How not to proceed to become a Home Inspector

It requires the skill of about 15 different trades to build the average one-family dwelling, of which licensed electricians, plumbers and heating & cooling mechanics have to complete a five-year apprenticeship plus classroom training.

In comparison - home inspectors are expected to have general knowledge about all of these trade practises, plus its mechanical equipment. Even potential health hazards have to be addressed nowadays to stay out of trouble.

It is unrealistically to assume that novices can learn how to inspect homes by simply enrolling into a training course for a couple of weeks or even month. Since there is virtually no opportunity for on the job training, newcomers should at last have sufficient theoretical knowledge before venturing out performing fee-paid inspections without practical experience.

None of us self-taught old timers had any guidance or model how to proceed. But what kept us out of trouble were the novelty and simplicity of the service we introduced and provided.

We all addressed only major shortcomings or repair requirements of financial consequence, and generally issued four to five pages of typewritten reports to document our inspection results. Customers did not expect that we should address potential health hazzards or environmental issues. I am not aware of any lawsuits filed against home inspectors regarding these matters at that time. However - I suspect that my first two hundred inspection reports would not withstand scrutiny when challenged by today’s standards or current consumer expectations.

There are no shortcuts anymore to learn how to inspect homes professionally. The attempt to provide this service without proper training is asking for trouble. The worst approach to become a home inspector these days is to spend money on a **"***Home Inspection **Franchise" ***where the provider is offering to teach anyone the necessary tricks of the trade in two weeks or less, including a free graduation luncheon.

RUDOLF REUSSE - Home Inspector since 1976 - Retired

Who are you kidding. You can become a home inspector in an unregulated state in a few weeks. Start here.
We have members here that are current commercial airline pilots, practicing physicians, former appliance installers and hearing aid salesmen to name a few. What trade were they practicing before they also became home inspectors?

You speak the truth, but how do we combat the problem or elevate the profession? A large majority of the inspectors did not work for a previous companies and just “wing it” before getting their feet wet.

With the great vast majority of the inspectors being 1 man shows, how do “new” people get “experience”? People are reluctant to train their competition.

I agree with you and wish to seek a solution. There is an even organization saying you are “certified” after a very small amount of classes and an online test you can take over and over and several hundred dollars.

So if this is the problem, what is the solution?

I did a 1 year apprenticeship about 500 inspections, went to a school and had an on site mentor for a year after going on my own. Worked for me. The work we do has signficant influence on some people and is their most signficant purchase they make in their entire lives, and should be taken as serious.

Any input as to a solution?

my son before me Mentored Homies including me .
When I got started I too mentored Homies .
Three Of the better Inspectors in our area where mentored by me .
I took any one out for free one trip . After that I charged $50;00 a trip and gave them a receipt for tax purposes .
If they did 25 to 50 trips cost $1200;00 to $2,4500;00 and they where well on their way to instant success having taken various courses at the same time…
I frequently get calls or emails from them when they need help.
I have seen many who have tried with no mentoring and they have spent up to 3 years starving and few have managed to stay in business .
Only one who did stay with me has not been successful at this time .
He is a bit shy and speaks very low , He has the knowledge but just needs some more confidence .
I have taken many out for a few inspections who saw just how much knowledge was required and they all thanked me for my time but they realized this was not the industry for them .
I was very pleased to see how much time and money they had saved 4 or 5 trips was a cheap lesson both time and money.

In Kansas, you do not need to check appliances or appliance connections. Know how to check one outlet, one switch, one window per room; and you become a home inspector in Kansas.

Like Russell I to am awaiting sound responce.

Thank you.
One fustrated HI

I see the first hand the result of; To many assocations, their HYPE, no substaence for the , janitor, airplane pilot, doctor and Enginerr that wish “TITLE” at the cheepest cost.

Some associations allow "NEGATIVE MEMBERS (most do not even inspect) TO DESCRED AT WILL. NEVR AIDING HI’S ALTHOUGH THEY SAY THEY DO, AND ATTACK THEIR ASSOCATIONS BROTHER AND SISTERS AND BREAK THEIR OATH “COE.” + “ESOP.”

Mr. Reusse. I reached out to you personally. I am still awaiting a reply.I take no offence in the silence. I am no one special but I am left trying to build a sound hypotheses and act on it…

I thought that I had by now experienced all of the good and the bad about the home inspection industry. But one can always be wrong.

The reference posted [FONT=Arial](Start here) [/FONT]tops everything. The statement that anyone can become a home inspector by buying a book for $47.00 to earn annually **$90,000 **to $120.000 happily thereafter, exceeds everything I ever read before.This promotion is certainly the most deceiving sales pitch I have ever come across.

It would be of interest to know whether the author has as well read only one book to become a *“Professional Engineer” *- or whether he has obtained his Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees by mail-order from a fictitious university.

RUDOLF REUSSE

We have you all beat in ontario where no certification at all is required nor does it seem to be governed

We have fly by Year Inspectors all the time. They always produce crap for reports and are at least $100.00 less. No Insurance either.
We also have the know it all Contractors that step in all the time making judgement calls for friends and neighbors.

Right on!:):):):slight_smile:

Good job, Roy. I knew there was something I liked about how you operate. I need to get on the Canadian MB more often.:slight_smile:

So how should I have proceeded?