Home Inspector Training
80-Hour Qualifying Education Course
This 80-hour non-credit classroom qualifying education course is designed to give you the real-world knowledge to succeed in the field. You’ll learn about the home inspection business, report writing, ethics, and building deterioration processes as you work with an experienced instructor. This class is required by the state of Ohio. No previous knowledge is required. It also prepares you to pass the National Home Inspectors Examination.
You’ll be supplied with the course textbook and home inspection toolkit along with a temporary subscription to Palm-Tech Home Inspection Report Writing software.
To register, complete a Workforce Development and Community Education application.
40-Hour Curriculum of Experience
Once you’ve completed the 80-hour Qualifying Education course, you’re ready for this real-world 40-hour Curriculum of Experience course that takes you out to local homes to perform home inspections with our instructors. A peer review inspection consists of inspecting a home independently after a licensed home inspector has walked through the home. To pass the peer-review inspection, you need to identify at least 70% of the property’s material defects.
Steps to becoming a Licensed Home Inspector
- Take the 80-hour Classroom Qualifying Education Course.
- Take the National Home Inspector Examination. While it’s not required, it’s recommended that you take this exam after the 80-hour course. 70% is a passing score. This exam can be completed at Belmont College.
- Take the 40-hour Curriculum of Experience course, including the optional peer review inspection.
- Begin the process of registering a business name, opening a business checking account, creating business cards, and marketing ideas. Review for this process is presented in the 80-hour course.
- Obtain a general liability insurance policy ($100,000-300,000 aggregate), required for the Ohio licensing process. Options are discussed in the 80-hour course.
- Submit the Home Inspector license application to the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing. The cost of the license is $250.
- You must complete a criminal records background check for both state and FBI records. Information for this process can be found on the first and second page of the Home Inspection License Application. The Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing requests that this step not be completed until the application has been submitted.
- Once each step has been completed, the Ohio Division of Real Estate will process the application and send the license.