Consumer Information
Applicants were previously required to perform 200 inspections under a Licensed Categorized Professional Inspector (different from "Inspector In Training" or "Inspector") before being allowed to take the exam for Professional Inspector status. Very few applicants were hired by those holding a license that qualified them to train an individual as an inspector because most Professional Inspectors were/are particularly selective. Typically a person who became sponsored as an Inspector in Training had a background in construction, technical trades, or the like that would complement their transition to becoming an Inspector. Now applicants enter schools regardless of their background paying high tuitions for good informative education classes but without ever completing one home inspection. This means that a majority of licensees with license. # 4800 and greater may not have the experience needed to provide an accurate and informative report to the Buyer. Many new inspectors have lots of presence through advertising, websites, yellow pages, etc., boasting many years of experience, lots of accreditations to their name but if you investigate their license number you will see that they have limited experience in the inspection field.
Questions you should ask when selecting an inspector:
- What is your license number?
- How long have you been a full time inspector?
- What did you do before you became an inspector?
- How many inspections have you personally completed?
Price should not be the determining factor for selecting your home inspector. Inspectors are all required to work by the Texas Real Estate Commission guidelines but this does not mean that all Property Inspection Reports or Inspectors are equal. Inspection knowledge is gained by practicing the trade and having numerous experiences under ones belt.