Half of home inspection is writing a report that is delivered to your client.? Proper spelling, grammar, puncation, spaceing, etc. is an important skill to have and practice.? Public forums are a represenation of your skills.? A occasional misspelled word is acceptable and generally overlooked.? Your opening post does not represent you well.
More certifications are better than fewer.? You can never tell what attracts a particular client.? The most revalent ICC certifications would be the R5 or Residental Combo Inspector which means you have passed the B1, E1, P1, and M1 tests.? ? Commerical certifications may win over some clients because if you know commerical, somehow that is a notch better than residential.? Commerical and residental are built to different codes so actually knowing commerical is not particualy useful on a daily basis for home inspections.? Residential knowledge is more useful. I recommend earning your R5 and not worry about commerical.
Passing the National Home Inspector Exam shows you hold a national certification not just a local certification.? It is also a requirement for half the licensed states and 2 of the national associations.? $225 well spent money.
Of course if you are going to test Radon, get nationally certified. 2 day course and test for about $500. Something to set you apart from the other inspectors. You are certified, they are not. Who you gonna hire?
Association membership is useful.? Useful for marketing.? Useful for networking.? Useful for continuing education.? There are 3 national associations who all claim they are better than the other two.? They each serve a niche market.? Nachi is good at online training for inspectors.? ASHI and NAHI are good for local chapters to network, education and local legislative issues.? CREIA is widely recognized within California. They each have their faults and nut cases. Try to ignore the chest thumping and name calling and look for what they each do best.
Tools and equipment.? Read and learn the SOP you plan on using.? None of the state or association SOPS require the use of anthing more than a flashlight, 4 ft stepladder, screwdriver.? I believe a moisture meter is a must.? Surveymaster protimeter is my preferred tool.? I use a $3 stick thermometer to check water temps and AC drop temps.? Laser thermometers dont check air temp effectively but they make great laser pointers.? I replaced all my hand tools with electrially insulated tools about a year ago.? Increases my safety for just a few bucks.? They also say to the customer, he is using contractor grade tools, not just discount stuff.? Builds their confidence in your abilities as an inspector.? I found a $50 face respirator a must have for crawlspaces.? I was coughing and hacking after every crawlspace.? Respirator protects me.? Again shows to the customer that you are professional, not just a trunk slammer.
Thermographer is the great debate now. Is it worth spending $5000-$10,000 on equipment and training for residential home inspections? Everything I have read is that people who have them, make their money on commerical jobs. It is a kewl toy to wave around in front of clients and agents but few clients are willing to spend an extra $350 for a dedicated inspection. Prices on equipment have come down and quality gone up. When they reach about $1000-$1500 for a good camera, then my guess is the market will shift and most inspectors will get them.
Join your local association chapter, Ask if you can go on ride-a-longs with as many inspectors as you can. Buy the inspector lunch. Don't bother his clients. Keep your mouth shut and learn as much as you can. Yeah, you got decades of general contractor but it is different being an inspector. You are starting a new career with different skills. You will likley be suprised at what inspectors really know vs what contractors think inspetcors know.
