A home inspector is someone that will assess the condition of a property, typically when someone is interested in purchasing a home. They will assess everything from the sewage and water to the electrical work, plumbing, and cooling systems.
If you are interested in becoming a home inspector, this guide is just the thing you need! From the certifications required to completing the necessary training, we will cover everything that you need to know about how to become a home inspector in this guide. So, let’s take a look at what you will need to do if you want to become a home inspector. Home inspectors however shouldn't be confused with home appraisers - while home inspector works for both buyer and seller works for the lender.
How to become a home inspector
If you are interested in becoming a home inspector, you will need to plot out your career path. In terms of your education, you will not need to fulfill any minimum requirements in terms of your education beyond high school. Nevertheless, hiring businesses tend to look for candidates who have a background in engineering or who have associate’s degrees in building inspection technology, or who have acquired certificates. Community colleges around the country provide these programs, so you should not find it too difficult to get the education you require to enjoy this sort of career.
Should you decide to go for an associate’s degree program in the building inspection technology field, your curriculum could cover a number of different topics, including steel construction principles, wood frame construction, concrete and soil technology, field inspection, plumbing codes, and mechanical inspection.
Licensing requirements can vary depending on where you are based. However, you may need to have a formal education, a specific amount of experience in inspections, and a passing score on an examination. It also makes sense to check with the licensing agency in your state to determine the specific requirements in this regard.
Before you are able to make it as a full-time home inspector, you will need to have sufficient working knowledge of carpentry and utility systems. To become proficient, you may spend years working in one of the standard construction specialty trades, for example, heating and cooling systems or electrical work.
You will be pleased to know that there is significant demand for home inspectors at the moment. Plus, this demand is increasing all of the time in direct relation to the number of properties that are being built across the United States today. As long as people continue to sell and purchase residential properties, there is always going to be the need for experienced and certified home inspectors.
Look up the home inspector requirements for your state
It is important to make sure you take the time to understand the requirements for home inspectors within your state. A lot of states require certification and/or licensure. So, to get the certification or a license, you are going to need to pass an exam. You may also need to get certification from certain professional associations, such as the International Code Council. However, this will differ from state to state, which is why it is important to take the time to figure out what applies to your location.
Complete a home inspector training program
You will need to complete a home inspector training and certification program.
There are plenty of different options available, and more and more people are looking for home inspection classes online today. If you want to find the best home inspector training schools, do a little bit of research to see what others have had to say about the program in question.
You need to make sure that the training program you complete is a well-respected one. After all, you are going to be using your pass mark to help you with making your CV stand out from the competition.
When you are assessing the different home inspection courses that are available, some of the questions that you should ask yourself are as follows:
- Is free, professional-grade software included as part of the tuition so that you can get to grips with creating inspection reports?
- Can you make the most of free instructor support if you have any queries during the training program? Or, what about afterward, once you have completed the course?
- Will the training also include the inspection of commercial buildings?
- Is the school in question an accredited organization with the Better Business Bureau? What rating do they have here?
- Are students able to complete the training modules at their own pace?
- Is free training included in the tuition beyond the basics, for example, radon and mold inspection?
- Are all of the training materials available online 24/7 and are they up to date?
- Are the instructors certified and experienced property inspectors with “hands-on” experience in the field?
These are the sort of questions that you should ask yourself in order to determine whether or not the program you are considering is the right choice for you.
Pass your home inspection licensing exam
If you want to make it as a home inspector, you are going to need to pass your home inspection licensing exam. A lot of people worry when they have an exam to complete but there is no need to fret. There are some great training courses out there that can help you to get all of the experience that you need to make it as a great home inspector.
How much does it cost to become a home inspector?
Naturally, you will want to figure out how much it is going to cost you to become a home inspector. Home inspection training programs range in price considerably. You can find some courses available for as low as $1,000, with others available at a price of around $3,500. It all depends on your current level of experience and the sort of course you require.
How hard it is to become a home inspector?
Becoming a home inspector is not easy. You are going to be responsible for making sure that the property in question is in great condition. You cannot afford to miss out on any problems, as this could result in a very costly mistake. The last thing you want is for your client to spend a fortune on their property only to realize you have missed out on some important faults during the home inspection process.
However, this does not mean that becoming a home inspector is going to be too difficult. There are some great dedicated courses out there to give you the tools and knowledge you need. Plus, there are some qualities that will serve you well as a home inspector.
This includes a desire to be your own boss, timeliness, an open mind, willingness to help, and ethics. You also need to have a keen eye for detail, as well as being an effective communicator.
Aside from this, successful home inspectors have great knowledge of construction. They understand the main tools and techniques used in the industry. They also excel when it comes to business management.
Needless to say, some of the qualities we have mentioned above can be taught, yet a lot of them also come to people naturally.
Network with real estate agents and brokers
You also need to make an effort to network with brokers and real estate agents. This is an industry whereby repeat custom and strong industry connections really do make a difference. If you are able to make some solid connections with real estate agents and brokers, they will be able to pass on a steady stream of customers to you so that you have plenty of work to keep you busy.
Best home inspector training schools
There are some great home inspector training schools around the country, so it makes sense to take the time to find the best school for you.
Some of the best home inspector training schools offering online training are as follows:
- Champion Home Inspection School
- Kaplan Home Inspection Training
- CompuCram Home Inspector School Online
- Mbition (AHIT Home Inspection) Training
There is no denying that online training has become the most popular way for people to get the education that they require in order to become a home inspector in the current day and age. You will want to make sure that the online training course you select has all of the information and modules that are required so that you can achieve your goals. Find out how the training works. Will you have access to a human tutor? Will you be able to go back over your modules? What methods of learning are there?
Final words on how to become a home inspector
So there you have it: everything you need to know on how to become a home inspector. We hope that the information we have provided you within this guide will help you to achieve your dream career.
