Pennsylvania / Home Inspection Certification/License Requirements
Requirements for Home Inspectors in Pennsylvania
PHII's Online Home Inspection Training and Certification Course meets Pennsylvania requirements for home inspectors. PA inspectors must comply with the Pennsylvania Trade Practice Act 114 of 2000, Title 68, which requires home inspectors to:
1) Be a full member in good standing of a national, not-for-profit home inspection association that requires 100-inspections for full membership*
2) Comply with that association's code of conduct and education policy
3) Maintain errors and omissions, and general liability insurance coverage
4) Provide a copy of the report to the property seller, upon request
5) Not perform repairs on a house inspected within the last 12 months
*NAAHI meets this requirement
After completing the PHII course, you will receive a free $199 one-year membership in the North American Association of Home Inspectors. NAAHI is a nationally-recognized non-profit home inspector association that grants full membership when you have completed or participated in 100 inspections that can include scheduled ride-alongs and other experience under the direct supervision of a compliant home inspector. (There are many inspectors who will provide this service, however YOU are responsible for setting up and paying for your supervised inspections, which in most cases will involve travel and additional cost, and for keeping a log of your inspections). NAAHI will issue a Full Member Letter of Compliance when you have completed your supervised inspections, which you may show to clients and realtors to demonstrate that you are a compliant home inspector.
More Info:
PHII's certification course meets all Pennsylvania requirements for home inspectors including the Pennsylvania Trade Practice Act (Act 114 of 2000, Title 68) which requires inspectors to be a member of a nationally recognized not for-profit home inspector association such as the North American Association of Home Inspectors (NAAHI), and maintain errors and omissions and general liability insurance.
New Bill information (January 2016):
PHIC (ASHI Penn chapter) supports SB81
HB 1421/PN 1978 (Helm/R-Dauphin) The Home Inspector Licensing Act regulates home inspectors; provides for funds, for licensure, for disciplinary action, for remedies and for penalties; and repeals provisions relating to home inspections. Portions are effective immediately, portions are effective in two years, and the remainder is effective in 60 days.
Status: Professional Licensure
SB 81/PN 57 (Greenleaf/R-Bucks) amends Title 68 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (Real and Personal Property), to establish a board and licensure requirements for home inspectors. Creates a state licensure requirement for home inspectors practicing in Pennsylvania. Also, to oversee the licensure process, the legislation establishes the Pennsylvania Board of Home Inspectors within the Department of State�s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs. The board will include the Commissioner of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, five home inspectors, two public members, and the Attorney General or designee. The board will issue licenses to qualified home inspectors, and make sure that practicing home inspectors meet all of the requirements of the law including continuing education. The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that the important role of home inspectors in a real estate transaction is competently and ethically performed.
Status: Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
Biennial Licensing Requirements
(1) Be of good moral character.
(2) Be 18 years of age or older.
(3) Have successfully completed high school or its equivalent.
(4) Satisfactorily complete a board-approved training program or course of study involving the performance of home inspections; such study program shall be for no less than 120 hours of instruction and include no less than 40 hours of actual in-field training.
(5) Satisfactorily complete a board-approved examination
(6) Pay the fee set by the board.
Required insurance.--A home inspector shall maintain professional liability insurance in the performance of a home inspection, with coverages of not less than $100,000 per occurrence and $500,000 in the aggregate.
SB 81 Grandfathering
(1) Be at least 18 years of age.
(2) Have passed a written examination to test competence in home inspection practice.
(3) Have completed no less than 250 fee-paid inspections over the three years immediately preceding publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin that the regulations required under section 5 have been adopted and are in effect.
(4) Show proof of professional liability insurance
HB Grandfathering (2 years)
(1) Is an active professional home inspector.
(2) Good moral character, 18 years or older, high school or its equivalent.
(3) Submits proof satisfactory to the bureau that the
applicant has:
(i) been in active, continuous practice for at least five years immediately preceding the effective date of this section; or
(ii) completed 120 hours of instruction in home inspection and related subjects.
Certification Required: No
PHII Approved: N/A
Other Inspection Requirements for PA:
Become a Certified Home Inspector
Get trained and certified in as little as 2-3 weeks with our interactive online certification course package for home inspectors!
What You Will Master:
- The major components and systems of a home, including how these systems work together
- What systems to inspect, how to inspect them, and what not to inspect
- How to complete a professional inspection using, among other things, a pre-inspection agreement, checklist, and other tools of the trade
- Compiling and presenting a professional inspection report to your client, making use of the included easy-to-use report templates
- How to market your services, expand your business, and gain referrals.
- And much more!
Home Inspector Course Package Includes:
- Online Course
- Inspection Documents / Forms
- Computerized Flashcards & Testing
- Certificate of Completion
- Deluxe Student Manual
- Inspection Forms Guide
- Code Study Guide
- Companion Video
- Defect Recognition Video
- Toll Free Student Support
The PHII Interactive Certification Course Package is approved for pre-licensing education requirements in almost every state.
Check the State Certification page for more information about your state.
Free Bonuses: benefits you receive after passing courses
FREE INSPECTION REPORT CREATOR SOFTWARE!
We give you Inspection Report Creator software for free for 1-year when you sign up for the Home Inspector Certification Course package ($399 value!). Use the software to create narrative style reports that clients and realtors ask for!
FREE INSPECTION REPORT CREATOR SOFTWARE!We give you Inspection Report Creator software for free for 1-year when you sign up for the Home Inspector Certification Course package ($399 value!). Use the software to create narrative style reports that clients and realtors ask for!
- AHI Membership ($199 value)
1-year membership in North American Association of Home Inspectors - Marketing Templates / Certification Logos
use of certified logos and templates for flyers, brochures, business cards, and more. - InspectHost Website ($149 value)
1-year subscription: your own customizable website where your customers can find you - Discounts on Additional Training / Products
discounts on home inspector E&O insurance, continuing education, report software, and more! - Advanced Course ($395 value) FREE
continuing education or to expand your knowledge base - All included with enrollment!
After completing this comprehensive course, you will be provided with your PHII Home Inspector Certification. This detailed course is designed to teach anyone the ins and outs of home inspection, with the goal of teaching you how to become a skilled home inspector in as little as one to two weeks of interactive course instruction, testing, and in-the-field practice. In full compliance with national standards of practice, PHII's home inspection course teaches all the basic fundamentals of home inspection. The course curriculum for the interactive course is the same curriculum we use at our home inspector school live training.The self-paced, interactive course material will help you master specific learning objectives for each lesson. As you go through the course, you'll notice that each learning objective corresponds to a national standard of practice. The standards of practice referenced for home inspection apply nationwide. PHII's home inspection course uses concise, simple print - for this reason, no previous experience is required to learn about and understand the essential systems of a home. Because the course is computerized and self-paced, you can take as much time as you need to grasp the material. If you have experience in one of the building trades - framing, plumbing, or electrical, for instance - it is likely that you can finish at a much faster pace.
As you progress through the course and complete each lesson, you will have the use of interactive flash cards. Practice quizzes will test you after every lesson and give you instantaneous feedback, so you can test your knowledge immediately. Your computer (or other mobile device, such as a tablet or netbook) records the results in real-time so you can easily monitor and track your progress. There's no substitute for hands-on experience - the field activities you can perform on your own home will allow you to put your new-found knowledge to the test in real-world situations.
After you have progressed through the lessons, finished the course and passed the final exams, all the knowledge and skills needed to start a career as a professional home inspector will be in your possession.
BONUS: Online access to the Marketing & Business Development Course & Defect Recognition Course is included for FREE when you signup for the home inspector certification course package!
BONUS: Online access to the Marketing & Business Development Course & Defect Recognition Course is included for FREE when you signup for the home inspector certification course package!
The The state of Pennsylvania does not have a licensing board for home inspectors. The law states that you must be a member of one of the non-profit home inspector societies in the US.
highlights of the Pennsylvania Home Inspector Law are:
- Home inspectors are required to be a full member in good standing of a national, not-for-profit home inspection association or must be supervised by someone who is.
- Members must comply with a code of conduct and attend continuing professional education classes as an ongoing condition of membership
- Home inspectors are prohibited from performing repairs on the same house he or she inspected within the preceding 12 months.
- The party selling the property that is the subject of the inspection has the right to receive a free copy of the report upon request.
- Home inspectors must maintain insurance against errors and omissions and general liability coverage.
- A violation of this law amounts to a violation of Pennsylvania?s Consumer Protection Law.
From http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/consumers.aspx?id=299
(go to that site for the specific list of requirements)
Home Inspection Certification/License Information for Pennsylvania
As the industry grows, many states are enacting or changing legislation for home inspectors. Many Realtors, Lenders, home buyers, and home owners also want to make sure a home inspector has been properly trained and certified. PHII will give you a nationally recognized home inspector certification and the credentials you need to become a successful home inspector in Pennsylvania.
Note:
legislation is continuously changing, please check the website periodically for updates about current licensing laws or call toll free (800) 983-6322