FALSE - Contrary to popular belief, there is no government sanctioned licence or criteria for home inspection in Florida. As a matter of fact, in Florida, there is no requirement at all - anyone may call themselves a home inspector. Inspectors who claim to be "certified", are marketing a self-proclaimed title. The two most prominent home inspection professional organizations, Florida Association of Building Inspectors (FABI at
www.fabi.org) and The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI at
www.ashi.org) are sponsoring a licensing bill in the 2005 Florida Legislative Session. These professional organizations (of which I am a member) require members to pass a standardized written examination, and submit a representative sampling of reports for review to ensure they meet the strict criteria and receive annual education. Your clients deserve the best, so when interviewing potential home inspectors, here are three simple questions that can screen candidates: 1) Is the inspector a member of ASHI or FABI? (if not, then why not??) 2) Does the inspector receive annual continuing education? (REALTORs must receive continuing education, so why not inspectors??) 3) Does the inspector carry Errors & Omission Insurance? (Insurance shows professionalism and ensures a safety net should something go wrong with the inspection!!) If the prospective inspector provides satisfactory answers these questions, then I suggest you review samples of their reports and ask for references. Remember, the vendors you recommend, directly reflect your professionalism - choose them wisely.
