Buyer Beware: Does Your State Require Real Estate Home Inspectors to Be Certified?

If you are in the real estate market to purchase a home, you already know you must be prepared with as much information as possible, and a reputable Realtor. I have been buying houses for over twenty years and thought I had done all my homework. I was shocked to find out just recently that many states have no requirements whatsoever for the people who conduct your home inspection.

A residential home inspector is someone who makes a full inspection of the property you want to buy. Often your Realtor will recommend someone to you. The Home Inspector checks the entire property: furnace, roof, water heater, foundation, dishwasher, and many other important elements in the construction and functioning of your home. That person will fill out a written report and give it to you before you process your final home sales paperwork.

If you are buying a newly constructed home, you may not be as concerned about this. However, not all homes bought in the United States are new construction. You will not want any nasty surprises shortly after the major purchase of a house. A leaky oil tank can cost $2000 to replace. Roof repairs can start at that amount. Home Inspection is an important element that should not be skimmed over during your real estate purchase.

In some places such as the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, you must be certified by the governing authority or city to conduct public home inspections. These would include inspections for Truth in Housing and Code Inspections. However, to conduct private home inspections, there are no requirements at all in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota. There are many more states without requirements of training and certification as well.

What that means is that in many cities, the person who comes out to do your very important and required home inspection, may have no official training and no certification of any kind. Scary isn't it? Do you want someone with no training making a judgment on the status of your roof or your furnace?

Most home inspectors are trained, experienced and honest. However, it pays for you to find out exactly what the requirements are in your city and state for people to qualify as a home inspector. If you are not satisfied with the job done by the inspector recommended by your Realtor, hire a second one. It is a small fee to pay for peace of mind.

There does not seem to be a particular rhyme or reason as to why certain states have requirements and some do not. In Arkansas, there are stringent training requirements and the state demands that inspectors keep up with on-going education in their field. There are many reputable training institutes throughout the United States. ITA, Inspectors Training Association (run by Kaplan) and AHIT, American Home Inspectors Training Institute are just two.

In slow real estate markets there are few inspectors because there are few sales. However, in "hotter" markets and places where a lot of reconstruction is taking place (such as Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana) there are many inspectors.

Be smart and add this item to you list. Find out what your city and/or state requirements are for private home inspectors. If they are not required to be certified, find out what the specific experience or training is of the person hired to do your inspection.