Help Desk (Call or Email: support@ati-training.com for FAST Reply).

If your state is not listed above, currently home inspectors are not licensed in that state. 

Licensing requirements do change, so please check with us. 

ATI will fully prepare and qualify you for your home inspection career in both licensing and non-licensing states. 

Our courses are state-specific to ensure you have the knowledge needed not only to pass your licensing exams, but also to properly conduct your business in your state.

Step Two

• Take an honest valuation of yourself. 
• As a qualified home inspector, you will be responsible for determining the safety and quality of all aspects of a home from foundation to roof. 
• You will need to have a thorough understanding of how homes are built and maintained.    
• Although most inspectors start out with experience in construction, it is not required. 
• People from all backgrounds have become successful home inspectors after completing our training. 
• If you are willing to work hard and to learn, you too can become a fruitful home inspector.    

Step Three

• Evaluate your business and customer service skills. 
• Knowing the technical aspects of home inspections is the first piece, good people skills are the second most important skills to becoming a successful home inspector. 
• To obtain and maintain clients you will need to build relationships with homeowners and realtors. 
• Home inspectors obtain the majority of their business from realtor referrals.      

Step Four

• Get trained and obtain your license (if a license is required). 
• There are many training options available to you.  Some schools offer a standard, cookie-cutter course that is not state-specific, which may or may not prepare you for your licensing requirements. 
• ATI’s courses are state-specific and we have offerings in over 40 states to qualify YOU for your home inspection career. 
• You are already doing this!

Step Five 

• Join the All American Association of Home Inspectors (AAAHI). 
• There is no cost for ATI’s graduates to join AAAHI.  When you join, you are helping your career. 
• This association offers top-notch education, mentoring, certifications, and networking opportunities to help you grow your business.  
• Getting fully qualified with AAAHI requires work, it shows your clients you are serious about your career. 
• This is even more important in states that don’t require licensure, the best way to show your potential clients that you are committed to your career is to be trained, qualified and a member of an association such as AAAHI.  
• Visit www.aaahi.org today!    

Step Six

Determine how you will obtain work.  There are several ways you can begin inspecting.  You can work for someone else, start your own business, or purchase a franchise.  Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of each.    

Working for an existing inspection firm

This is the easiest way to get started working.  The firm will already be established with its brand, marketing, certifications and stable list of clients.  You will be able to start working right away with little to no start-up costs. 

The downside to working for someone else is you will make less money.  As an independent contractor, you will pay the firm anywhere from 30-60% of the inspection fee charged.  Although your start-up costs will be low, you will still need to pay for your licensing fees, tools, vehicle and some companies make you purchase your own insurance. 

Starting your own inspection firm

If you start your own inspection firm, you control every aspect of your company.  Your earning potential is only limited by how much you are willing to work and market yourself.  A single inspector conducting 7 inspections per week, charging $350 per inspection, would have a gross income over $127,000 per year.  Now imagine recruiting new inspectors to work for you, the income potential is unlimited.  

While the earning potentials are unlimited, there are expenses and risks to starting our own business.  Expenses include tools, insurance, advertising, and automobile maintenance.  

Purchasing a franchise

Another option is to purchase a franchise.  When you purchase into a franchise, you buy a complete business that you can start making money with right away.  This option may be better than working for an existing firm because you wouldn’t be an employee or independent contractor, you would be owning our own business that already has an existing brand, marketing materials, relationships, reporting software and most likely rights to a sales territory.   

The down fall for purchasing into a franchise is that it is often extremely expensive; $30,000 - $50,000, and sometimes the franchise will want a percentage of your annual profits.

Step Seven

• Never stop learning and adding certifications to your offerings. 
• The more you know, the more you can offer and the more you will earn. 
• As in any career, it pays to stay current and continually educate yourself with skills to remain competitive. 
• As you add more certifications, you can add more inspection offerings such as radon, mold, WDO, pools and spas, thermal imaging, letd. etc. 
• The more educated you are, the more you will have to offer and stand out from your competition.