Check to see if the program covers essential inspection items such as roofing, the foundation, interior work, electrical work, plumbing, heating systems, cooling systems, structural fatigue, and the like. Also look for programs that can teach you to inspect a wide variety of building types including condominiums, townhouses, apartments, skyscrapers, residential homes, prefabricated buildings, and new construction projects.
If you go with the community college choice, consider taking additional courses in algebra, geometry, writing, and anything that might contribute to reading of blueprints and construction skill-building. If you select a vocational school, in addition to the program coverage from the earlier step and the certification from the following step, try to go with a good record of career placement.
The inspection program should include field training, provisions for state licensing in the states that have them, and preparation for the national and state exams you need to pass.
Some mentoring programs are highly structured, and will thoroughly lay out your schedule as you shadow your more experienced partner. If your mentor is not as “hands on” as you would like, ask for more attention or another partner. In either the job or vocational setting, you need to be shadowing inspections, learning codes, techniques, terminology, and developing communication skills with other inspectors, customers, as well as subjects.
You might ask your prospective program how they handle this aspect, if they have a mentoring program as referenced in the earlier step, and how many hours of this they provide towards certification. Compare how much field experience you can get on the job and in programs to what you need for the license you apply to.
The national exam is usually based off of the test created by one of two groups: The American Society of Home Inspectors or the National Association of Home Inspectors. These exams will cover the subjects including the building site, exteriors, roofing, garages, attics, exterior structures, interior structures, foundations, environmental hazards, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, electrical systems, air and water quality, plumbing, codes of conduct and ethics.
The courses can be expensive, several hundreds of dollars, so be sure this will benefit you. If you can ask about the test question types, and what else to expect from those that have taken it, do so.
A run through the test, even an old one under test conditions can be a help to your performance on the test later on. This test is usually computerized at this time, but the practice questions and timing can be simulated. Do this a few times to improve your score and timing.
When applying for the test, you will need to provide your full name, home address, social security number, telephone number, date of birth, exam date, and test center location. Upon arrival at the test you will need your application confirmation number, examination fee (unless already paid), two forms of identification (ask the test center what is accepted if unsure–usually one must be a photo-identification like a driver’s license), the score report of the previous tests if this is a retake, and name of the exam(s) you are taking this time.
Different states can require different levels of education, specific additional exams, additional field experience, and liability insurance.
Inspectors should expect to move in and out of buildings frequently, and in and around all of the spaces that make up the structures they inspect. This job requires the ability to explain problems found during inspections to those that hired the inspector and those that were inspected. This includes translating what may be technical architectural terms into something non-specialists can understand. Having some knowledge and being able to perform construction can help inspectors with certification. Being able to understand, use, and investigate complex mechanical systems is also something that is useful. In the field, using these systems can happen Expect to have to look into the details of your assignments. Inspectors frequently have to multi-task and handle close examination of several construction activities simultaneously without overlooking any of their individual components.
When you reach this stage of your career development, review your program’s career links to see if they have any deals with existing companies or government agencies that may get you employment. Some categories of jobs for building inspectors include local government departments, construction contractors, architecture firms, real estate businesses, and home owners. Getting a job is best done through your original training program if they offer placement assistance. Other ways to get jobs include listings at government employment commissions, hiring agencies. Make sure that the jobs you look for are in areas your certification will be valid.
There are many paths to [Start-Your-Own-Business| starting your own business]. Make sure you check your state and city ordinances if you go this route. In addition to your certification for inspection, there will be other business licenses you may need. Consult Federal assistance programs for start up businesses as well. These can help you with networking, financing, and ideas for gathering clients. Think about joining your local, state, and federal chambers of commerce to improve your business’s visibility and ability to get inspection contracts.
This pay reflects mostly full-time work during the business day–though workloads can increase during periods of disaster, site accidents, or heavy construction months. Approximately 11 percent of inspectors were self-employed.
Multiple-field experience inspectors are the highest in demand, especially by the government. These are inspectors with specialties in engineering, architecture, electrical systems, etc. . . Larger locales favor specialized inspectors while smaller areas favor inspectors that are more broadly skilled.
