How to Become a Home Inspector in Ontario, Canada
A home inspector conducts detailed examinations of homes in order to determine whether there are any structural, safety and maintenance issues. The most common type of home inspection is a pre-purchase inspection. Knowledge of home construction, the Ontario Building Code and building practices in Ontario are necessary to become a home inspector in Ontario. Though it is not necessary to go through the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors (OAHI) to be a home inspector, it is recommended. It is the only way to get the designation of Registered Home Inspector in Ontario and to be able to use the OAHI logo.
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Instructions
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Become a member of the OAHI. A small fee (under $30.00 in 2010) is required to process the membership application, which can be found on their website: http://www.oahi.com. You will be granted applicant membership status.
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Fulfill training requirements, which include courses covering residential heating inspection, residential electrical inspection, defect recognition, reporting and two courses covering Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code: Building Envelope and Health & Safety. Courses are available at many community colleges in Ontario and may be available in person, by correspondence or online. The OAHI offers some courses as well. You may need to take preliminary learning assignments to qualify for some advanced courses.
The Ontario Building Code Courses are available through the OAHI on specified weekends. The Ministry of Housing in Ontario also delivers Ontario Building Code Courses. Defect Recognition and the Reporting Course necessary to fulfill OAHI requirements are only available through the OAHI.
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Complete additional coursework if you do not already possess other technical building skills or certification from the province of Ontario, such as an Ontario New Home Warranty Builder certification. When all educational requirements have been met, the OAHI will grant you associate membership status.
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Perform a minimum number of home inspections and submit these reports to the OAHI Verification Committee. Upon successful evaluation you will receive the registered home inspector accreditation.
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Tips & Warnings
Ensure that you stay aware of current issues in the industry by attending seminars and continuing your education.
It is important to ensure that you receive your training from an accredited provider. The Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI) and the OAHI, which is its provincial body in Ontario, do not recognize all commercial providers.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit building inspector,woman image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
