The Inspector of Houses is an especially tall man who comes to visit Niggle. He, like all visitors, is perceived as a nuisance by Niggle, doubly so because his purpose is to ensure that everyone is working to maintain the houses in the neighborhood. Like everyone else who encounters Niggle’s painting in its canvas form, he thinks only of how the materials can be used for construction and repair, further highlighting the fact that in this society, art is barely valued.