Does your Michigan Home Inspector inspect as a side hustle?
It is no surprise that everyday Americans are doing anything they can to get extra money. It seems that the word “hobby” is being replaced by the term “side hustle”. The problem with side hustles is they require the bare minimum amount of knowledge or expertise to run. When it comes to Home Inspectors in Michigan, this is a gold mine of side hustlers. But why?
Michigan has zero regulations on Home Inspectors. Anyone at any time can be a Home Inspector. This is scary because an average American would assume that, like almost every other trade or profession, a license or education would be required; but it’s not. You, reading this right now, can decide right now that you are a Home Inspector. Congratulations, now you can start taking innocent people’s money, deceiving them, and disregard physical and financial safety.
How can you make sure that your Home Inspector isn’t just another con-artist?
The first way is to check certifications. The National Home Inspector Exam is the ONLY test that requires you to go somewhere (besides your own home) to take a test about Home Inspections. There, you will be searched before taking the test and while taking the test, a team will be monitoring you with video recording. It is nerve wracking, but it’s supposed to be. This test has a 60%-80% first time fail rate; the NHIE is very difficult to pass. Unfortunately, all other certifications that I know of have tests that are done at home and online. It is very easy to cheat. You cannot cheat with the NHIE. I am pushing for other organizations to adopt testing procedures similar to the NHIE.
John Rappley with Inside the Box Home Inspections LLC is the ONLY inspector in Genesee County and the surrounding counties to have passed the NHIE (at the time of writing this). There is one other inspector that operates within 50 miles from me that has also passed this test (located in Bay County). So, if I am not available, I would recommend hiring Craig Kolhagen with Quality Property Inspections; he also voluntarily took the time to take and pass the NHIE. Over half of the states in the USA require individuals to pass the NHIE before they can start inspecting. Michigan is not one of these states. State Regulations – National Home Inspector Examination
What are some other ways to make sure a Home Inspector is qualified?
Almost every inspector brags about “years in construction” or “the trades.” Those words are too broad to mean much. Thirty years installing roofs makes you a roofing pro, not automatically a whole-home diagnostician. That experience helps, but a home inspection pulls together structure, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, moisture, safety, and building science. This experience has zero impact on running a business. Same idea with kitchens: twenty years on a fast-food line doesn’t make someone a private chef. I worked at McDonald’s, and lasting there takes grit. It still isn’t the same as menu design, sourcing, food safety, and plating for demanding clients. Experience matters when it’s relevant, rounded, and backed by formal training and standards. I have experience in the trades; I do not pretend that this does not include me.
What I am trying to say is the vast majority of people that use specific trade experience as the #1 and only reason a client should hire them is a red flag.
What else should I look for when hiring a Home Inspector?
I would ask someone that I might hire to inspect my house a few specific questions. These aren’t the only questions but are some that will display potential red flags.
- Do you inspect a roof by looking at it from the ground? Do you actually go up and walk to roof? Do you inspect the roof with a drone?
- If you use a drone, are you licensed with the FAA?
- Do you have E&O and General Liability insurance?
- What recognized credentials do you hold?
- Do you enter the attic and crawl space? Do you just open the cover for these places and take a glimpse and call it done?
- Can I attend the inspection and follow you the entire time? Do you just want me to come at the end or not at all?
- What support do I get after the report?
- Why are you a Home Inspector?
- Do you have a website? Do you just use free platforms like FaceBook because you are too cheap to be professional?