Alberta government establishes Home Inspector standards.

As of 1:30 PM MT The Alberta government has announced that Home Inspectors in Alberta will be regulated. Go to http://alberta.ca/acn/201105/30398E54ACD32-D2FE-E300-6C6E9C6A37708D50.html for details.

According to the newspaper, CMIs are grandfathered. This is going to break some hearts. LOL.

The law is written even more explicitly…to the shame of many critics…

NICE VERN!!!

Go Certified Master Inspectors!!!

Here’s some other background info.

May 12, 2011

Government establishes standards for home inspectors

As of September 1, 2011, home inspection businesses and individual home inspectors must obtain a licence from the provincial government.

Qualifications for a home inspector licence

  • Inspectors must have a degree, diploma or certificate in home inspection from an approved educational institution and successfully complete a test inspection. The government currently recognizes the Carson Dunlop & Associates curriculum offered by SAIT and will evaluate other courses that become available in Alberta.
  • Inspectors are automatically qualified for a licence if they hold a Registered Home Inspector designation from the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors; or a Certified Master Inspector designation from the Master Inspector Certification Board, Inc., affiliated with the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors.
  • Inspectors who do not meet these requirements may apply for a conditional licence valid until March 31, 2013 to give them time to acquire the necessary qualifications.

Standards for home inspections
The Home Inspection Business Regulation establishes basic requirements that home inspections must include, unless the consumer specifically agrees otherwise. Inspections must address the condition of a home’s:

  • Roofing, flashings or chimney;
  • Exterior, including lot gradings, walkways, driveways, retaining walls, patios and decks;
  • Structure;
  • Electrical;
  • Heating, heat pumps and cooling;
  • Insulation;
  • Plumbing; and
  • Interior.

Inspectors can make recommendations on any deficiencies they identify, such as suggesting the consumer obtain an expert opinion, but are prohibited from estimating the cost of any repairs or improvements.

Interesting to note NACHI is not approved in the initial legislation, only CMI. How soon will NACHI be applying to the licencing body to have itself recognized as meeting the requirements of the legislation vis-a-vis Nachi recognized courses?

Either there will be many members of Nachi purchasing a CMI otherwise Nachi has not been recognized.

Comments?

My other note of interest is the legislation prevents inspectors from providing repair costs. I think this is a detriment to the public.

I love that Certified Master Inspectors are automatically qualified for a home inspector license in Alberta. Now that’s what I call “government recognized!

Next stop is Ontario.

In other words, screw the other 100 to 200 iNACHI members in Alberta ??? These are the people who got you in some doors in Alberta and you are gleefully throwing them under the bus.

According to the CMI website, there are only fifteen CMI’s in Alberta, although I suspect this will increase substantially overnight as you annoint anyone with $ 1,000. and a flashlight.

Bill Mullen

I feel your pain … but am reminded of the weeks of advance notice that all who were eligible to apply for the CMI designation were given prior to the rate increase.

But … I think it could have been your advice, or MacNeish or others, that misled them to believe that it would be of no use to them.

Did you lie to them … or were you just wrong?

Sometimes people get it right but sometimes they also get it WRONG!!! Guess I’ll have to start talking to gov folks in Alberta…may be better than spending time here!!!

Was getting photos printed this AM for a client and was asked by the counter attendant about HI…told him about no licensing here, overnight certification, 3 year masters…you should have seen his face…much worse than disbelief…“shock” would be about correct!! When explained plainly to folks (even a grocery store clerk) without spin…they see the problem!!

I really like the fact that the “weasel” clause has been outlawed!!! …wonder what may happen to E&O insurance rates for HI’s there??? Nothing to hide behind now!!

LET’S SEE…BC has banned realtors from recommending HI’s …Alberta has banned the weasel clause…HI industry is still in its adolescence and eventually will mature and all come together.!!

PS…I believe that this is the first time that CMI has been recognized in a jurisdiction…so sad that it is in my country! Funny it was not recognized by any jurisdiction in the US, but essentially only “trademarked” which carries no weight in local jurisdictions when they regulate. A mistake was made by newbie regulators…plain and simple!!

Your influence in both places has been so obviously underwhelming … I don’t think anyone would notice, either way.

So I guess a lot of Alberta NACHI newbies are going to be taking a lot of courses to get their CMI in the next few years to meet the “1000” mark…925 CEU’s and 75 inspections…LOLOLOLOLOL!!!

Ontario is next. Become a CMI soon.

Buying a designation is about right on!! Sad, Isn’t it??

Swearing your experience for an affidavit before some low level gov official is laughable…hell people lie on the witness stand before judges and after swearing on the bible!!! Defendable…hardly!!

I agree. That is why CMI requires documented proof of 3 years experience. This from the CMI website:

Next stop… Ontario! :smiley:

Congratulations, Nick.

It’s easy to prove you’ve been in busines for 3 years…that’s not the experience I was talking about…and that is all verified by MICB within 48 hours…laughable!! What do you do… phone the candidate and ask them if they told the truth??

OH, right…they swore in front of someone!!!

An online comment following the paper article:

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MadMax

http://cdn.js-kit.com/images/icon10-external-url.png

i hear cmi doesn’t mean much. just marketing hype. fooled the goverment though"

And this wasn’t even from myself…LOLOLOLOL

Kind of reminds me when critics said InterNACHI’s online courses would never be awarded any government approvals. Of course that was over 700 government approvals ago: See right column of www.nachi.org/education.htm and scroll baby scroll.

:cool:

Next stop… Ontario!

I am a little confused as to why they listed sait as acceptable education and did not just say Carson Dunlop, it is the same course, sait just forwards it to you at double the price, Carson has its own in house diploma program with proctored exams, it seems like a punch in the gut for me, I have 23 years self employed on the tools, have completed all required Internachi courses , twice, and half the carson dunlop , looks to me like with all I have, is being over looked, it is not right, to not accept the carson dunlop diploma, but would accept the sait carson dunlop diploma, Sait is an extreme cash cow, I will get through, I think the next step is to put a stop to this crap of Realtor lists, just like BC, I think then the Biz will get its credibility back.

Ray
We will be submitting our courses for approval ASAP. All none CMI InterNACHI inspectors resident in Alberta and chapter members are required to complete a peer reviewed on site Home inspection and have completed 25 home inspections to get an interim licence. Everyone else will have to complete the proctored training course exams and pass the CMI proctored test. (on site HOME INSPECTION).
The only approved training at this time is the Southern Alberta Institute Technology (SAIT) inspector correspondence courses.

Thanks Vern!