Home Inspector

• Minimum Age is 18 Years Old
• GED or High School Diploma Required
• Background Check & Fingerprinting Required

(1) Complete the 80-Hr. Ohio-Approved Home Inspection Course

The Ohio Department of Commerce requires a license to work as a home inspector, and choosing the right training will set you apart and build your brand as a reputable inspector. The 80-hr. recommended Ohio-approved home inspection course, including ebooks, aligns with topics on the National Home Inspector Exam.

(2) Conduct 10 Parallel Home Inspections or 40 Hours of Experience Plus a Peer Review

You will be required to complete 40 hours of curriculum experience plus one peer review or 10 parallel inspections to earn your Ohio home inspector license. A parallel inspection is a home inspection completed by an applicant during the application process that is supervised by a certified home inspector acting as the “parallel inspector”.

The applicant must have a written report for each parallel inspection, which the parallel inspector will review, correct, and return to the applicant within 10 calendar days after receiving the written report.

(3) Pass the National Home Inspector Exam

After completing your home inspector education, the next step in establishing yourself as a trusted expert is passing the National Home Inspector Exam. The exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions (25 of which are not scored) covering three major domains, or sections, that every home inspector should know. Those domains are:

• Property and Building Inspection/Site Review
• Analysis of Findings and Reporting
• Professional Responsibilities

Test takers are given 4 hours to complete the exam, and each attempt costs roughly $225 (depending on your location). Due to the unignorable cost of taking the exam, we highly recommend taking an Exam Prep course to greatly increase your chances of passing on the first try. If an individual does not pass, they must wait 30 days before taking the exam again.

(4) Submit Your Home Inspector Application to the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing

Those looking to earn their Ohio home inspector license must submit an application. The application form is available online.

1. Select the “REPL-19-0003 Home Inspector License Application” file under Resource Details
2. Your application will require:
   1. The signature of your supervisor
   2. A seal by a notary

Completed applications, including the application fee ($250) and education certificates, must be mailed to:

  The Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing
  77 South High Street, 20th Floor
  Columbus, OH 43215

(5) Complete a Background Check With Fingerprints

The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing requires you to complete a background check through the Ohio State Police. You will also need to have your fingerprints taken.

1. Electronic fingerprints must be taken by a Webcheck® user (a business, government agency or private entity that provides criminal record check services) approved by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI&I). To find a location near you, click here. Out-of-state applicants should consult this additional information link.
2. Applicants must contact and arrange with a Webcheck® user to have electronic fingerprints taken and submitted to BCI&I using the Webcheck® system. Government-issued photo identification should be taken to the Webcheck® location. Some Webcheck® users can only submit fingerprints for a state records check and not an FBI records check. Applicants should confirm the Webcheck® user can submit both state and FBI fingerprints to BCI&I.

(6) Obtain a Comprehensive or Commercial General Liability Policy With at Least $100,000 per Occurrence or at Least $300,000 Aggregate Limit

Every Ohio licensed home inspector shall maintain, or be covered by, a comprehensive general liability insurance policy or a commercial general liability insurance policy with at least $100,000 per occurrence or at least $300,000 aggregate limit.

When you file an initial license application with the Division, you will submit a certificate of insurance (COI) from your insurer showing you are covered by a commercial general or comprehensive general liability policy for at least the required coverage.

• Flexible Schedule: As a home inspector you can decide when you work. Flexibility is crucial to work-life balance and this career gives you the option to be your own boss.
• Low Startup Costs: Entering this career won't break the bank, and the low initial investment will pay off quickly. Being a home inspector is a worthwhile career that is very financially rewarding.
• Variety of Opportunities: Being a home inspector gives you options that aren’t found in a traditional 9-5 job. Taking our Expert Package provides you two additional certificates, Commercial and Radon Certifications, which add value to a home inspection business.

• As of April 2022, the average Ohio home inspector salary is $100,397 ($71,597 base pay + $28,800 in commission).
• Each home inspection professional should have a liability and/or errors & omissions insurance policy. 
• Home inspectors can operate independently or join a home inspection firm.

Requirements to Become an Ohio Home Inspector

• The Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing will begin enforcing licensing on July 1, 2021. The board is not accepting the grandfathered license. The grandfathered license cannot be offered unless a law is enacted by the Ohio Legislature. Nothing is in place at this time. Please visit Ohio’s Home Inspector Program for more information about the new home inspector licensing law.
• Ohio Home Inspection Education Hours: 80 hours
• Inspections: 40 hours of curriculum experience plus one peer review or 10 parallel inspections
• Exam Required: NHIE
• Application Fee: $250 (other fees may apply)
• Background check and fingerprints are required
• Home Inspection License Expiration: Every three years

Ohio Home Inspector Continuing Education Requirements

• 42 hours every three years

Ohio State Licensing Board

• The Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing regulates home inspectors.
• State of Ohio Board of Career Colleges and Schools has approved American Home Inspectors Training (School Registration No: 1824) to offer postsecondary education in Ohio.