How to Become a Home Inspector in Texas

To become a home inspector in Texas, you must be at least 18 years old.

To become a home inspector in the state of Texas, individuals must obtain a home inspection license. Being a home inspector means having a technical mind, enjoying meeting and working with people, willing to learn and take initiative, being organized and having an interest in construction. Home inspection can be a very challenging yet rewarding career. Home inspectors normally inspect homes for buyers. They normally look at the building's interior and exterior, describing the building's condition in reports.

Things You'll Need

• Inspector license (one of the three)
• U.S. citizenship

Instructions

1. Request an evaluation for an education. In order to become a home inspector in the state of Texas, applicants must be at least 18 years old and a legal U.S. citizen or a legal alien. Applicants must also be legal residents of the state of Texas and undergo a thorough background check. Before applying for a license, an individual must request for an evaluation of experience and education.

2. Complete courses in home inspection. Home inspectors must undergo a total of 320 classroom hours of training in order to be certified. Various organizations offer different courses that should further assist one in the certification of becoming a home inspector. Courses in home inspection may include electrical training, roofing, HVAC, plumbing and heating, writing an inspection report, interiors and exteriors of a property and how to start your own home inspection business in Texas.

3. Apply for a license. There are three types of licenses for home inspectors, which include a real estate inspector license, an apprentice inspector license and a professional inspector license. In order to obtain an apprentice inspector license, you must be sponsored by a licensed professional instructor, and you must pay a $35 licensing fee. The apprentice inspector application form must be filled out as well. In order to obtain a real estate inspector license, you must complete a minimum of 90 classroom hours in a real estate inspection course and pay a fee of $45. You must also pass an exam in which afterward you must pay a fee of $65. You must fill out the real estate inspector license application form. For the professional inspector license, you must complete 128 classroom hours in a real estate inspection course. There is a $60 application fee for this license as well as a $61 exam fee.

References

• Texas Real Estate Commission: Information