Anyone with the desire and commitment can train to be a home inspector.
Updated for 2023.
Thinking about changing jobs or starting a new career? Consider becoming a certified home inspector. Contrary to what many people think, it isn’t necessary to have experience in construction, architecture, engineering or related fields to pursue a home inspector career. Men and women of all ages with backgrounds ranging from blue collar to corporate America have opted to become certified home inspectors, and with good reason.
As demand continues to rise for home inspectors throughout the country, there’s no better time than now to train to become a certified home inspector. Affordable and convenient home inspection career training is readily available, the residential real estate market is stable and home inspectors are in high demand in virtually all areas of the country. Here are six more reasons a home inspector career may be right for you:
1) Train in Your Spare Time
Training online for a home inspection career with Inspection Certification Associates is convenient. There are no time limits for completing our Home Inspector Training and Certification Program. All training materials are available online 24/7, which means you can complete the studies working at your own pace anytime and anywhere there’s an Internet connection. You can also continue to work at your current job until your training is completed and you’re ready to start your new home inspection career. Most students finish the coursework in three to four weeks, although some finish in as little as 10 days.
2) Be Your Own Boss
Take control of your career and your future by being your own boss! As an employee, you’re subject to company policies, layoffs, a structured working environment and a fixed income. When you work for yourself, you’re in control. You’re the boss and you make the decisions. You’re also responsible for your own success. Set your own policies, establish your own procedures, work the days and hours you choose and stop worrying about corporate downsizing and layoffs.
3) Work as Little or as Often as You Like
A home inspection career doesn’t necessarily need to be a full-time job. You can work as an inspector full-time and earn a good living. Home inspectors earn an average of anywhere between $50,000 and $65,000 per year, depending on where in the country you live. Some hardworking and experienced home inspectors bring in more than $90,000 annually. If you prefer, you can also choose to work part-time and still bring in enough to make it worthwhile. Some part-time home inspectors are semi-retired, while others continue to work their regular jobs and supplement their incomes by conducting home inspections during evening and weekend hours. When you’re the boss, the choices are yours.
When you’re in control of setting your own schedule, you’ll have more time to spend with your family, take a sick day if you come down with the flu or play a round of golf without feeling guilty. If you want or need to bring in more money, schedule more inspections. As with most things in life, there is, of course, a downside. Being self-employed involves a certain degree of risk and requires self-discipline and determination to succeed. Your income and success will be directly related to the amount of time and effort you’re willing to invest in your home inspection career.
4) Low Startup and Overhead Costs
Most new businesses require significant front-end investments and substantial overhead expenses once you’re up and running. Your home inspector tools and equipment might cost anywhere from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars, although all that’s needed to comply with InterNACHI Standards of Practice are a flashlight and a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) tester. Depending on the type of inspections you plan to conduct, you might want to supplement your equipment with items like gloves and safety glasses, moisture meters, a ladder, an infrared camera for detecting heat patterns through thermography or a drone for inspecting rooftops.
Many people who choose home inspector careers prefer to work from their homes. After you’ve completed your home inspector training and are starting out in your new career, there’s no need to rent, furnish, equip and staff an outside office. Most of your time will be spent in the field conducting inspections and issuing inspection reports.
5) Work For an Established Home Inspection Business
Running your own business isn’t for everyone. If you want the security and steady flow of work that comes with working for others, there are plenty of opportunities. Properly trained and certified home inspectors shouldn’t have a problem finding steady work with established home inspection companies, property consulting firms or architects. There are also opportunities with government agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or state and local building departments. A government home inspection career generally pays more than a comparable position in the private sector, and often includes health insurance, paid vacation time and similar employee benefits.
6) Provide a Much-Needed Community Service
More than 90% of today’s homebuyers hire home inspectors. Real estate agents encourage their clients to enlist the services of a professional home inspector to find out the actual condition of a house and avoid unwanted surprises after the sale is finalized. Home sellers also hire inspectors, whose reports help them set the price of the home they plan to sell. Unlike appraisers, home inspectors don’t place values on homes, but rather point out existing defects or potential problem areas.
The demand for home inspectors increases in direct proportion to the number of houses being built in the area, which results in sales of existing homes as owners sell to move up the property ladder. As long as people continue to buy and sell residential properties, there will be a demand for certified home inspectors.
Completing Inspection Certification Associates’ online home inspector training will qualify you for a home inspection career in just about every state in the country (see state licensing for the requirements in your area). Our training is fast, easy, affordable and all-inclusive, but don’t just take our word for it – see what some of ICA’s graduates have to say.
Enroll today and you’ll be on your way to an exciting and rewarding certified home inspector career!
