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Getting started in home inspection

Steps to go from a background in construction, real estate, or a trades career to running a legitimate solo home inspection business.

  1. 1

    Decide on a certification path

    Compare InterNACHI (single membership fee bundles certification and continuing education) against ASHI (separate application, dues, and exam fee) — both are widely recognized by real estate agents and clients, so pick based on cost structure and which is more recognized in your local market.

  2. 2

    Check your state's licensing requirements

    About 35 states require a home inspector license with its own exam, insurance minimums, and renewal fee — a handful of states (California, Michigan, Wyoming among them) have no state licensing requirement at all, so confirm your state's specific rules before taking paying clients.

  3. 3

    Get E&O and general liability insurance

    Errors & omissions coverage is close to essential in this profession given the liability exposure of a missed defect — budget realistically for a combined E&O/GL policy rather than treating it as optional overhead.

  4. 4

    Buy core equipment

    A moisture meter and a thermal imaging camera are the baseline diagnostic tools clients now expect; add a solid ladder, an outlet tester, and a flashlight/inspection light before your first paid job.

  5. 5

    Choose inspection report software

    Pick a report-writing tool (Spectora, HomeGauge, or similar) that lets you generate a polished, photo-annotated PDF report the same day as the inspection — fast turnaround is a real competitive expectation in this market, not a nice-to-have.

  6. 6

    Draft a pre-inspection agreement

    Have a signed agreement in place before every inspection that defines scope against a named standard of practice, excludes inaccessible areas, and sets a liability limit — this is the document that actually protects you when a buyer later disputes what the inspection did or didn't catch.

  7. 7

    Set your pricing by square-footage tier

    Build a sliding-scale price list by home size (not a single flat rate for every home) grounded in a target hourly rate, and price specialty add-ons like radon, mold, and well/septic testing separately from the base inspection fee.