FYI, New page created on the WA. DOL web site for home inspectors.
Thanks
Peter…good to see you posting. Hope you are doing well.
Thanks Jeffrey! Yeah, I’m on once in awhile but doc ordered not to sit in one place for too long so I’ve been limiting my time on the Internet. 
Been walking to keep the lbs off and physical therapy to re strengthen my back,… slow process that is making me go stir crazy. :roll: Thought Id never say this but I cant wait to get back into crawl spaces… :mrgreen: Hope business is good for everyone!
Thanks for the link Peter.
The fees seem a little steep.
"We expect the fee for your first a home inspector license to be $680. The cost to renew your license is expected to be lower."
**
Lucky us… 
Appraiser licensing fees are only $452.00
So Peter, Sorry to hear that you messed up your back. I also struggled with a back injury a couple years ago.
I was fortunate that mine was not bad enough to keep me from working. Just alot of trips to the chiropractor, many nights with less than adequate sleep, ice packs, and way too much Ibuprofen.
Anyway I have an idea of what you are experiencing and really wish you a speedy recovery!!!
BTW I also found that using a back pillow in my truck helped me keep my spine aligned better, and reduced the road shock on the spine. If I don’t use it, I can start to feel the discomfort returning. Maybe that is an idea you have tested. Best of luck.
The fee is outrageous. Doctors pay less. Lawyers pay less. Appraisers pay less. Realtors pay less. CPA’s pay less. Engineers pay less.
Write to the head of the Department of Licensing at JMcDonald@dol.wa.gov
Thanks for the information link to DOL, Very helpful.
Will have to spread the license cost on to the inspection price.
If consumers think we pay taxes and fees, they are living in a dream world, just becomes a “cost of doing business” which is passed off to the consumer in higher charges.
Guess the state needs to cover that 2 billion shortfall in the general budget somehow!!!
Does seem a little high!!!
Will be anxious to see what else is added to the bill by the governor appointed commission!!
Let the fun begin!!!
I agree it is a hefty price. Just like E+O costs we are penalized because we are a small group.
The fee was determined through the sunrise review process. Its a standard formula of taking the number of people that will be licensed and dividing that into the cost of administering the licensing. Doctors , Lawyers and yes even appraisers are larger group and benefit economies of scale. State law says that the programs must be self funding.
Jeff
Hang in there. We have a proposal for the State of Washington which will reduce their costs and in turn, your fees, by $300 we think.
This is the response I received to the letter I wrote regarding the outrageous licensing fees.
Dear Mr. Stanczyk;
Thank you for taking the time to comment on the costs. The explanation below may help in realizing how the estimated costs were determined.
When the home inspection industry representatives drafted and proposed the bill to the legislature the department was required to do a fiscal note. A fiscal note is a disclosure to the legislature and citizens of what the department estimates the cost to start and run the home inspector program. The home inspector bill was supported by the home inspector industry and was passed by the legislature with the disclosed estimated costs.
The initial license fee was estimated to be $680.00. The later two year renewal is estimated to be $375.00. Washington law requires that each licensing program pay their own costs to run the program, thus no tax dollars are used to fund the program.
Real Estate Licensees, Engineers and Doctors have a much larger licensee base than Home Inspectors. For example there are approximately 60,000 real estate licensees as compared to the estimated 1,300 Home Inspector Licensees. The costs of a program are divided by the number of licensees.
These license fees are subject to change/adjustment depending upon actual costs and the number of home inspector licensees.
The complete bill (6606) and fiscal note can be found at the code revisers web site.
Here is the web address to the fiscal note for your reference:
https://fortress.wa.gov/ofm/fnspublic/legsearch.asp?BillNumber=6606&SessionNumber=60
If you have any questions or comments please let me know.
Jerry McDonald
Assistant Administrator
Real Estate, Appraisers, Time Shares and Camp Resorts
We’re proposing something that will about cut their costs in half.
You may be tilting at windmills with this state Nick. From what I remember, they put their numbers together by figuring out how many FTE people from the Dept of Labor, costs of the Board, development costs and who knows what else. This state is the top of the line when it comes to tax and spend.
Holler if you need any grunt work out here.
FYI. Posting an Email (below) I got from from Jerry McDonald about signing up for email notifications… in case some of you didn’t get it.
"The Department of Licensing has set up a new website and a Listserv® to notify all interested parties of upcoming events and news regarding the new home inspector licensing law.
The website is located at: **http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/homeinspectors/](http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/homeinspectors/)
If you are interested in receiving future notices, please sign up for our Listserv® at: *
http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/homeinspectors/himail.html](http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/homeinspectors/himail.html). There is no cost to subscribe, and you may update or delete your address at any time".*
*Sincerely, *
*Jerry McDonald *
Department of Licensing
And just what do we get for the $680? Protection from competition!!!
A master business license costs $20. Just a piece of paper. HI license, just a piece of paper, $680??? Hate to say it, BUT I TOLD YOU SO!!!, The unintended consequences of licensing!!! Hope you license junkies are thrilled, you need to pay this too!!! This licensing cost is OUTRAGIOUS, but all Washington state taxes are. Guess the B & O taxes, L & I taxes, 10% sales tax, just not enough.
This isn’t over yet, wait until the governor appointed bozos get in, don’t think things will get much better.
Thanks!!! Outragious fee. They wanted licensing, now they too are going to have to live with it. At least the license pushers will also get stuck with this fee!!!
Keep us updated!!!
Thanks for your effort
Nick,
I absolutely appreciate you trying, as I am sure other HI’s in Washington do as well. Wish you good luck in the attempt. Let’s see what happens.
I don’t buy this state law requires high fees bullship. General Contractor license fee (regardless of size) $45.00, Psychotherapist license fee $45.00.
SO glad I live on this side of the line . . .
Maybe some of us will cross to your side of the line and see if the grass is greener on the other side.
See ya around Russ.
To quote Jim Bushart:
“Licensing solves nothing…”
Though in this case, it seems to have solved the problem the government has with that pesky $680 you have laying around in your bank account!