Home / Careers / Precast Concrete Inspector I (PCI Level I) / Katy, TX
Now hiring · Katy, TX 77494 · $24–$32 / hour
Precast Concrete Inspector I (PCI Level I) — Katy, TX
A Precast Concrete Inspector I performs plant quality control on precast and prestressed concrete: checking forms and reinforcement before the pour, verifying strand tensioning records, running fresh concrete tests, casting and curing cylinders, and inspecting finished pieces for dimensions and defects before they ship. PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level I is required or must be earned in the first months; ACI Concrete Field Testing Grade I with plant experience qualifies you to start.
This position serves Katy and surrounding Texas projects, dispatched through our Sugar Land headquarters.
The Katy version of this job means expansive-clay pads, big industrial concrete, and the busiest testing market in the country, where careful work gets noticed and paid for.
What you'll do
- Inspect forms, reinforcement, embeds, and blockouts against the shop drawings before each pour
- Verify strand tensioning elongation and force records against the calculated values
- Run fresh concrete tests (slump, air, temperature, unit weight) and cast cylinders per ASTM C31
- Perform stripping and release strength breaks and record them against the required values
- Inspect finished products for dimensions, camber, finish, and defects and tag them for shipment or repair
What we're looking for
- PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level I, or ACI Concrete Field Testing Grade I with 1+ years in a precast or prestressed plant
- Reads shop drawings and tensioning calculations
- Comfortable with plant hours and an early production schedule
- Consistent, careful, and honest with the numbers
What a week in this job looks like
A precast plant pours every day, so the week has a rhythm: pre-pour inspections early, fresh concrete tests as the forms fill, stripping breaks the next morning to confirm the pieces can be released, and finished-product inspection before a load goes out the gate. Every check ties back to a shop drawing and a specification.
Precast quality control is where a lot of good concrete technicians learn the material properly, because you see the same mix, the same forms, and the same strand day after day and learn exactly what changes the result.
Certifications, training, and where this leads
The company sponsors PCI Level I and Level II certification; Precast Inspector II follows Level II and adds prestressing and plant QC responsibility. ACI Strength Testing and Aggregate certifications are the laboratory additions.
Pay, schedule, and travel
Pay runs $24 to $32 an hour depending on certifications held, verified experience, and the program you are assigned to. Plant hours: production pours early and stripping breaks are first thing, so days start before dawn and follow the plant's schedule, with overtime during heavy production.
Plant positions are tied to the plant's location; owner and agency inspection assignments involve travel between plants on a project basis with per diem as assigned.
Safety, quality, and the standards we work under
Precast quality control is performed to PCI MNL-116/MNL-117, the project specification, and the DOT requirements that apply, and reported under our documented AASHTO R18 quality system. A release strength is a number, not an estimate, and a piece ships when the record says it can.
Plant safety — cranes, tensioning beds, strand release, and moving product — is trained, enforced, and part of the inspector's job.
How hiring works, and our commitment
Apply with your PCI certification level, the plants and product lines you have worked in, and your ACI certifications. Expect a direct conversation with the people you would work for, references that get called, and a written offer consistent with this posting. The role requires a valid driver's license and the ability to be present on active jobsites, with pre-employment screening consistent with jobsite and client requirements.
We are an equal opportunity employer and consider every applicant without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.
Apply for this position — upload your resume and we fill in the form
The work behind this job in Katy
Materials Testing in Katy · Geotechnical in Katy · Forensic in Katy
Other levels of this role in Katy
Precast Concrete Inspector II (PCI Level II)Precast Concrete Inspector III (PCI Level III)
Nearby openings
Precast Inspector I — Houston, TXPrecast Inspector I — Sugar Land, TXPrecast Inspector I — Richmond, TX
FAQ
Working in Katy — common questions
Is the Precast Concrete Inspector I (PCI Level I) position in Katy an office job or a field job?
Plant-based. Precast inspectors work in precast and prestressed concrete plants — the production floor, the tensioning beds, and the plant laboratory — on the plant's production schedule, with some project-site work for erection acceptance.
Which hub covers Katy?
The Sugar Land, Texas headquarters, which dispatches across the Houston metro.
Do I need to relocate to Katy?
No. Houston-area technicians live throughout the metro and are dispatched to the nearest work.
What certifications does a Precast Concrete Inspector I (PCI Level I) in Katy need?
PCI Quality Control Personnel Certification Level I, or ACI Concrete Field Testing Grade I with plant experience to start; the company sponsors PCI Level I and Level II as you progress.
What tests will I run on Katy projects?
Fresh concrete testing at the truck — slump (ASTM C143), air content (ASTM C231), temperature (ASTM C1064), unit weight (ASTM C138), cylinder casting (ASTM C31) — and nuclear density on fill lifts (ASTM D6938) against the ASTM D698 or D1557 Proctor, plus aggregate and soil sampling for the laboratory.
What should I include in my application?
Years of experience, any certifications (ACI, NICET, ICC, nuclear gauge), and either a resume file or a short work history in the form. Applications without certifications are welcome for entry-level roles.