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Your residential property inspector checklist, item by item
Q: What do I need to get a residential property inspector up and running legally?
A: Let us walk through what your residential property inspector may need, piece by piece, so nothing surprises you on opening day. It also lists the personal license or trade license of the person doing the work, because a business license alone does not cover that.
1. Business license: A business license for a residential property inspector MAY ask what you examine, such as roofs, wiring and foundations, how reports are issued, and what credentials you hold.
2. Home occupation permit: A home occupation permit MAY apply for a report-writing desk at home, usually limiting client meetings, work vehicles parked outside and equipment stored in the yard.
3. Professional or trade license: Home inspector license: A personal license obtained through training, a national exam and continuing education, required in many places before performing paid inspections.
4. Inspector credential: Inspecting houses for buyers MAY require a license based on training, an exam and supervised inspections.
5. Radon or pest add-on certificates: Extra tests MAY require separate certificates and lab arrangements.
6. Errors and omissions insurance: Professional liability coverage for missed defects is often requested by clients and referral partners.
7. Pre-inspection agreement: A signed agreement spells out what the inspection covers and what it cannot see.
8. Employer registration: Hiring changes the list: an employer account, payroll tax setup and workers' compensation insurance MAY join the pile before the first paycheck.
9. Company papers: A DBA, an LLC or a tax ID number MAY make sense for your residential property inspector, and we prepare all of these documents on this site, so everything can be ordered in one place.
One service fee covers more than one license. If you order a business license and it turns out you also need another one, for example a home occupation permit, we obtain both for the service fee of the business license. Annual tax and application fees charged by the govt are not part of our service fee: we find the applications and fill them out for you.
The upside, with all five senses
There is a detective's thrill in tracing a damp stain to a pipe in the attic, and nervous buyers see you as the person who gives them confidence.
Opening day, imagined
Picture Wilhelmina climbing a ladder with a flashlight and a tablet, her Plumb Line Property Review license zipped inside a clipboard.
A cautionary example
A client falls off a ladder you set up and sues, a risk better contained in a company.
The numbers behind it
Business code (NAICS): 541350 (Building Inspection Services). This page lists 9 paperwork items for a residential property inspector, and each one is marked as something you MAY need, since we confirm which apply.
Tip: Send reports quickly with photos and clear ratings, which realtors remember.
Home inspectors know every secret a house has and none of the mortgage rates.
Ready when you are: start your order and we will find out what applies to your residential property inspector, fill out the applications and keep the paperwork moving. |