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R ick Bunzel from Pacific Crest Inspections spoke to our group today about the new licensing requirements for Home Inspectors that goes into effect this July. Currently anybody can go print up some business cards and get into the home inspecting business, all that is required is a license from the State pertaining to Structural Pest inspecting, which is easy to get, and nothing is required for the non-pest related inspection of the home which is really what you are hiring an inspector for.
As of July 2009, Home Inspectors will have to pass a state exam, and apply for a license at a cost of around $1,000 total. They will also have to complete 24 hours of Continuing Education per year to maintain that license. New inspectors will have to complete 120 hours of classroom instruction in board-approved course, and they will also need 30 hours of field training supervised by a licensed home inspector in good standing. Existing inspectors, if they have been actively performing inspections for at least two years and have completed at least 100 home inspections will be exempt from the 120 hour classroom and field training requirements. A Structural Pest Inspectors License will no longer be required, and unfortunately Liability or Errors & Omissions insurance will not be a requirement either.
What this means to the home buying public is that by the end of 2009, when you hire an inspector, the pool of available inspectors will have shrunk a bit and the quality of inspector available will rise. Over the course of time, the quality of inspector we see will definitely be a more educated and involved inspector and one would assume we’d see fewer problems with inspections. This is a good change for everyone involved I think, and a change that most inspectors are embracing as it elevates and brings additional credibility to their profession. Rick Bunzel was a part of the Washington Home Inspectors Legislative Advisory Group and had a hand in crafting the new licensing requirements.
