Home Inspection Certificate

This program is approved by New York State and designed for students who are interested in conducting residential home inspections. These courses help students to become a licensed home inspector in New York State. The program prepares students to inspect the following areas of the home: structural, exterior, roof, interiors, insulation, ventilation, electrical, heating, cooling and plumbing.

Our Program

No prior experience or training is required to take this program. The program is 140 hours, 100 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of field experience. Students will be tested at the end of each module and must have a passing grade before registering for the next module. Module 4 is the basic class and must be taken before all other modules. Once all the modules are completed successfully, students will be able to take the New York State Certification Exam to become a licensed home inspector.

All our students get a free one-year membership with NACHI (National Association for Certified Home Inspectors).

Required Courses

Introduction to Home Inspection (Module 4)

Structural, Exterior and Roof (Module 1)

Interiors, Insulation, Ventilation, and Electrical (Module 2)

Heating, Cooling and Plumbing (Module 3)

Forty (40) hours of supervised field work (Module 5)

Course Descriptions

Introduction to Home Inspection (Module 4)

If you are considering a career in home inspection, this course gives an overview of the profession. Students will learn the legal liability issues and their implications for the residential inspector, the insurance coverage, disclaimers and exclusion and contracts. The Real Property Law and the Department of State Rules and Regulations will also be covered.

Module 1

Module I covers structural components, exterior components and roofing. In this module, students will learn the procedures for inspecting the different components. The specific roofing materials used on any particular house will typically be determined by the roof style, the structural support provided, climatic conditions, appearance desired, local practices and cost factors. Students will also learn the different exterior components including procedures for inspecting, wall covering doors/windows, decks, porches, balconies, walkways, etc. Structural components will include footing and foundations, basements (finish and unfinished), crawl spaces, and types of framing.

Module 2

This module covers the interior components, insulation and ventilation, and the electrical systems. Students will learn the procedures for inspecting the different components. The interior inspection of the house consist of a room by room evaluation of the structural and mechanical elements found in each room or habitable area: walls, doors/windows, floors, ceilings, stairs, steps, railings, balconies, cabinets and appliances. The module will also cover the electrical system in terms of three important characteristics, safety, capacity and convenience.

Module 3

Module 3 covers the heating, cooling and plumbing systems. Student will also learn the different types of systems within the three components. This course will cover the different types of heating and air conditioning and plumbing systems. It will also teach students to identify, inspect and perform an accurate assessment of the various systems inspectors will encounter.

Module 5

The 40-hour field inspection course will be taught by a New York State certified Home Inspector or by an Engineer or an Architect. Students will apply theory learn in class to their field assignments. Students will participate in home inspections involving several homes within the area. Students will be accompanied with either, a certified home inspector, engineer or an architect. Each student’s field work will be related to the different components covered in the 100 hour home inspection course previously taken.

Who is a Home Inspector

A Home Inspector observes and provides a written report of the systems and components of a residential building including but not limited to heating system, cooling system, plumbing system, electrical system, structural components, foundation, roof, masonry, structure, exterior and interior components or any other related residential building components.

A Typical Day

A typical workday could require you to

Inspecting the different areas of a home, e.g. roof, electrical system, ventilation
You will be reaching, climbing, and sometimes crawling. It's recommended that the most inspections per day is three (3)

Skills and Qualities for Success

A successful person in this career should have a license, have liability insurance and continuing education. The skills necessary for this career is are communicating effectively in writing, manage one's own time and the time of others.

Job Outlook

According to New York State Department of Labor, it's anticipated that in the year 2012, employment will increase.

The average entry-level salary for home inspectors is $32,000 per year. For individuals who want to work on their own can expect to make $300 to $400 per home inspection depending on the square footage of a particular home.

To download a flyer: Home Inspection Certificate