I am a licensed builder for 15 years and I am looking into getting licensed as a Tennesee Home Inspector. Which online course is the best out there. I am looking at AHIT and NACHI right now but would seeking opinions.
Thanks
NACHI has great training material free to members.
Tennessee approves InterNACHI’s free, online pre-licensing courses: www.nachi.org/tennessee
Furthermore, our courses are approved in Tennessee for continuing education of home inspectors.
Furthermore, our course are approved for real estate agents in Tennessee: http://www.nachi.org/tennessee-real-estate-licensing-school-provider.htm
Furthermore, the marketing cards to promote the aforementioned to agents are free: http://www.inspectoroutlet.com/free-tennessee-real-estate-marketing-cards.aspx
Furthermore, our radon course is approved for pre-licensing of radon testers in Tennessee.
Furthermore, if you are near a Tennessee state border, our courses are also approved in Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
Furthermore, membership comes with all this at no extra cost: www.nachi.org/benefits.htm
I did both and continue to learn from nachi.
I took the AHIT training and past no problem. I had 15 yrs construction experience as well as 6 yrs of teaching Construction and Engineering at a trade school. Comparatively the only thing I liked better through AHIT was the 3 day onsight training which had to be done a good distance away from my home. Having said that I would have rathered just gone through Nachi classes and called around to some Nachi guys that lived a few hours away and shadowed them for a few days. There are several people on the boards that would be willing to have you train with them for a few days for a small fee. Assuming your not opening up shop on their doorstep.
Many locals that took AHIT’s course are real light weights in knowledge. Go iNACHI
Within the inspection industry, AHIT is considered “grade school” education. That said, grade school is where you might need to start.
As a recent AHIT grad, I can tell you that I was left wanting more information. The course materials were dated and the photos, in particular, were pretty bad. That made it difficult to figure out what I was supposed to be seeing and often I didn’t see what was being described at all. At the end of the day, I signed up for NACHI to supplement my education. Just my two cents.
Daniel Gunn
(404) 804-5226
You aren’t alone. Many have done similarly.
They also teach a classroom course here in KC at a local Community College. The college teaches HVAC, electrical, building trades, etc. I’ve stopped in on the class.
AHIT flys 1 instructor in from around Wisconsin, Minnesota or Ohio to teach the multi day class, and they rent a classroom from the college (a small classroom). Lecture & powerpoint. They got no hands-on displays, etc in a Tech School … Amazing
BUT they advertise real heavy and send giant email blasts to all kinds of groups like appraisers, realtors, contractors, remodelers, etc talking about transferring their real estate or construction knowledge into the highly lucrative field of home inspection.
They’ve got one of the lowest fees out there already … BUT then about every other month they DISCOUNT the training fee by $300-$600.
Seems like they try to make their money off selling other services to those trainees like: web sites, software, brochures, tool kits, etc
I would highly recommend NACHI. I was in your shoes last year and was debating between AHIT and NACHI. I obviously ended up going with NACHI. Once I became a member, the additional benefits just kept coming. I haven’t looked back or regretted my decision since and plan on being a long time member.
Thanks for all the info!
Took the Ahit course before I found about Nachi. Glad I joined. Ahit is an okay place to start, but Nachi’s courses are well above Ahit’s. Why not forgo the preschool and get it all in one place?
I am currently doing pre-licensing ride-alongs (Required in Illinois) with an AHIT guy. Not to slam AHIT, but he keeps telling me that he is learning WAY more from me than he did from AHIT. He also joined NACHI and got the various pre-licensing instruction books from NACHI and he loves them. This guy REALLY wants to learn and that is good. It’s always about continuing learning. I have been an inspector for a little more than 12 years, now, and I still learn new stuff every day. For me, that’s what makes the job such fun, learning new things.
Nick, and now Ben, have really advanced this industry from a bunch of old, retired tradesmen to a real profession. And the main reason is the raising of the education bar, almost to infinity.
Hope this helps;