15 Steps to Become a Successful Home Inspector
- STEP #1: Join InterNACHI®
- STEP #2: Get Trained, Experienced & Certified
- STEP #3: Purchase Inspection Tools & Software
- STEP #4: Calculate Profitable Inspection Fees
- STEP #5: Get a Domain, Logo, Website & Free Job Leads
At this point, you can start making money as a home inspector.
- STEP #6: Develop & Grow Your Business
- STEP #7: Join Other Inspectors
- STEP #8: Boost Your Marketing
- STEP #9: Add Overwhelming Value
- STEP #10: Write Excellent Reports
- STEP #11: Serve Clients & Agents Better
- STEP #12: Increase Revenue
- STEP #13: Take Advanced Inspection Training
- STEP #14: Keep Up-To-Date
- STEP #15: Contact Us
STEP #1: Join InterNACHI®- Read InterNACHI's Membership Guide.
- InterNACHI's Home Inspector Certificate Program is free and online for InterNACHI® members.
- InterNACHI® is the world's leading organization for home inspectors that provides its members unlimited access to free, online training and Continuing Education, free Certification Programs, the Inspection Community, the Inspector Mentoring, the Member Chapters, the Online Inspector Exam, the Practice Test, the Inspection Defect Flashcards, free business training, marketing products and services, discounts on software to E&O insurance, and amazing membership benefits.
- InterNACHI® School (internachi.edu) is the only accredited home inspector college.
STEP #2: Get Trained, Experienced & Certified
Here are the resources you need to get trained so that you have the knowledge, experience, and confidence to compete with the best inspectors.- Take the InterNACHI Online Inspector Examination. It's free, online, and open to everyone.
- Take free, online training and continuing education courses provided by internachi.edu.
- We have a recommended step-by-step training process so that you can have the confidence and experience to compete with the best inspectors inside InterNACHI's Master Class for Home Inspectors.
- Become a Certified Home Inspector and attain the Certified Professional Inspector CPI® credential and Certificate.
- Take InterNACHI's free, online "Introduction to Home Inspections Course."
- Get help with home inspector licensing and certification in your area.
STEP #3: Purchase Inspection Tools & Software
In the beginning, every inspector needs a flashlight, a GFCI tester, and a voltage tester. Later, purchase gloves, indoor-only shoes, a half-mask respirator, knee pads, an infrared camera, a moisture meter, gas leak detector, carbon monoxide detector, a safe ladder, a step ladder, mold swabs, a drone, a crawlspace robot, etc.
- Review our list of home inspection tools and inspector safety equipment.
- Use InterNACHI's free home inspection checklist to practice performing inspections according to the InterNACHI Home Inspection Standards of Practice.
- Use InterNACHI's free FetchReport to quickly and easily share your inspection reports with clients and agents.
- Go shopping for inspection report writing software and get special pricing exclusive to InterNACHI® members at InspectorOutlet.com, InterNACHI's inspector store partner.
STEP #4: Calculate Profitable Inspection Fees
You won't be in business very long if you don't know what fees to charge that are the most profitable for your business.
- Learn how to calculate profitable inspection fees by taking InterNACHI's free, online Home Inspection Business Course.
- Use InterNACHI's free, online Home Inspection Fee Calculator to help calculate the greatest profit.
- Enter your inspection fees into InterNACHI's Free, Online Signable Inspection Agreement System.
- Click the video above to learn the 9 ways to make more money as a home inspector.
STEP #5: Get a Domain, Logo, Website & Free Job Leads
These are the basic marketing tasks that every home inspection business must complete.
- Get a domain. A domain is "www.yourcompany.com." If you don't have a domain, get one for only $12/year at domains.google.com.
- Get a business logo designed for free by InterNACHI's Marketing Team.
- Put that logo on your website. If you don't have a website, get one at www.nachi.org/website. They will add your logo and connect your domain to your website.
- Update your InterNACHI® Members-Only profile with your name, company name, phone number, address, email, logo, and website.
- List up to 10 inspection service areas in InterNACHI's "find an inspector" search engines and start receiving free inspection job leads (potential clients visiting your website).
- Stand out on Google by creating a free Google Business Profile.
- Get Google reviews by sending a link to clients (or friends, family, neighbors, and agents) and ask them for a 5-star Google review.
At this point, you can start making money as a home inspector.
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Expand your residential inspection business into commercial property inspections by joining CCPIA.org.
Sell, convert and schedule more inspection jobs on the phone with SoundSmart.
Take InterNACHI's free, online Home Inspection Business Course.
Enjoy the long list of InterNACHI® membership benefits and competitive advantages.
Hire InterNACHI's Ben Gromicko to work with you on your business for seven days -- for free.
- Find other certified home inspectors near you.
- Find an InterNACHI® Mentor to help you be more successful.
- Find an InterNACHI® Member Chapter in your area.
- Join the InterNACHI® Inspection Community.
- Attend a local or national event.
- Home inspection companies are hiring inspectors on InterNACHI's Online Forum.
- Follow InterNACHI® on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
STEP #8: Boost Your Marketing
InterNACHI's Member Marketing Team will design your business logo with you until it's just right. They also provide one-on-one consultation and marketing design services for free to members. They will design and print your business cards, flyers, and brochures. And all of the consultation, editing, proofing, and design work is free for members. You only pay to have the marketing materials printed and shipped.
We recommend that you begin by ordering business cards, which will include a free customized logo and a free card design.
Click the video above to watch a free, online Marketing for Inspectors Video Series to learn everything InterNACHI's Marketing Team can do for you.
- Get a new custom website that is designed to convert visitors into scheduled clients.
- Sign up for InspectorMedia.
- Watch the "Business & Marketing Webinar for InterNACHI® Members."
STEP #9: Add Overwhelming Value
- Sign up for InterNACHI's Buy-Back Guarantee.
- Use InterNACHI's $25,000 Honor Guarantee.
- Read "SLEEP WELL: A Home Inspector's Guide to Managing Risk."
- Give InterNACHI's home maintenance book to every client.
- Get trained and certified in ancillary inspections and offer more inspection services to your clients.
- Give "Certified Monster-Free" certificates to clients with kids.
- Take drone pictures and videos for your clients of their houses and properties that you inspect.
- Learn how to overwhelm your clients with perceived value in order to increase demand and raise prices.
- Write a blog for your business website based upon InterNACHI's Library of Inspection Articles for consumers.
- Give InterNACHI's free "Tips for Homebuyers" booklet to clients.
- Give "The Safe Home Book" to clients.
STEP #10: Write Excellent Reports
- Incorporate InterNACHI's Home Inspection Checklists into your report software.
- Compare your report with sample home inspection reports written by master inspectors.
- Watch the "Performing a Home Inspection and Writing an Inspection Report" video.
- Download InterNACHI's free inspection illustrations and add them to your inspection reports.
- Watch the "How to Write a Home Inspection Report" video.
- Use InterNACHI's free Home Energy Inspection Report Software.
- Learn how using mobile software increases speed and accuracy.
- Take the free, online "Defect Recognition and Report Writing Course."
- Here are some free report narratives (or sentences) to use in your inspection report.
- Don't use "No Visible Evidence" in your reports.
- Write your reports in the past tense.
STEP #11: Serve Clients & Agents Better- Make it easy for clients to schedule a job with you by using InterNACHI's free "Call Me Now" button on your website.
- Use the First-Time Home Buyer-Friendly logo everywhere.
- Use InterNACHI's Client Satisfaction Survey.
Use InterNACHI's "My Promise To You" in your marketing.
- Give clients exclusive deals because you're an InterNACHI® inspector.
- At the time of scheduling an inspection with a client, be sure to also schedule your client's home maintenance inspection for next year.
- Train everyone in your company with InterNACHI's free, online "Customer Service & Communication for Inspectors Course."
- Create a customer referral and loyalty program.
- Watch how to network with real estate agents:
Tell agents about InterNACHI's Free Negligent Referral Protection Program.
- Invite a real estate agent out to lunch or for a coffee.
STEP #12: Increase Revenue- Read "STACKS: A Home Inspector's Guide to Increasing Gross Revenue" and apply what you learn.
- Add your ancillary inspection services to your InterNACHI® Profile and offer more inspection services.
- Become Infrared Certified® and use an infrared camera on every inspection in order to add more value and increase fees per inspection.
- Offer indoor air inspection services by joining IAC2.org.
- Offer commercial property inspections by joining CCPIA.org.
- Get trained and certified in ancillary inspections and offer more inspection services to your clients.
- Show off all of your qualifications and certifications using InterNACHI's webseals, certification logos, verification QR image, and certificates.
- Learn how to hire an inspector to do more inspections for your company.
- Offer Certified Home Energy Inspections.
STEP #13: Take Advanced Inspection Training
- Register for a free, live InterNACHI® Webinar or watch the video recordings of past webinars.
- Learn by listening to InterNACHI's Home Inspector Podcast.
- Get hands-on in-person training at the InterNACHI® House of Horrors where your instructors are Certified Master Inspectors CMI®.
- Never stop learning by taking more advanced free inspector training courses offered by InterNACHI® School, the only home inspector college at www.internachi.edu.
- Read InterNACHI's home inspection college textbooks.
- Take advanced training to become a Certified Master Inspector CMI®.
STEP #14: Keep Up-To-Date
Don't miss a thing.
- Subscribe to InterNACHI's monthly newsletter for home inspectors.
- Get the latest home inspection news as it develops.
- Join the discussion with other inspectors on our Inspection Community Online Forum .
- InterNACHI's Facebook
- InterNACHI's YouTube
- Ben Gromicko's YouTube
- InterNACHI's Instagram
- Ben Gromicko's Instagram
- Check local inspector events, join a local chapter, and attend our national home inspector convention.
STEP #15: Contact Us
Contact us at any time for anything you need. We work for you.
- Contact InterNACHI® Anytime
- Ask someone on staff, "How can InterNACHI® help me be more successful?"
- Get advice and answers from the InterNACHI® Team.
