Home Inspector Licensing in British Columbia

[senwiinspection]

Your Teacher analogy was humorous but totally irrelevant. The point is not having ANY standards, which is what happens when the industry is not regulated, means that somebody with NO relevant skills or training can still go out and call themselves a home inspector (and many did). There were so many lawsuits against poor home inspectors in BC a few years back that the insurance companies cancelled everyones policies and did not offer coverage for a period of years. Every industry needs a MIN standard.

You said

Originally Posted by jbushart

One of your own national heroes...Mike Holmes...is proving to your country and to your government that his experience as a contractor not only is enough to qualify him to inspect homes....but is enough to qualify him to rate and criticize home inspectors who have been in the business for decades. Where is the public outcry that he be mentored? Where are the consumers shouting that he lacks the education, training and "credentials" that you want to make others have...just to do their first home inspection.

Just because you have done a job for decades does not mean you do it well or even right. If you have never had the benefit of being mentored by a master in the industry (who themselves were mentored and so on and so on) then there is a good chance you do not know everything and may not be doing it write. People learn by example. That is the way it always has been. As for Holmes. He was mentored - by his father. He worked under him for years before striking out on his own. If he was in BC he would have to join an accredited organization just like everyone else. And if he joined ours he would have to go through our inspections assessment program just like anyone else.

It is clear you see no value in learning from others. That is fine. You are entitled to your opinion. Thankfully I do not share it.

Sean

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by senwiinspection

Y
Just because you have done a job for decades does not mean you do it well or even right.

Exactly why your "mentor" program....requiring newbies to ride with the guy who has been doing the job for decades is a sham.

It is designed to put money in the pockets of those assisting in getting the bill passed...at the expense of those who will enter the field. Your piece of the action....while pretending to teach your competition everything you know about home inspecting so that they can surpass you when they are on their own.

Only a politician crooked enough to wonder why he didn't think of that scam first would support it.

[George A. H. Luck]

Here is a simple answer to the whole problem;

Require every inspector to carry E+0 insurance. PERIOD.

No testing. No mentoring ( and James you are right) No membership requirements.

Nothing. Nada.

The market will very quickly sort out who is a 'good' inspector and who is not. The 'good' ones will retain their insurance. The 'bad' ones will be gone. Any claims against the inspector will be settled by the insurance company. Nobody loses.

Let the market decide who is good enough to be in the business as it does in virtually every other area that has not been subsumed by government. We do not need the type of vast bureaucracy so loved by our liberal brothers in British Columbia.

[James H. Bushart]

Not such a simple solution, really, George.

Insurance is a business decision and the choice still remains with the public....to seek or not....an inspector who carries E&O. Most do not care.

Mandatory E&O is another scam found in licensing laws that is designed to eliminate the rural and part-time inspector.

[James H. Bushart]

Instead of E&O.....

....require all of these associations popping up in Canada proclaiming their standards to be the assurance of quality to put their money where there mouth is.

They are ALL phony...they are all hypocrites....they are all liars.

Want proof?

Ask any of them to provide a written guarantee to a consumer who hires an inspector who has met their standard.

Then sit back and laugh as they disclaim, stutter....disclaim and stammer.

[Gordon I. Kay]

James what is with all the generalizations, all liars, hypocrits, and phony. We use the same SOP as you are using. If you are so against licencing and associations why is it you belong to soo many? You also have the same disclaimers as the rest of us, they come with the ASHI SOP.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by gkay

James what is with all the generalizations, all liars, hypocrits, and phony. We use the same SOP as you are using. If you are so against licencing and associations why is it you belong to soo many? You also have the same disclaimers as the rest of us, they come with the ASHI SOP.

The associations I belong to are NOT representative of "credentials". They assure my client that I am accountable to someone and that I follow guidelines and ethical standards that are visible and available to them to research. That is all.

But when you go to the ASHI database to select an inspector...the first thing you will read is a disclaimer from ASHI as to the expertise of any particular inspector selected from that list.

So....any association that invents a standard and publishes it to the public and/or to its government as being representative of an assurance of quality (like a "national" certification or whatever other kind of crap floating around the bowl) that DOES NOT ALSO GUARANTEE the inspection of a member who has met that standard......is, at the very least, deceptive.

None of these associations....no matter how strict their criteria is......will stand behind it and guarantee to the public that it represents what is necessary to assure a quality home inspection by guaranteeing the results. Why? Because the fact is, the criteria is in place to control entry into the field and limit the number of competitors. It has nothing to do with the quality of home inspector since.....as everyone who has ever carried a flashlight can tell you....there are too many variables to make this job a science. It continues to be a combination of art and science....and some will get it early, while some will never get it at all.

[senwiinspection]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Exactly why your "mentor" program....requiring newbies to ride with the guy who has been doing the job for decades is a sham.

Again - thank God you do not represent the majority of Society. Just think if everyone did something only for the greed of money. We would have no Charity, People would not give gifts, there would be no one to coach volunteer sports, and the list goes on.

Our assessors are paying to mentor in that the small fee they make pales compared to what they would make if they were inspecting (our program right now entails renting 2 houses and having the mentors take the students through them - there is no one getting paid from a client). They are doing this because the want to teach and help those coming into the organization to offer a service to the public that we can all be proud of.

It is clear you do not get that. Sorry your world is so jaded.

Sean

[senwiinspection]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Exactly why your "mentor" program....requiring newbies to ride with the guy who has been doing the job for decades is a sham.

I also forgot to say that our mentors are actually checked out themselves first in group peer sessions to try to ensure that we deliver a consistent message to the students that accurately represents our standards of inspection and code of ethics.

Sean

[James H. Bushart]

No matter how much you buff it, or polish you put on it, you can't put a shine on a turd.

For you to even imply that....having a mentor for "two houses" somehow, someway ensures the public of an exceptional home inspector....is shameful.

No wonder you will not guarantee to the public that your standards ensure a quality home inspector.

Just another way to make a buck off of a newbie.

They have been screwing the pooch like that in the US for years. This licensing thing is still new to you folks and, like here, you might even get away with it for a while like PHIC did in Pennsylvania. Soon, the scam will be revealed. I can assure you of that.

[Gordon I. Kay]

Originally Posted by jbushart

The associations I belong to are NOT representative of "credentials". They assure my client that I am accountable to someone and that I follow guidelines and ethical standards that are visible and available to them to research. That is all.

.

So CPI is not a credential?? Passing examinations are not credentials?? Compleyting 700 inspections is not a credential??Inspecting foundations requires no credentials?? Your best credential is your personal guarantee?
I think you are under estimating yourself. Obviously I'm confused.
Please explain it again.