Why become a home inspector?
- As a Licensed Home Inspector, you can dictate your schedule and be your own boss!
- Gross annual full-time income of around $70K
- About 75% of home inspectors work for themselves.
- You’ll stay busy, too, as nearly 90% of homes sold in the United States involve an inspection.
How can I be sure a career in home inspection is right for me?We encourage you to review your career objectives and what you are hoping to achieve with your career path. Discuss the pros and cons with someone who knows first-hand what the industry is like and then make your decision. Attend a Virtual Open House to learn more about a day in the life of a home inspector from professionals in the industry!
How do I get started with the pre-licensing education?
As an institution of higher education in the State of Ohio, Hondros College is the best place to start! We’ve been helping active, busy adults get the professional education they need to successfully launch their home inspection business for over 30 years. With the new licensing requirements, we’re ready to help you complete the education and experience you need as well as pass the required National Home Inspectors Examination THE FIRST TIME!
You can complete the requirements in any order, but we recommend you start with the 80-hour course. This course gives you an exceptional, solid foundation based on OHIB curriculum guidelines and the National Home Inspection Exam components. The class includes six days (48 hours) of live classroom learning delivered via Livestream with one of Ohio’s leading home inspectors. The remaining 32 hours is online self-study that you complete at your own pace. Your instructor welcomes questions during your Livestream classes. Any questions that come up at other times can be answered by our experts available during our scheduled weekly Instructor Virtual Q&A Sessions and you can always utilize our Ask-An-Instructor Email resource, which gives you the ability to send your course questions to an instructor via email and an expert instructor will respond within 24 hours.
After completing the 80hours of pre-licensing (Our NHIE textbooks were written by the same experts who write the National Home Inspection Exam!), you can complete the 40-hour interactive experience course requirement and the peer review session at your convenience. We encourage students to take advantage of our exam prep solutions so you’ll be ready when it’s time to tackle the National Home Inspection Exam. Our CompuCram online exam prep software gives you access to practice questions and quizzes. We also offer a 2-day Instructor-led Exam Prep Bootcamp that gives you the keys to passing the exam so that you …do it once, do it right and never do it again.
What is required to become a Home Inspector?To apply for your Ohio Home Inspector’s License, the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing requires you to complete 80 hours of approved home inspector education, via an online setting or a classroom/Livestream setting. Qualifying education covers the following topics:
- Building enclosures
- Report writing
- Plumbing systems
- Foundations
- Heating and cooling systems
- Electrical systems
- Appliances
- Ohio laws & rules, including the Canons of Ethics
- Roofing systems
- Framing
- Ohio Standards of Practice
Hondros College 80-Hour Home Inspection Foundations Course has been approved by Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing.
How long will it take me to complete the 80-hour course?You decide! We’ve built in flexibility allowing you to complete the 32 hours of online-self-study coursework at your convenience. The 6 days of instructor-led Livestream classes (48 hours) are scheduled monthly including Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday classes for 2 consecutive weeks. We encourage students to complete the online self-study course full-time on non-class days so they can be done in 2 weeks or less! If you need to work around a busy schedule you can complete at your own pace! You have access to the coursework for 6 months.
Is the job market promising for home inspectors?Yes. Three of the top 20 fastest growing real estate markets are currently in Ohio. Nearly 90% of all real estate transactions include a home inspection and with the new laws in Ohio (soon to be approved) that will require inspections to be conducted by a licensed home inspector, there is tremendous potential. New licensed inspectors will be able to work full-time or part-time, working for themselves, an existing company or a variety of organizations that include home inspection staff.
Can I use FAFSA?FAFSA is not available for our courses. Click here for our payment options.
My attendance is incorrect; how do I get this fixed?You can call Student Services at 1-888-HONDROS (466-3767) and one of our Student Services Associates will be happy to help you.
Can I be a part-time home inspector?Yes, you can. You determine how many hours you want to work. You may want to start out part time as you gradually transition from a current full-time job. As your own boss, you dictate your schedule. If you choose to work for an established organization, you will find many of them are open to part-time, flexible hours.
What is the status of the new Home Inspection licensing laws in Ohio?Senate Bill 255 was signed into law on January 4, 2019, creating the Ohio Home Inspection Program to be headed up by the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing (ODRE). The Ohio Home Inspection Board (OHIB) was created to establish requirements and rules for Ohio Home Inspection licensure. Home Inspection rules adopted by the OHIB were filed for approval with the Joint Committee on Agency Review (JCARR) on February 25, 2020. The process for approval and finalization has been delayed due to the COVID-19 emergency but ODRE is hopeful that the legislative approval process is moving forward. Updates will be available on the
ODRE website. New licensing laws will be implemented. The effective date will be determined by ODRE very soon.
Will Hondros coursework be aligned with the new Ohio Home Inspection Board (OHIB) recommendations for pre-licensing education?Hondros College participated in every OHIB meeting and followed all of the OHIB guidelines and recommendations to develop our pre-licensing courses. Hondros is very confident once rules have been officially approved, our courses will subsequently receive formal approval. The Hondros College Set For Success Package includes every component included in the OHIB recommendations for pre-licensing, qualifying education. The package also includes the best exam prep available, so you master all your hard-earned knowledge and pass the National Home Inspection Exam on your fist attempt.
If I have questions while I am studying on my own, where do I go for help?Hondros is here for you every step of the way! We know questions come up and we are committed to making sure you have the accurate facts to answer your questions. Our experienced Ohio home inspector experts are available via email through our Ask-an-Instructor resource, or you can attend one of our weekly scheduled Virtual Instructor Q&A sessions to ask questions in real-time.
Does the program help me pass the licensing exam?Absolutely! We have built our reputation on great instructors, great courses, and great prep to pass licensing exams.We will get you there successfully, and efficiently. Our curriculum is built around the specific requirements recommended by the OHIB and our comprehensive textbooks are written by the same group that creates the National Home Inspector’s Exam. You will use the NHIE textbooks included with your 80-hour Home Inspection Foundation course to work through the curriculum in both the instructor-led and online self-study courses. Finally, our online exam prep program, CompuCram lets you practice anywhere anytime. Practicing with CompuCram and attending the 2- Day instructor-led Exam Prep Bootcamp will help you pass the National Home Inspector’s Exam the first time.
What should I do if I am currently working as a Home Inspector in Ohio but not yet licensed?The most important consideration is to be prepared so you do not miss time conducting business when the licensing laws go into effect. As the OHIB rules currently await approval, ODRE encourages all potential new home inspectors, and current home inspectors that did not qualify under the “grandfathering” provision (effective Jan. 10, 2020), to consider going forward with qualifying pre-licensing that appears to satisfy the rules drafted by the OHIB. Hondros College courses have been developed according to the rules drafted by OHIB. Completing your coursework and other recommended pre-licensing requirements will permit you to submit your application for licensure just as soon as it is available from ODRE.
Is there financial aid?Our home inspection courses are currently not eligible for financial aid such as PELL grants or VA funding.
Click here for a list of payment options.
Do I have to take all the classes at once?After purchasing classes from Hondros College have 6 months to complete them.