Why Choose An ASHI Inspector?
Choosing and recommending a qualified and ethical home inspector is the newest challenge facing buyers and real estate professionals. Using a Certified Member of the American Society of Home Inspectors is one way to ensure you are working with a qualified professional.
ASHI is a non-profit professional society made up of individual, independent home inspectors and is the only international organization which tests and screens inspectors based on technical and professional requirements, and grants membership only to those who meet its demanding criteria. Not every home inspector is truly qualified to perform inspections, and that ASHI membership is therefore the most important prerequisite to look for in selecting a home inspector.
The home inspector's best training doesn't come from a book; it comes from field experience. Neither warranties nor insurance policies can take the place of the knowledge and experience gained from such hands-on education, and that's what makes a truly qualified home inspector.
Qualifying the Home Inspector
Now that home inspections have become accepted real estate practice in so many parts of the U.S. and Canada, ASHI's concern is to educate buyers about selecting a home inspector who is qualified. Currently, an inspector's membership in ASHI is the most widely accepted indication of qualification.
ASHI's requirements for membership are rigorous, including the performance of at least 250 paid professional home inspections and the successful completion of written exams which test the applicant's knowledge of building systems and components, report writing and the ASHI Standards of Practice, and the diagnosis of house and building defects. Once granted membership, inspectors are expected to continue their education, and are required to earn 40 membership renewal credits each two years in order to keep current with new technology and building practices. Their professional capability is measured against ASHI's national Standards of Practice, which is universally recognized as the benchmark of performance in the home inspection profession. Furthermore, ASHI's strict Code of Ethics protects consumers from potential conflicts of interest by prohibiting inspectors from recommending contractors for repairs, or from doing any of the repairs themselves, in homes which they inspect.
All home inspectors on this list are Certified Members of ASHI and follow the guidelines noted above.