Texas Licensing

Title 113A, Article 6573a, Section 23 - enacted in 1991

A person who performs a real estate inspection for a buyer or seller of real property generally must be licensed as an inspector by TREC. Holders of certain occupational licenses such as engineers and architects may also perform inspections. TREC issues three levels of inspector licenses:

 

   1. Apprentice Inspector

   2. Real Estate Inspector

   3. Professional Inspector

 

There are different requirements for each license, and an applicant must pass an examination to be licensed as a real estate inspector or professional inspector.

 

Apprentice Inspector

 

Unless the applicant is utilizing an education/experience waiver, the applicant, regardless of background, must first apply for a license as an Apprentice Inspector. This is the first level of licensure in the three-tier progression.

 

To be eligible for licensure as an apprentice, the applicant must be 18 years of age or older; a citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien; and a legal resident. The applicant must be able to pass a background check to determine the applicant's honesty, trustworthiness and integrity.

 

Application must be on a form approved by and obtained from the Commission (it can also be obtained from the sponsor).

 

Apprentices must be sponsored by an existing Professional Inspector, and that Inspector must join the applicant in making the application. The Professional Inspector must accept responsibility for the Apprentice's inspection activities.

 

Before an apprenticeship may be considered complete, the Apprentice Inspector must have been licensed for a minimum of 90 days and have performed 25 inspections under the direct supervision of the Professional Inspector or Real Estate Inspector under the supervision of the same licensed Professional Inspector. Even after completion of these requirements, an Apprentice Inspector may only perform under direct supervision.

 

Real Estate Inspector

 

The intermediate level of licensure in the three-tier progression is the obtaining of a license as a Real Estate Inspector. To obtain this license an applicant must verify having completed the apprenticeship requirements described above as well as 90 classroom hours in "core real estate Inspection courses."

 

Application must be made on a form approved by and obtained from the Commission (it can also be obtained from the sponsor). Just as with an Apprentice Inspector license, an applicant for a Real Estate Inspector license must be sponsored by an existing Professional Inspector, and that Inspector must join the applicant in making the Real Estate Inspector License application and accept responsibility for the applicant's inspection activities.

 

Upon processing the application for a Real Estate Inspector license and becoming eligible to take the examination, the applicant will receive a document called a Candidate Information Brochure (CIB). This CIB will provide all the information and instructions for making a reservation to take the examination. The CIB also contains study materials and instructions about licensing. Upon successful completion of the examination and prior to issuance of a license, the applicant must pay a fee of $100 into the Real Estate Inspection Recovery Fund, which exists to compensate persons who successfully sue a real estate inspector and then find inadequate attachable financial resources to satisfy the judgement.

 

The fund is not and should not substitute for liability insurance or errors and omission insurance which the inspector might be wise to carry. A Real Estate Inspector license permits the holder to perform real estate inspections under "indirect supervision" of the licensed Professional Inspector. Before applying for the final stage of licensure, a Real Estate Inspector must have completed a minimum of 12 months of such licensure and performed a minimum of 175 inspections in addition to those performed while an Apprentice Inspector.

 

 

Professional Inspector

 

The third level of licensure in the three-tier progression is filing to become a licensed Professional Inspector. An applicant for a license as a Professional Inspector must complete 38 classroom hours of core real estate inspection course work including a minimum of 8 hours in the study of standards of practice, legal issues, or ethics related to the profession of real estate inspections. These 38 hours are in addition to those completed to meet licensure requirements for a Real Estate Inspector.

 

Application must be made on a form approved by and obtained from the Commission. This application will include a log for the 175 inspections which must also be verified by the Professional Inspector under whom the applicant trained.

 

After the application is processed, the applicant will receive a Candidate Information Brochure (CIB) to take a second higher level examination. Upon successful completion of the examination, the applicant will be issued a document showing that the applicant is a licensed Professional Inspector. From and after that time the Inspector may voluntarily associate with any other inspector but will no longer require another inspector's sponsorship.

 

Inspector License Path: Education/Experience Waivers

 

Note: This is one of two path choices through the levels of inspector licensure. The other is the Three-Tier Progression for licensure.

 

General Information on Waivers

 

A person wishing to become licensed as a Real Estate Inspector may substitute additional education or experience for the requirement to have previously been licensed as an Apprentice Inspector. Also, a person wishing to become licensed as a Professional Inspector may substitute additional education or experience for the requirement to have previously been licensed as a Real Estate Inspector.

 

Please note that the education requirement for each license must still be satisfied regardless of which variation is chosen.

 

Therefore, with the appropriate amount of education or experience and education, a person can apply directly for a Real Estate Inspector or Professional Inspector license as detailed below:

 

Real Estate Inspector Waiver

 

A Real Estate Inspector, with the sponsorship of a Professional Inspector, may bypass the Apprentice phase by having either:

 

    * 30 additional hours of core inspector education with 10 hours of credit each for the structural, mechanical (including appliances, plumbing, and HVAC components)and electrical systems found in improvements to real property (120 total)

 

      Or

 

    * three years of experience as a licensed or registered architect, professional engineer, or engineer-in-training or you must provide two reference letters documenting that you have at least five years of personal experience inspecting, installing, servicing, repairing or maintaining each of the structural, mechanical and electrical systems found in improvements to real property. Documentation of experience must be in verified form and from persons other than the applicant who have personal knowledge of the applicant's occupation and work. Also required in this path would be the regular 90 hours of core inspector education.

 

Note: Upon successful completion of the examination a $100.00 recovery fund fee will be required.

 

Professional Inspector Waiver

 

A Professional Inspector may bypass the Apprentice and Real Estate Inspector phases by having either:

 

    * 60 additional classroom hours of core inspector education with 20 hours of credit each for the structural, mechanical (including appliances, plumbing, and HVAC components) and electrical systems found in improvements to real property (188 total)

 

      Important Note: TREC has adopted amendments to Inspector rules, including an increase from 60 to 320 the additional classroom hours required to become licensed as a Professional Real Estate Inspector through the education alternative (fast-track) method effective January 1, 2005.

 

      Or

 

    * five years of experience as a licensed or registered architect, professional engineer, or engineer-in-training, or you must provide two reference letters documenting that you have at least seven years of personal experience inspecting, installing, servicing, repairing or maintaining each of the structural, mechanical and electrical systems found in improvement to real property. Documentation of experience must be in verified form and from persons other than the applicant who have personal knowledge of the applicant's occupation and work. Also required in this path would be the regular 128 classroom hours of core inspector education which includes 8 classroom hours in the study of standards of practice, legal issues, or ethics related to the profession of real estate inspections.

 

Note: A $100.00 recovery fund fee will be required upon completion of the professional inspector examination if the recovery fund has not been previously paid.

 

 

Contact Info

Texas Real Estate Commission

P.O. Box 12188

Austin, TX 78711

Phone: (512) 459-6544

Fax: (514) 465-3913

Email: licensing@trec.state.tx.us

http://www.trec.state.tx.us/inspector/default.asp

http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=22&pt=23&ch=535&sch=R&rl=Y

http://www.trec.state.tx.us/pdf/rela/2001act.PDF

 

 

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