Licensing Question (Fast Track)

[Lostwou]

I went to Career Web School, a TREC approved school, to start. I completed the Required 120 hrs toward my Real Estate inspection license. I will have to go to another school to finish the required 200 hours to get a Professional License in Texas.

My question.............

If I take, and pass, the exam, would I be able to do inspections on my own?

Also, does anyone have an opinion about Career Webschool? It is a little late to ask, I was just wondering. It seemed to be a good school and I learned a lot.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Nolan Kienitz]

You need to review the TREC website to be sure you have met all the requirements to obtain your Professional Inspector's License ... again, per the TREC requirements.

Just because you can pass the test and obtain your TREC PI license (you also have to have E&O insurance before TREC will issue the license) does not mean you are capable of doing an inspection.

Have you ever been on a home inspection with another long-term, licensed inspector?

Do you know what to inspector for?

I'm rather getting a feeling that all you have is classroom and that certainly may get you to a point to pass the test, but that does not make you qualified to do an inspection for a home buyer.

Many more questions arise out of your post.

[inspector57]

I went to Career Web School, a TREC approved school, to start. I completed the Required 120 hrs toward my Real Estate inspection license. I will have to go to another school to finish the required 200 hours to get a Professional License in Texas.

My question.............

If I take, and pass, the exam, would I be able to do inspections on my own?

Also, does anyone have an opinion about Career Webschool? It is a little late to ask, I was just wondering. It seemed to be a good school and I learned a lot.

Any help would be appreciated.

The best thing to do is follow Nolan's advice and go to the web site, then call TREC. The likely will have you submit a form (this is a government office!) so they can review your experience, etc. for evaluation before they give you a straight answer.

http://www.trec.state.tx.us/inspector/default.asp

[Lostwou]

Thanks Nolan. I though you would ask that. I have been going w/ a professional inspector for a little while, he is a great help and a great teacher. I do have a background in construction. However, I am certainly not ready to go on my own yet. However, I am very excited to get started. I really enjoy it.

I still have 200 hrs classroom hours to get my Professional License. According to the website, I am at Real Estate Inspector level. I plan on exhausting my sponsor before getting my Professional License. However, with a real estate inspection license can I start home inspections while I continue my education? Also, in regards to the insurance....who would you suggest?

[Nolan Kienitz]

JPS,

Your working with an "experienced" Professional Inspector is key, but you and he must be careful due to insurance liability issues. Many experienced HIs in Texas won't let new folks hang with them unless they also have their own E&O insurance in place. Liability issues today are just too great.

It is terribly unfortunate, but our profession has become a very crazy world.

Case in point a long-time, well experienced inspector in Houston getting sued by the "seller" of a home where the buyer backed out within his normal option period. That suit is now closing, but has drug on since last summer and was putting all Texas HIs on thin ice of concern if found in favor of the plaintiff as that would open up a whole new can of worms for all of us.

As for E&O ... it is required in Texas and you must have a policy in place before TREC will issue your license once you pass the exam.

It would also be wise to have GL coverage.

As for carriers you will have to do some legwork. Not all carriers provide coverage in Texas and some carriers will not write policies for "new inspectors" as the liability is just too high. For example the carrier that has my policy won't consider "brand new" Texas HIs.

Also your premiums often is higher for the first few years until you get some stable legs under you and don't get a complaint.

You might check with the various inspector organizations in Texas and they may have some insurance leads to review. I know that TAREI had some links this past year and I'm not sure about TPREIA, but they may also.

National organizations are just that ... National ... I-Nachi and ASHI are the two majors and there are many local Texas HIs who are members of all or some of the national and local organizations. In Texas there are approximate 52% of all inspectors who are members of none of the organizations. It is a matter of personal preference.

Be sure your mentor has been inspecting for a while and is not 'new' himself/herself within the past year or two.

You might reach out to Scott Emerson in San Antonio. He's a good contact.