piece of paper, Lego’s or anything they can use to build a home and say: Design a Safe Home.

Have them draw a house or townhome floor plan.

Ask them to include:

• Doors
• Windows
• Bedrooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Electrical outlets
• Smoke detectors
• An emergency exit
• A safe way to get outside

Then ask them to explain why they put everything where they did. Older students can take this even further by researching applicable building and safety requirements and explaining how those requirements influenced their design.

That one activity can combine: Art + architecture + math + writing + research + safety + problem-solving.

A Simple Building Safety Scavenger Hunt

Want to make it even easier? Walk through your home together. See if your child can find:

Something that protects you from fire. Something that uses electricity. Something that carries water. A way to leave the home in an emergency. Something that provides light. Something that keeps the home comfortable. Someone you would contact if something needs to be repaired.

For younger children, make it a scavenger hunt. For older children, ask them to explain how each item works and why it matters.

Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day gives us a chance to remember that not every important community job gets a lot of attention. Some people work where we can see them. Others work behind the scenes.

They review plans. They inspect buildings. They answer questions. They enforce safety requirements. They help builders and property owners understand what is required. And their work can affect all of us.

So on September 1, Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day, take a moment to say thank you. If you know a building inspector, code official, plans examiner, permit technician, or another building-safety professional, let them know that their work is appreciated.

And if you’re homeschooling, don’t just tell your children about these people. Let them learn from them. Read a book. Walk through your neighborhood. Study a building. Design a safe home. Interview an inspector. Explore a career.

And then look around your own home and realize just how many people, rules, skills, and professions come together to help create the place where your family makes its memories. Because at the end of the day, a building is more than bricks, wood, concrete, wires, pipes, and walls. It is where life happens. And that’s worth protecting.

Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day at a Glance

Holiday: Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day
Celebrated: Every year on September 1
Purpose: To recognize the people who help administer, inspect, review, and enforce building and safety requirements
Homeschool themes: Architecture, construction, engineering, community workers, safety, careers, research, and design
Book connection: Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day?
Field trip idea: Contact your local building department about meeting a building inspector or code professional
Hands-on activity: Design a Safe Home
Family activity: Complete a New-Home Safety Checklist together

A Note About the Holiday’s History

Information about the origins of Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day is surprisingly inconsistent. Some websites provide specific founding stories, while others acknowledge that the holiday’s creator and origin are unknown. Rather than repeating an unverified founding story as fact, we’re focusing on what can be consistently established: Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day is observed every September 1 and is intended to recognize the professionals whose work helps promote building safety and code compliance.

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Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates