TOPIC: Question About Becoming a Home Inspector

Unlike Scott, I'm on the other side of the spectrum. I fell off my first house when I was five years old!

My dad and uncle's had a construction Corporation.

Over time I actually worked for our subcontractors both on and off site.

I owned a restoration company and competed with "This Old House" in Massachusetts.

I was a Special Agent for the Department of the Army and inspected construction fraud cases.

I was a real estate broker.

I was an HVAC systems design/service engineer.

I never aspired to be a home inspector, I never even knew such a thing existed!

After I busted up my back when a 10 ton compressor dangling from a crane got out of control, I met an old family friend's daughter (I had never met before) who moved to Nashville and became a real estate agent. She had just divorced her husband who is the president of a major Fortune 500 Company. She was selling houses to her husband's executives in the winter and in the spring their air-conditioners didn't work!

In my decrepit physical state I offered to do inspections for her as a paid personal favorite (paid upon her request).

There was no state licensing law.

I held more licenses in my past life than any home inspector would need.

This real estate agent was my marketing firm. For nine years I had nothing but a business card. 100% referral. My business expanded to a point where I could not drive 50 miles back home at the end of an inspection day and get back for the following mornings inspection. I had to stay in a local hotel (one closest to my next mornings inspection) so I could get my reports done.

The real estate market was flooded with buyers that were purchasing "sight unseen"! Kind of scary when they are relying on you to be their eyes and ears! Consider today's market.

This all started in 1995 and in spite of all the reality of what people posted above (inspection conditions can be challenging), I'm still here!

Still learning!
Scott and I just attended a geotechnical - structural class a couple weeks ago. The learning keeps on for as long as you're in this business (whether it's required by the state or not).

The short of the long is that sometimes we all just fall into the slots that make up a home inspector and some enter the field with a fresh new look, not knowing or caring what everybody else did, does or wants to achieve in this business.

Your biggest challenge is going to be when someone asks you what you would do about a particular issue and you have no background. However, it is not part of any home inspection standard that you must do this. There's a lot of things in this business that simply is not your job, unless you elect to do so.

Different home buyers expect different things from their home inspectors. I don't do a lot of inspections but the ones I do are enormous. I may spend two days on one inspection. I may spend a week on a commercial inspection.

Some buyers that call me just need someone to take their house for a "test drive" and comment on what they "see". Home inspection is a "visual inspection". This means that in all reality (though not recommended) all you need is a flashlight and a screwdriver (to open an electrical panel) to be a home inspector.

Get a copy of your state home inspection law or an association of your choice "standard of practice" and be 100% clear in your own mind what you are and are not required to do as a home inspector.

As you design your websites, don't paint yourself as Superman like so many try to do. Your new, everybody's going to know this. Realtors are professional marketers and you can't pull the wool over their eyes.

Simply tell your story of why you want to be there and that you're going to do the best job possible within the scope of your responsibility.

There are people in other businesses (like HVAC, electricians, plumbers etc.) that you can work with in the areas in which you are not proficient. Commercial building inspectors seldom have the time to personally inspect a 250,000 to 1,000,000 ft.� building themselves. General contractors cannot build an entire house all by themselves!

Home inspectors spend so much time trying to "out-do" the other inspector, they lose sight of their mission and subsequently diminish their proficiency when trying to take on too many things and cram them into a home inspection.

Radon testing, mold testing, sewer inspections, HVAC inspections, roof inspections, chimney inspections, etc..., you've seen this already I'm sure. Every time you add a service, you tend to diminish the initial home inspection.

I find it very difficult to focus on the home inspection requirements when my clients request the additional services that I provide. Thankfully, they're not really looking for a home inspection in the first place. They have something specific on their mind that they want to know about and they forgive my inability to 100% focus on the home inspection. I simply do the best I can with the time allotted. I do not do silly things like Mold Testing when the other inspections I do identify the source, location and conditions that will promote mold colonization whether it's currently active are not. There is mold in every house, it's the Petri dish inside the home from moisture issues that make it thrive. If I need to know about mold, I hire someone more proficient than I to work on the project.

So I recommend you learn to be the best "home inspector" you can and stick to that. Get with your family members that are real estate agents to help you with the marketing side. Find a network of subcontractors that you can bring in or call up and get an answer to your questions.

You can then expand from there and focus on what type of inspections you want to evolve into. When my Realtor friend (who performed 95% relocation sales) told me that 100% of her relocation clients needed radon testing , I went to Auburn University and learned about radon testing as well as mitigation. Your people will tell you what you need to improve on. Listen to them, they pay your bills.

just my perspective....

Great post David! I can tell you like Dragon

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

Mike, I hope I am not too late and you get to see this.
So far this year I will have seen 41 students from six different states come through my classroom. Although most have construction backgrounds, two of the best, and currently most successful students I have had didn't know a lick about construction. One was a retired printer/ graphic artist and the other was construction estimator (no field experience at all). The received the highest test scores and have done the most in the shortest amount of time with their business.

Most of my students with construction backgrounds feel disadvantaged when they come to class for a while. There seems to be a pre-installed chip on their shoulder, with the feeling that "I got this". Home inspection is looking at a house in a different way that you would ever have done previously. You are not as concerned with every nail and screw, as you are concerned with the "performance" of the nails and screws. You will see the failures of the systems that are done improperly.

Having said all of that, don't get involved if you don't have a REAL desire to do this. It will take up your time until you are established (and then some after). It is not a get rich quick scheme, although you cam do very well with a career in home inspection.

Good luck with whatever you decide. If you decide to go ahead with it, you have 100 hours in a classroom and 40 hour field training ahead of you.

Drew

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

Mike, I hope I am not too late and you get to see this.
So far this year I will have seen 41 students from six different states come through my classroom. Although most have construction backgrounds, two of the best, and currently most successful students I have had didn't know a lick about construction. One was a retired printer/ graphic artist and the other was construction estimator (no field experience at all). The received the highest test scores and have done the most in the shortest amount of time with their business.

Most of my students with construction backgrounds feel disadvantaged when they come to class for a while. There seems to be a pre-installed chip on their shoulder, with the feeling that "I got this". Home inspection is looking at a house in a different way that you would ever have done previously. You are not as concerned with every nail and screw, as you are concerned with the "performance" of the nails and screws. You will see the failures of the systems that are done improperly.

Having said all of that, don't get involved if you don't have a REAL desire to do this. It will take up your time until you are established (and then some after). It is not a get rich quick scheme, although you cam do very well with a career in home inspection.

Good luck with whatever you decide. If you decide to go ahead with it, you have 100 hours in a classroom and 40 hour field training ahead of you.

Drew

Nice. Drew the class part of it does not worry me. As far as memorization and test taking that has always been my strong area. I just want to feel like I know what I am doing out there. Did those students begin working after the mandated field training or did they still get more practice in afterwards?

Mike, if you can make it down to Drew's school, I highly recommend it. He does a great job with his guys.

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

Mike, I hope I am not too late and you get to see this.
So far this year I will have seen 41 students from six different states come through my classroom. Although most have construction backgrounds, two of the best, and currently most successful students I have had didn't know a lick about construction. One was a retired printer/ graphic artist and the other was construction estimator (no field experience at all). The received the highest test scores and have done the most in the shortest amount of time with their business.

Most of my students with construction backgrounds feel disadvantaged when they come to class for a while. There seems to be a pre-installed chip on their shoulder, with the feeling that "I got this". Home inspection is looking at a house in a different way that you would ever have done previously. You are not as concerned with every nail and screw, as you are concerned with the "performance" of the nails and screws. You will see the failures of the systems that are done improperly.

Having said all of that, don't get involved if you don't have a REAL desire to do this. It will take up your time until you are established (and then some after). It is not a get rich quick scheme, although you cam do very well with a career in home inspection.

Good luck with whatever you decide. If you decide to go ahead with it, you have 100 hours in a classroom and 40 hour field training ahead of you.

Drew

Nice. Drew the class part of it does not worry me. As far as memorization and test taking that has always been my strong area. I just want to feel like I know what I am doing out there. Did those students begin working after the mandated field training or did they still get more practice in afterwards?

Most of the students do between 12 and 16 inspections. I allow them more if they don't feel ready. The normal process for NIBI is, we start classes and after the second week of classes I start the field training. I don't believe in holding students back. The field training helps the students understand what we are looking at with the Power Point slides and the textbook. I also start them on report writing right away. I want a report emailed to me prior to going on the next field training inspection. The reports get critiqued for SOP compliance and hopefully the next one improves. We also promote the use of HIP for the reports, although not mandatory. 
We also urge taking the NHIE right after the completion of classes. The information is fresh and we see notably higher test scores when this is done.

Now for the bad part, 60% of our students go on after the classes are done. Keep in mind that these are mostly construction types. I get many students from workforce development and they really don't have their head and hearts in the game. Others can't really get rid of that per-installed chip on their shoulder that I mentioned before. Others underestimate what it takes to stay in this business. (even though part of every course module is dedicated to it) Those that get the marketing and customer service portion, remain in business and are very successful. Those that don't...well, keep on looking for something to do.