New Jersey, once known for its tough Home Inspecting Licensure Laws, now has some unlicensed competition. Is this to be the trend for future licensed states…?
Visit the home of the $200 home inspection, right here.
In any other market (think Wal-Mart) ideas like this would be heralded as… In keeping with the American spirit, entrepreneurial, customer oriented capitalism. What makes the home inspection profession exempt from progress?
Not a thing.
Licensing solves nothing.
Agreed, just another conformation that restrictive licensing laws solve nothing and should not be employed to circumvent free trade within a country founded on the capitalistic pursuit of freedom through entrepreneurial enterprise.
I can see this starting up in several states.
Wisconsin, for example, restricts home inspections “for compensation”. An enterprising and neighboring Illinois Inspector can advertise his well inspections for $250, which would include his free home inspection.
There is nothing more American than to find the legal loophole to advance free enterprise. You gotta love it.
Nope…call a spade a spade in WI…wisconsin defines a home inspection…and you must be licensed to perform it…whether free or not.
Bushy… You gotta love it:roll: what loop hole???
Nicks been doing the same thing for years.
This ain’t anything different than paying your buddy nick 289.00 for worthless non delivered benefits, available for free from everwhere by doing a little of their own research, and to be instantly marketed to the public as a “certified” inspector… new inspectors fall for his scam everytime :roll: :roll:
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I don’t think so. A home inspector is defined by your law as one who inspects home “for compensation”. If one is giving “free home inspections”, he would not fall under the licensing law, IMO.
Lets see using that logic one might believe that they could perform surgery or practice medicine without a license if they were dispensing it for free. In licensed states this loop hole will most likely be closed in future legislation.
But there is no restrictions on licensed professionals dispensing for free if they chose to.
Joe,
If the law defines a home inspector as one who inspects (2 or more systems within) homes “for compensation”…and one chooses to do it for free, along with the purchase of a bar of soap…is he a soap salesman or a home inspector, by law?
James, how do you read this? (especially the bold)
SUBCHAPTER X
HOME INSPECTORS
Cross Reference: See also chs. RL 131, 132, 133, 134, and 135, Wis. adm. code.
…
440.9712 Registration required. (1) Except as provided
in s. 440.9715,** no individual may act as a home inspector, use the
title “home inspector”, use any title or description that implies that
he or she is a home inspector or represent himself or herself to be
a home inspector unless the individual is registered under this subchapter.**
(1m) No business entity may provide home inspection services
unless each of the home inspectors employed by the business
entity is registered under this subchapter.
(2) No business entity may use, in connection with the name
or signature of the business entity, the title “home inspectors” to
describe the business entity’s services, unless each of the home
inspectors employed by the business entity is registered under this
subchapter.
History: 1997 a. 81.
440.9715 Applicability. A registration is not required under
this subchapter for any of the following:
(1) An individual who conducts a home inspection while lawfully
practicing within the scope of a license, permit or certificate
granted to that individual by a state governmental agency.
(2) An individual who constructs, repairs or maintains
improvements to residential real property, if the individual conducts
home inspections only as part of his or her business of
constructing, repairing or maintaining improvements to real property
and if the individual does not describe himself or herself as
a registered home inspector or convey the impression that he or
she is a registered home inspector.
(3) An individual who conducts home inspections in the normal
course of his or her employment as an employee of a federal,
state or local governmental agency.
History: 1997 a. 81.
You’re right, Mike. I guess the guy with the free home inspections will have to call himself a “home evaluator” or something on that order, like the guy in New Jersey does. Maybe a “Certified Home Systems Analyst” might even sound better.
He would still be implying the same thing and be required to be licensed/registered in WI. IMHO
Consider a business like this, in a licensed state where one did not want to fall under the state’s control…
A “Certified Home Systems Analyst” who will perform some ancillary service for a fee ($200) and will throw in, for free, a complete written analysis of the home systems, following the state required SOP.
Anything illegal with that?
Perhaps. Perhaps not…
I can see it now… Gromyko’s next venture… Certifying Doctors, the only requirement, pass his on line quiz on a 100 ways to change depends, and promising to attend his free ce on using a rectal thermometer along with promising to attend medical school some day :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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Is there anything wrong with finding that loophole and exploiting it for business purposes? Civil laws usually do not cover every possible contingency.
I don’t think there’s a huge loophole in WI
I’m not certain that a “huge” one is necessary.
Perhaps a Certified Homes Systems Evaluator performing a free home systems analysis in your state might not show up on the radar.
I don’t see on either Kevin.
Like everything else these days, if a HI came across the border who was unlicensed
in WI to perform that service, someone would have to report it and it would eventually end up in a court room. 