Master Code Professional Matt Payette

Matt Payette achieves the Master Code Professional designation, the gold standard of code certification

It’s considered the Ph.D. of building safety codes certification. The Master Code Professional (MCP) is the highest level of designation the International Code Council offers and is the “gold standard” for demonstrating proficiency in the code profession. The Code Council has certified thousands of individuals, but only a small select number have attained this high level of achievement: just over 800 MCP professionals worldwide. Their achievements are a benefit to the code enforcement profession as well as their communities.

To obtain this level of certification requires and demonstrates a commitment to the profession, diverse knowledge of codes and a high level of self-initiative. Matt Payette, Assistant Chief Building Official, City of Longmont, Colorado, is the latest to join the elite group of Master Code Professionals. In this exclusive feature for the Building Safety Journal, we asked Matt to share his experience on obtaining the MCP designation, highlights of his professional career and any insights or advice he has concerning the industry.

Matt Payette
Assistant Chief Building Official
City of Longmont
Longmont, Colorado, United States

BSJ: What led you to pursue and obtain MCP certification?
Payette: I have always desired to expand my construction knowledge beyond electrical systems. As a master electrician, I wanted to push my comfort zone of building codes. I didn’t want to settle into being just an electrical inspector. In order to keep from becoming complacent, I set my goal of MCP early in my career.

BSJ: How did you study and prepare for the many exams you took as a part of your MCP designation?
Payette: My strategy wasn’t to try and memorize the codebooks, there’s too much information for that. I focused on learning where to find questions in the books. I mostly read the table of contents and skimmed through the section headers in the body of the code. If I came across a subject I was particularly weak in, I would read that section in detail.

BSJ: What does achieving the prestigious MCP status mean to you?
Payette: MCP status, for me, is the highlight of my career. As soon as I officially had my MCP designation, I called my mentors and thanked them for their guidance and training.

BSJ: How would you describe the value or benefits that have come with the recognition of your MCP status?
Payette: I received a phone call from an engineer that works in the state. He said he looked me up and insisted that I was the most qualified inspector in the state. I was promoted to my current position with the anticipation that I would achieve MCP status. I am happy to say I lived up to that expectation.

BSJ: What advice would you offer to those who are considering pursuing an MCP designation?
Payette: Relax, breathe, and get familiar with the books. There is no way to memorize the entire book. If you can comfortably navigate the codebooks, you’ll succeed.

BSJ: What major changes have you seen?
Payette: The majority of change I have seen is a change in culture. The construction trades have become more aware of building codes.

BSJ: What excites you about the future of your industry?
Payette: The future building technologies keep me on the edge of my seat.

BSJ: What is one piece of advice that you would give to those starting out in the industry?
Payette: Don’t get intimidated. It’s not possible to find every single thing during an inspection or plan review. Stay confident that all major issues have been found and will be corrected.

BSJ: Building safety is the focal point of our mission here at the Code Council. What is the importance of building safety to you? How has ICC helped you in your career and commitment to public safety?
Payette: Building safety is at the core of what I do every day. Getting my Master Code Professional designation is my way of showing just how much I care about building safety. As an electrician by trade, I had a lot to learn about the other building trades. ICC offers a lot of resources to learn the codes of all the trades.

BSJ: Obtaining all those ICC certifications is quite an accomplishment. What are you going to do now that you have achieved this goal?
Payette: I will be focusing on improving my leadership skills and pursuing my degree in public administration.

BSJ: Thank you, Matt Payette, and congratulations. You have definitely been an encouragement to us all in your pursuit of excellence.

To earn the Code Council’s elite MCP designation, a candidate must first pass 10 core Code Council exams plus a number of elective Code Council exams. Typical Master Code Professionals hold 17 or more Code Council certifications. The Master Code Professional designation requires certified individuals to complete an additional 60 hours of Continuing Education Units every three years to maintain active status.

“The Master Code Professional certification is the pinnacle of all Code Council certifications, representing a level of effort, knowledge, and dedication that elevates not only the individual achieving it but the code official profession as a whole,” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO.

Master Code Professionals are typically responsible for all technical and management aspects of code enforcement with duties that range from the management of a code enforcement department to the supervision of inspectors and plan reviewers.

“Congratulations to Matt on achieving this important and significant accomplishment,” said Autumn Saylor, Director of the Code Council’s Assessment Center. “I challenge and encourage all code professionals to strive for this level of achievement, and look forward to congratulating more Master Code Professionals in the future.”

To learn more on how you can join this elite group and let us help you open the door to increased professional challenges and career advancement, click here.