Qualifications Required For Home Inspectors

Have you ever watched a professional conduct a home inspection, either before you bought a home or on a television program, and wondered: I wonder how that person became a home inspector? Many do, especially if they've gone through a career crisis and are considering a different type of employment. If you're thinking you might like to start a new career as a home inspector, this article will give you an idea of the kinds of qualifications that are required.

Unlike other career fields, like oil drilling or teaching, there is no one specific post secondary program that will train you to become a home inspector. Home inspectors come from a variety of backgrounds, but what they all have in common is a talent for defect recognition and experience with construction. There may be some specialized courses at career colleges on different aspects of the job, but in order to be really qualified you need a breadth of experience.

There is no certification process in Canada for home inspectors, which means there's really no one out there who's going to check up on whether or not you're doing your mold inspection in Calgary correctly for example. However, some provinces have professional associations you can join. It also helps to be a member of the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors and to voluntarily seek out the title of National Home Inspector from the National Home Inspector Certification Council in order to demonstrate your commitment to quality for your clients. Some clients may even know enough to look for someone with these qualifications.

In addition to the technical knowledge needed to recognize if a home meets the building code standards in the area where it's built, home inspectors also need good interpersonal skills. During a home inspection, you might have to deal with an angry homeowner who doesn't want you in her home or a buyer who expects you to gut the house looking for flaws. You may even have to deal with lawsuits resulting from issues you overlooked or advice that buyers chose to ignore. Since most of your business will come from word of mouth, the impression you make on clients is important. Hopeful new home owners happily accept referrals and you should too.

Most home inspectors are self employed. Some building contractors may do the odd job on the side for extra income while others will devote their entire energies to starting their own inspection firm. If you don't have the business knowledge to run your own company, you can always try to get hired by a company that manages a number of home inspectors, sending them on jobs like they were cab drivers or temporary office workers.

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