Home Inspector Licensing in British Columbia

[sgarland]

It's too bad the deadline is coming so fast for those in BC. I agree that there should be a higher standard and licensing but 6 - 12 months would have been a little 'nicer' for everyone. Would it be possible for NACHI to up its standards and then be included? If the standards matched those of the NCP it would probably help. I have to admit the exams are a little too easy and a peer review would be an excellent addition.

[Joe Johnston]

It would appear that the BC government has managed to keep the major players happy. CAHPI BC was holding out doggedly for the National Certificate program to become the benchmark.
Late in the day it appeared CAHPI had been sidelined in the process despite their early input.
CAHPI(BC) were probably fighting for their lives on this one, as legislation that did not involve their input would have probably greatly reduced their numbers, as membership of CAHPI has generally been a very effective marketing tool without the existance of legislation.
So hats off to CAHPI for holding strong.
Like it or not CAHPI(BC) is probably the biggest player in BC, and would appear to have some credibility with Realtors.
Unfortunatly for NACHI, the writing was on the wall 2 years ago when their exam protocol for membership (or lack of) was featured on a 3 day expose of the Industry on provincial news.
NACHI is still a great resource and the expertise and generosity of many members has help many an inspector.

[Marcel Gratton]

Originally Posted by sgarland

It's too bad the deadline is coming so fast for those in BC. I agree that there should be a higher standard and licensing but 6 - 12 months would have been a little 'nicer' for everyone. Would it be possible for NACHI to up its standards and then be included? If the standards matched those of the NCP it would probably help. I have to admit the exams are a little too easy and a peer review would be an excellent addition.

This recent and sudden announcement by the BPCPA is certainly making old dogs from a competing association drool, as displayed here...

I for one would not panic and is certainly no reason to jump ship.

Most of those requirements by the BPCPA in BC for licensing home inspectors are already in place for iNACHI /CanNachi members and may only need fine tuning.

Me think *CanNachi* is shaking cages...

[George A. H. Luck]

I think we had better get organized if we are to have a voice in this debate. If we are going to have representation it will have to be through a Canadian Home Inspector organization and that will be CANACHI.

This development is a shot across the bows of every independent home inspector in Canada. Either we get involved now or we are abandoning our futures to the same network of 'good old boys' who have made such a '****-up' of the industry so far.

Forewarned is forearmed.

[Allen Cavdek]

CanNACHI and its Directors are aware of this,,this can be a good thing as well,,panic won"t produce any results,,Bill DeVries one of CanNACHI"s Directors is working on this with support both within CanNACHI and outside,,Things will and do work out if done correctly.
We shall keep everyone posted as things progress/change at our CanNACHI message room.
Remember one thing CanNACHI is/starting new,,so there will be mountains to climb, and for any governing legislations such as in BC ,, we must look at what is required as an association to fulfill the requirements needed to one day be accepted as another path for home inspectors to recieve their licensing or NCH.
Bill as I said is more familiar with this process.
Thank you
And Remember We are not InterNACHI we are a separate Canadian Association as many have been confused with just to once again set the records straight

[Claude Lawrenson]

How Home Inspectors Can Become Licensed

• As of March 31, 2009, a home inspector will need to be licensed to operate in B.C. To become licensed, home inspectors will need to meet the qualifications of either the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors – BC branch; the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia; or the National Certification Program for Home and Property Inspectors.
• Licensing requirements will involve completing examinations and field experience required by these organizations.
• Licensing information and application forms will be released and posted on the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) website on Feb. 27, 2009, after which the authority will begin accepting applications.
• The application forms will set out what is required for a license.
• Home inspectors will be required to undergo a criminal record check.
• The licence fee is $100, which will be used to cover the BPCPA’s administrative costs.
• Until March 31, 2009, home inspectors who are currently working, but have not met the requirements of a BPCPA-recognized professional association or authority, can apply to the BPCPA to have their experience, knowledge and ability assessed. After completing this assessment the BPCPA may issue a licence. At the end of two years, these “grandfathered” inspectors will be expected to meet the requirements of one of the three recognized groups noted above.
• General information about home inspector licensing is now available on the BPCPA website at www.bpcpa.ca online.

How Consumers Can File a Complaint

• When hiring a home inspector after March 31, 2009, you should ask to see the wallet-sized licence that the BPCPA will have issued to regulated home inspectors.
• If you have a complaint regarding your home inspection, first, talk to your home inspector and see if he or she can address your concerns to your satisfaction.
• If you still have concerns, contact your home inspector’s professional association or authority, which may be able to help you resolve the dispute.
• Next, you can contact the provincial BPCPA for assistance, through its website at www.bpcpa.ca or by calling toll-free 1 888 564-9963.

[Bill Mullen]

Until March 31, 2009, home inspectors who are currently working, but have not met the requirements of a BPCPA-recognized professional association or authority, can apply to the BPCPA to have their experience, knowledge and ability assessed. After completing this assessment the BPCPA may issue a licence. At the end of two years, these “grandfathered” inspectors will be expected to meet the requirements of one of the three recognized groups noted above.
That clause could be the window to ease people in even if they are not members of the three recognoized groups. However, I am sure it will not be merely a 'rubber stamp' just for saying you are a home inspectors. There could be a need to prove how long you have been in business, how many inspections you have done, and your background, experience and a number of other requirements. Notice the paragraph uses the word 'may' not 'will'.
It would also give iNACHI or CanNACHI time (two years) to get their requirements sorted out so they meet what is needed.

Bill Mullen

Bill Mullen

[jbettencourt]

If you are serious about this business then licensing should not frighten you. Do not wait to see if our Associations are going to do what it takes to bring us up to par, we should do it ourselves. For those of us not in licensed Provinces we should continue with continuing education, be more selective on who you take the courses from. Find accredited educators like community colleges or other accredited schools so that if the day comes your education will be recognized. I have met Allen and Bill and I truly beleive they will do everything they can to gain recognition for CANACHI and the training that they will provide. We are not only Home Inspectors we are Business Owners and we must do our own due diligence to make sure our businesses meet the standards that are or will be required. I do not like that BC will require mandatory membership in a select few Associations because being a member of an Association should be the choice of a business whether it be CAHPHI or NACHI or whoever not forced upon them by the government. It was done this way aside from there Standards but because they lobbied the government strongly and had a voice and by just implementing these existing standards the Government had an easy way out by just handing it over elsewhere. If you want a say in how the Government enacts these licensing laws then we must have a voice as well, do not just stand by and hope someone else will do it for us. We have to assist Allen and Bill in these efforts to get CANACHI recognition because it may not be tomorrow but eventually licensing will arrive in other provinces and we need to involve ourselves in the legislation process, not ignore it and assume everything will be just right. I am fairly new at this business and if I was in BC I would possibly have trouble obtaining my license immediately, luckily licensing has not arrived here yet and I have time to bring up my credentials. We have a bar that has been set in BC, if you aim close to that or are already there then you should not be fearful. Just my 2 cents.

[Claude Lawrenson]

Good comments Jerry. Lobbying does have a large part to do with it, but also recognition of the acceptable standard. On the other hand it was "consumers" that also held the largest interest in assuring that they are offered "reasonable" protection.

One mandatory requirement is E&O insurance. This beckons the question if it is mandatory that also will eliminate a few of the part times and the proverbial fly-by-nighters. If you are not licensed after the dead line than a fine can be imposed. The government has given the authority and has the set the rules.

From my view point - take a look at the requirements of those recognized association standards; if you meet them, than it is likely the inspector will pass the mark. If not the "candidate" has 2 years to work towards meeting it.

This should not be viewed as another reason to fight or put up barriers. It should be viewed as an opportunity with the tangible result to become recognized as a true professional. Go for it regardless of affiliation or not. If not work to achieve that goal.

[Claude Lawrenson]

According to the BC licensing:
Until March 31, 2009, home inspectors who are currently working, but have not met the requirements of a BPCPA-recognized professional association or authority, can apply to the BPCPA to have their experience, knowledge and ability assessed. After completing this assessment the BPCPA may issue a licence. At the end of two years, these “grandfathered” inspectors will be expected to meet the requirements of one of the three recognized groups noted above.

Basically a grandfathering clause offering a window of opportunity to meet the baseline standard.

A 2005 consultation conducted by the Homeowner Protection Office determined that the industry and related industry and consumer organizations supported regulation of home inspectors. The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General was directed to develop a regulatory framework under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act requiring a licence to practice as a home inspector and establishing other rules to protect consumers. Regulations are intended to enhance consumer protection and to give consumers confidence that standards of qualification are in place.

Almost all respondents agreed that home inspectors should be regulated. Most agreed that an independent body should be the regulator, although some preferred self governance by the industry or governance by one of the home inspector industry professional organizations.

Most respondents recommended a requirement for education specific to home inspection and supervised field training prior to allowing home inspectors to practice independently. Respondents highly recommended that there be a requirement to follow standards of practice and codes of ethics, such as those required by the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (BC), Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia, the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors and the National Certification Program for Home and Property Inspectors.

Respondents generally agreed that there should be no exemptions and that everyone providing home inspections should require a licence. A transition period was recommended for home inspectors already working in the industry without formal education in home inspection.

Many home inspectors and professional organizations were concerned about additional fees and paperwork associated with licensing, and recommended low licence fees.

Additional recommendations focused on addressing conflict of interest, privacy of reports, and the quality of contracts and reports. There was also concern about home inspectors inspecting and reporting on matters beyond their scope of practice.

[wblakey]

In my opinion, those NACHI members who did not take advantage of the opportunity to become qualified through the National Certification Process two years ago, really did miss the boat. I wrote about it, told people what it was like to go through the process and became a member of the National Certification Council (after I qualified) as a NACHI representative so that I could inform the membership. But still people decided to keep their heads in the sand.

The whole point of National Certification is that you do not have to be a member of any organization, all you have to do is prove that you have what it takes to be a home inspector.

Though the process now is a little pricey, it is way cheaper than being a CAHPI BC member.

And you have the best of both worlds, acknowledgement of your ability and education, as well as a great website with lots of information.

Maybe there should be a new qualification -- iNACHI/NCA or NCA/iNACHI?

Mr. Gromiko, IMHO, has done all Canadian members a disservice by not helping iNACHI members to become National Certificate holders.

[Joe Johnston]

I really do not think that any BC Inspectors should fear the end result of this process, which after all has been debated for a number of years.
The end result is very fair. The alternatives i.e the government of BC setting up some department to run and oversee the industry would have been a nightmare and very costly.
Nachi members in Canada cannot really expect that the Nachi membership criteria alone, as compaired to CAHPI/ASTT membership would cut it.
J Van Dongen in my opinion inherited a very difficult file and has dealt with it fairly.
Its probably a good time to bring in any changes as the Inspection Industry is very slow at the moment and probably not going to attract chancers trying to make a quick buck.

[George A. H. Luck]

I don't think that most of us fear licensing. What we fear is it's implementation. After all, licensing only does what the market place does naturally and that is decide who is and who is not an inspector. Unfortunately it is at this point that the system breaks down.

The nasty little secret is that what licensing really does is limit the number of inspectors in favor of those of us who have been in the business longest. It keeps the pie divided into larger pieces for what usually is the 'good old boys'. What makes this especially unfortunate is that there is no demonstrated need for licensing other than to perpetuate the 'status quo'.

[mnicholet]

I think that the licensing is great in particular:

Q. Why does the Home Inspector Licensing Regulation prohibit conflict of interest? Can I still accept referrals from realtors?
A. Consumers pay for a service and this service should not be compromised or influenced by another person with an interest in the property. Realtors should provide potential home buyers with the website or telephone number of the BPCPA, or one of the acceptable associations or authorities that have contact information for licensees or members.

Now, I wish they gave us a little more time then 2 months to get into CAHPI or the National Certificate program. Its going to be tight considering they only allow test writing 500 KMS away from where I live and it is only 2 times before the licensing is in effect. We all knew it was coming but I dont think we knew it was going to be CAHPI. Last time I checked CAHPI was told to step aside while the Government makes there own plan up.

I geuss I will haveto fly to Kelowna, write tests, fly home. Not very cool, with my tight schedule.

At the end of the day I hope the BPCPA has some control over the Realtors referring whoever, whenever... what a joke that is, can you say "conflict of interest".

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by mnicholet

I think that the licensing is great in particular:

Q. Why does the Home Inspector Licensing Regulation prohibit conflict of interest? Can I still accept referrals from realtors?
A. Consumers pay for a service and this service should not be compromised or influenced by another person with an interest in the property. Realtors should provide potential home buyers with the website or telephone number of the BPCPA, or one of the acceptable associations or authorities that have contact information for licensees or members.

Now, I wish they gave us a little more time then 2 months to get into CAHPI or the National Certificate program. Its going to be tight considering they only allow test writing 500 KMS away from where I live and it is only 2 times before the licensing is in effect. We all knew it was coming but I dont think we knew it was going to be CAHPI. Last time I checked CAHPI was told to step aside while the Government makes there own plan up.

I geuss I will haveto fly to Kelowna, write tests, fly home. Not very cool, with my tight schedule.

At the end of the day I hope the BPCPA has some control over the Realtors referring whoever, whenever... what a joke that is, can you say "conflict of interest".

Yep!! In my my own CAHPI chapter I have been floating the idea of banning the realtor from recommending HI's due to the conflict of interest. You can imagine that it has not made me a popular guy as about 80-85% of referrals here are through realtors.....it is RE assoc policy that they have to give out 3 names of HI's but it will be 3 HI's that fit their criteria of short and sweet inspections!!

I do not solicit referrals through realtors nor have any brochures in RE offices. Hooray for BC!!

PS: Come to think of it .......all advertising for HI's should be banned from realtors' offices. They can be selective and only leave the brochures of their favourite inspectors around.