TOPIC: Question About Becoming a Home Inspector

Hello all I was wondering if I can have a question answered for me. I am researching what it takes to become a home inspector. Where I live (New York) the only requirements to take the courses necessary to become an inspector are a high school diploma. My question is, is it feasible to start this career without any sort of construction or anything related background or does that put you way behind the pack? Thanks

You always exploit your strengths, not your weakness' in whatever you do in life. The most important trait his having the desire and ambition to pursue a career.  If you think your'e lacking a skill...then acquire it. I would say most of the guys on this form (including myself) truly enjoy this profession and are here to continually grow, and learn.

Why are you interested in becoming a home inspector if you have no experience in the field? I would think most home inspectors have construction or other related experience which "sparked" their interest in this career. If you don't have any experience, then I would suggest getting as much training as possible before becoming a home inspector. There is much to be learned, and the more inexperienced you are, the more likely you are to overlook something, or say something wrong, and get sued. There are lots of "sue happy" clients out there just itching for a way to make a fast buck! Just sayin'

Why am I interested in becoming a home inspector? I am looking to start some career. My whole life I really did not know what I wanted to do. I was always told to do well in school and that is the ticket to everything. I did well in school went to college not knowing what I wanted to do and got a degree in something that I am not pursuing. For the last 3 years i have been working from home in web development. This is good for the time being as I search for a possible career and also aloud me to travel. I want to get serious and start in some new career and have been researching possible careers. Anyway I stumbled upon the possibility of home inspection. What I like about the possibility of home inspecting is this. I like the idea of a career where I acquire some skill or knowledge where I then go and put those skills and or knowledge to use. the job allows for some autonomy, allows me to move around and there is a prospect of making decent money and appears to be an interesting gig overall. It also is a position that allows me to meet many people and to potentially work for myself. What I do right now is beneficial as far as setting up and optimizing my site for marketing purposes.
Now I am not naive and I understand that none of this is easy and if I would pursue this direction it would be a lot of work and require time, effort and money to get started. I have a flexible that can hold me over and give me the time to acquire skills. What I want to know is if it is worth it at all with my background. Obviously there training schools advertising online that make it sound as if you take the course do the required training pass the test and your set. I know it is not as simple as that. I just want to know if it is at all likely to be able to go forward without a construction background because I am willing to put in the time and effort but not if it is not realistic for someone with my background.

Home inspectors have to know everything a plumber, electrician, roofer, framer, tiler, mason, landscaper, drywaller, deck builder, HVAC person knows.  They have to how every single profession who touches a house is supposed to do their job at least as well as they do and usually better.  They have to be able to point to an authoriative resource for each and every comment to backup what they say because all the various trades, the real estate agents, the sellers, and the buyers will question every statement.

You need to know what size, type and how many nails should be used to put together every single board in a home.  You need to know which pipe fitting should be used and if a fitting is installed upside down.  Yeah, pipes have an orientation.  You need to be able to identify the gauge and material of electrical wiring simply by looking at it.  Not just the latest kind but every kind of wiring that has ever been made or used since the beginning of time.  The list of things you need to know is endless. 

The International Code Council offers certifications that imply you know or are able to find the answer to any possible code related question.  A home inspector should ideally be able to pass the Building, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical tests.  Yeah all four tests of all four sections of code. 

The two competing Radon certification bodies offer classes and certification so you can test and report Radon levels in homes.  Of course don't forget Air Quality, Infared Thermography, Septic and Wells, Energy, and Green building.

You have to be able to run a marketing campaign, keep accounting and tax records, chase down buyers who don't pay, use a computer program to generate reports, type, run a business, advertise, all at the same time you are taking continuing education courses, inspecting homes, and writing a report.  You have to buy general liablitiy insurance in case you break something by accident in a sellers home and professional insurance known as Errors & Omissions so when the disgruntled person sues you, you have someway to defend against the law suit.

You have to buy your own health, dental and other insurance.  You don't get  paid vacations or holidays.  Somewhere you have to find one customer everyday who wants to buy a house and would prefer to pay you instead of someone else.  There is no magic list of people who want to buy a house so you have to develop some method of  identifing potential buyers and convince them you are better than every other home inspector.  People usually only buy houses every 5-10 years so not many repeat customers.

Does having a background in the trades help?  Yeah.  Being a remodeler would be the best training ground because you see what bad building techniques do to a home years later.  Then you would know why you need to have kick out flashing. 

One of your points was so you could move around.  It takes about 3 years to generate enough of a following to support yourself fulltime as a home inspector.  Building materials and common practices vary from area to area even though most follow a standardized code.  You would have to take an additional 3 years to rebuild your business everytime you move.  And you would have to become aquainted with the local pecularities of each area.  Home inspectors don't move around.

You have to enter attics in the summer when the typical temperature is 150 degrees and spend up 20 minutes sweating while inspecting the structrual framing, insulation, wiring, plumbing and HVAC systems without falling thru ceilings or jabbing yourself in the head with roofing nails.  Then you get to crawl through wet and cold crawlspaces in the winter fighting off snakes, spiders, and animal feces to pull down insulation to show where the subfloor has rotted away under a leaking toilet.

There are dozens of schools that offer a 2-3 week course in how to become a home inspector.  Yes, you can become a home inspector without a background.  Unless you REALLY love buildings and think reading and memorizing codes books is exciting, you are not likely to enjoy it or last long.

There are dozens of schools that offer a 2-3 week course in how to become a home inspector.  Think you would be ready to bet your entire life savings and everything you own or will ever own that you did not overlook something and are willing to go to court to prove it after a 3 week course?

Very well said, Bruce. There is no way I could elaborate on or disagree with anything you covered here. Sounds like you were describing my life! Here's a Karma ;D.