Home Inspector Salary: What You Need to Know

Homes are one of the single most costly assets that a man or a woman builds during their lifetime. Keeping it up to date requires regular inspections. Insurance has made it a mandatory prerequisite that all homeowners see to regular home inspections barring which the insurance can become null or void. For this reason, home inspectors are now in great demand. No wonder there is rising interest in becoming one as well. So today, we shall deal with the basics of becoming a home inspector, including the very basic home inspector salary .

On average, a home inspectors’ salary in the United States is around $58,000. It translates to around $450 per inspection, which is roughly $28 an hour. Therefore, depending on the state in which you operate, you can earn approximately $91,000 annually. In the case of self-employed home inspectors, the salary depends on the number of inspections you can fit in.

1. Home inspectors employed by the government have a salary package that includes paid annual leave, health insurance, and a retirement plan. It is an apparent truth that Government agencies pay more as compared to private firms. 

2. As a self-employed home inspector or one employed by a private firm, you need to possess a health insurance plan and a disability policy along with liability insurance.

Wanting to become a home inspector and going about it the right way is important. To become a certified home inspector, here’s what you need to do:

1. Establish What The State Requires – The first thing to do is to figure out the state laws in context to becoming a home inspector. If you don’t know what the law dictates, you will not know where to begin. Essentially speaking, you are looking for information regarding age criteria, educational qualifications, GED score, etc.

2. Find A Suitable Training Facility – Okay, now that you fulfill all the basic requirements set by the state law to become a home inspector, you need to find a suitable facility for training. The state should recognize these institutes or training facilities. Some such schools of knowledge are the Professional Home Inspection Institute, the American Home Inspectors Training Institute , the American Society of Home Inspectors, etc.

3. Apply For Training – Once you have figured out which training facility you are going to learn from, apply for training. Ideally, you will have the option to choose either an online or offline medium for training. Learning how to read blueprints and attending conferences will add to your profile. On average, 75 hours of training is required to become a certified home inspector.

4. On The Job Training –  You need to have a coach or mentor whom you can accompany on inspection calls to learn the finer nuances of trade and gain live hands-on experience. The other choice is to apply as a trainee in a home inspection agency. Both methods are good and equally effective.

5. Certification – Finally, you will have to sit for the certification exam and clear it to become a certified home inspector. Depending on the state in which you want to work, you will have to take the National Home Inspectors Exam. The other requirements for certification include completing fixed hours of study, working on a specific number of home inspections under able supervision, and maybe even performing a home inspection and submitting its evaluation report.

1. Your job title will be Home Inspector.
2. If you are working for an agency or a company, your office location will be on their premises. In case you are self-employed, it could be your home or any other location of your choosing.
3. Your job description would be to carry out an indoor and outdoor physical inspection of the building to evaluate its condition, mention the problem areas and submit a written report of all your findings.
4. The key skills you would require are an eye for detail, a keen understanding of blueprints, construction, and architecture, and effective verbal and written communication.
5. The potential employers would consist of people who are looking to sell their dwelling or residence. Sometimes even a new buyer may decide to hire a home inspector to verify the home’s physical condition.

Becoming a home inspector is a lucrative career option no matter in which part of the world you live. As long as people live in homes (which is always), your profession will definitely be in demand. There will be people looking to buy homes and those who are selling them, so people will need your services to validate the physical structure for its viability. Therefore, if there is one thing you can be sure of, it’s that your job will always be in demand.

As a home inspector, be assured that you can make a hell of a lot of money. Raking in big bucks is a given if you can fit several home inspections a day into your schedule. Nevertheless, laws are so stringent that you have to cross all the “t’s” and dot all the “i’s.” It means you need to do something solid and proper. Failing to do an accurate job will be the end of your career. Therefore, laws are in place to safeguard the interests of all parties concerned. 

Home inspectors are the need of the day. It is a profession that pays well, provided you have completed the training and acquired certification. Without training and certification, you cannot become a home inspector. On the sidelines, completing courses on design, architecture, and engineering will add to your portfolio. Now you know there are no shortcuts; rather, a lot of hard work is involved in becoming a home inspector. We wish you all the best in the journey ahead.