Will your Washington Home Inspector meet the new licensing requirements?

Washington Home Inspector Licenses will be issued beginning July 1, 2009. Beginning Septembers 1, 2009, inspectors will be required to have a license to inspect unless they are already a practicing inspector. Practicing inspectors will have until July 2010 to become licensed.

Many Washington Realtors are under the impression that there home inspector is already licensed which is partially true. To be a Washington Home Inspector you are required to be a Structural Pest Inspector (SPI) which really has little to do with Home Inspection and more about identifying wood destroying organisms.

Realtors will need to beware that if they are using an inspector with less than 2 years experience (in business as of June 2006) then that inspector will not meet the licensing requirement in July without going back to school.

As of January 2009, the Washington State Home Inspector Licensing Board is still in the process of determining the final requirements for the Education Curriculum, Testing and other requirements. What is clear is that if a home inspector did not have two years experience prior to June 12th 2008, they will not meet the current licensing requirements.

• If you are already conducting home inspection on September 1st, 2009, you will have until July 1st, 2010 to obtain your license
• If you start conducting home inspections after September 1st, 2009, you must be licensed before you provide services.

Requirements to obtain license:

• If you have less than two (2) years' experience you must have:
  Successfully completed 120 hours of classroom instruction
  Successfully completed 40 hours of field training with a licensed inspector
  Proof of passing score in exam approved by the Board
  
  
• If you have two (2) years' experience or more, you must have:
  Worked as a home inspector for two (2) years prior to June 12th, 2008
  Completed 100 home inspections
  Proof of passing score in exam approved by the Board

The good news for the consumer is that the working home inspectors will have more experience and education than inspectors in non-licensed states. The licensed Washington Home Inspectors will have a standards of practice that requires to meet a minimal quality standard. For Inspections or Inspectors who are not meeting these standards of practice, the consumer will have a means of filing a complaint with the Department of Licensing. Washington Licensed Home Inspector who are found in non-compliance can be fined, have there license suspended or in serious cases revoked.

A a home inspector who fought for the licensing through the Washington Home Inspector Advisory Group I am happy with the outcome and looking forward to being part of a profession that is consider a crucial part of the real estate process.

Rick Bunzel, CRI
Pacific Crest Inspections
NAHI Inspector of the year 2008
NPSAR Affiliate of the Year 2006-2007
WWW.PacCrestInspections.com
360-588-6956
Fax 360-588-6965
Toll Free 866-618-7764