68 | March 2020
F
or the past decade or so, the state of New
York has implemented a licensing requirement
to perform residential or commercial home
inspections. In order to obtain a license, one
must not only take a test, but apprentice with
an experienced inspector for a certain period of time and
for a prescribed number of inspections. Alternately, an in-
dividual can be grandfathered into obtaining their license
if they have performed a certain number of inspections
within a prescribed amount of time. When licensing came
into effect in New York, I was able to be grandfathered in,
due to all of my past experience.
Prior to the licensing law, anyone was legally entitled to
perform inspections, which left the public vulnerable to un-
qualified individuals doing shoddy work. Although licensing
still does not guaranty quality in an inspector, it at least is a
step in the right direction and is better than it was. So how
did folks know who to use if there was no license?
The best way was always to become affiliated with a
professional organization. These kinds of organizations
generally provided ongoing educational classes and sem-
inars, and some even had tests one had to pass to be-
come a full member. At one time or another, I was affiliated
with ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors), NAHI
(National Association of Home Inspectors), NAPI (National
Association of Property Inspectors), the American Home-
owners Foundation, the International Association for En-
ergy Economics (IAEE), the National Pest Control Associ-
Home Inspector Credentials
by Mark Jones —
