A whopping 72% of Americans agree that home inspections are advantageous when moving into a new home.
A home inspector looks at every potential issue such as roofing, plumbing, flooring and so on. So it’s no wonder that consumers find them crucial.
Yet there have been recent changes to the law to become a licensed home inspector.
Read on to learn how to become a home inspector in Ohio.
New Home Inspector Laws in Ohio
Senate Bill 255, a bill to reform occupational licensing, became law on January 4, 2019. With it, the creation of the Home Inspector Program was born. This program is headed by the Department of Commerce’s Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing.
Under this law, the Ohio Home Inspector Program, managed by the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing came into being.
The plan was that up until June 30, 2020, a person could conduct home inspections in the state of Ohio without a license.
But with the societal upheaval brought on by COVID-19, this date has been waived. At some future date, anyone who performs a home inspection for compensation must have a current license with the department.
Yet, with so much uncertainty, there is no knowing when this date will be or even when it will be announced by the Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing
When it comes into effect, this new law will add much-needed regulation to the buying process. It will help Americans avoid buying and selling real estate nightmares.
Requirements to Become a Home Inspector
In Ohio, to become a home inspector you will soon need a license. For which there are various requirements.
First, you must have at least 80 hours of education in the field. This could include a combination of online or in-class instruction as well as in-the-field experience.
You must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED. To be licensed, you must also pass a fingerprint criminal record check.
In order to be a home inspector, you must show proof of having general liability insurance. You also need to do 40 hours of field experience or 10 parallel inspections.
Get an Ohio Home Inspector License
In order to get a license to be a home inspector, there are various requirements. First, you must pass a fingerprint-based criminal records check.
You will also need to provide proof of eight of the following requirements:
- commercial general liability insurance with minimum policy limits of $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 in total aggregate
- prepared at least 5 home inspection reports
- performed a minimum of 200 home inspections for clients
- completed 80 hours of instruction
- passed a home inspector examination
- had a registered home inspection business in Ohio for three consecutive years
- have a license or certification or registration from another jurisdiction
- been employed as a home inspector for 36 consecutive months
- completed at least one peer review session no more than one year before April 5, 2019.
The home inspector license is valid for three years. During the three-year period, you will be required to complete 14-hours of continuing education each year. That is a total of 42 hours during the term.
National Home Inspector Examination
The National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) is proof of competency. It also fulfills all the requirements by the public and government for home inspectors.
This exam is taken at a test center on a computer. There are 200 multiple choice questions and you have four hours to write it.
The exam consists of three domains:
Domain 1: Property and Building Inspection/Site Review
Domain 2: Analysis of Findings and Reporting
Domain 3: Professional Responsibilities
The passing grade is 500 out of 800.
There is no limit to the number of times that you can write the exam if you fail it. Yet, you must wait 30 days between retakes. Each time you write the test, you will be required to pay the fee.
Be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes early to the testing center. No personal belongings including devices, food, and paper are permitted in the exam.
Ohio Home Inspector Grandfathering Requirements
The newly passed bill allows for consumers to have access to qualified inspectors by allowing grandfathering criteria.
This grandfathering process required an application to be submitted prior to January 10, 2020.
The grandfathering requirements are similar to the requirements to get a license in Ohio.
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors
Real estate agents are not mandated to provide recommendations of home inspectors to their clients. In the past, however, they would give out the business cards or contact information of home inspectors they worked with before.
Under the new state law, real estate agents are required to provide at least three names of home inspectors to their clients, if they provide any.
Naturally, Ohio real estate agents will prefer to refer home inspectors that are certified by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors.
This association is a world-leader for home inspectors. They provide free training, online testing, and certification, discounts on insurance, help with growing your business, and more.
Now You Know the Steps for How to Become a Home Inspector
Thanks for reading! Now you have the full scope on how to become a home inspector in Ohio.
Even though the date for these new requirements is not set at this point, it is best to be prepared.
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