Blog
Questions inspectors ask about the work
What the work is like, how many inspections fit in a day, what insurance covers, which add-ons pay, and how to handle clients. Written by Russ Motyko, a working inspector, with a source for every fact.
What the job is like
- What does a home inspector do all day?A home inspector spends the day at one or two houses and the evening writing reports. Here is the prep, the order of work, the walkthrough, and the calls.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Do home inspectors work weekends?Many do. BLS says evening and weekend work is particularly true of home inspectors. Saturdays are common, Sundays rarer, and the inspector sets the calendar.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Is being a home inspector physically demanding?Yes. BLS says inspectors climb and crawl through attics and tight spaces and should be fit. Crawlspaces, roofs, attic heat, and weather are the hardest parts.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Can you be a home inspector part time?Yes. Part-time inspectors need the same license, insurance, and continuing education as full-time ones. What changes is the schedule buyers' deadlines set.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Do home inspectors need a Part 107 certificate to fly a drone?Yes. The FAA lists roof inspections as Part 107 flying, so the pilot needs a Remote Pilot Certificate, a Part 107 registration, and Remote ID.Checked on October 29, 2026
- What tools does a new home inspector need?Flashlights, a ladder, outlet and voltage testers, a moisture meter, gas and CO detectors, crawlspace gear, and a camera. A thermal camera and drone can wait.Checked on October 29, 2026
- What should a new home inspector expect on the first paid inspection?Get the agreement signed, confirm access and utilities, and work the standard of practice as a checklist. What to say on site, and what stays out of scope.Checked on October 29, 2026
- What is the difference between a home inspector and an appraiser?A home inspector reports on a house's condition for the buyer. An appraiser estimates its value for the lender. Here is each job's license, pay, and outlook.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Can you make six figures as a home inspector?Yes, in revenue: at a $405 average fee, $100,000 takes about 247 inspections a year. Take-home pay of six figures is harder once costs and taxes come out.Checked on October 27, 2026
Running the business
- How many home inspections can you do in a day?Most full-time inspectors do one or two a day. Here is the time one inspection takes, what stretches it, and what two or three a day adds up to.Checked on October 27, 2026
- How much should a new home inspector charge?Start near the local going rate, not below it. How fees are built from size, age, crawlspace, and distance, how to research prices, and when to raise them.Checked on October 29, 2026
- Do home inspectors need E&O insurance?Some states require E&O insurance, some require only general liability, and a few require none. State examples, what E&O covers, claims-made, and tail.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Which add-on services make home inspectors the most money?No survey ranks add-ons by revenue. Radon is the usual first one; termite, mold, well, and septic work can need a state license. What each takes to offer.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Which home inspector specializations pay?Specialties that pay are ones clients need: phase and 11th-month inspections, radon, mold, and Florida insurance forms. What each takes, state by state.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Does commercial or residential inspection pay better?Commercial jobs pay more each but take far more hours, and at least 18 states' home inspection laws cover only 1 to 4 units. How the work and pay compare.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Is thermal imaging worth it for home inspectors?Yes, for inspectors trained to read the images. What infrared shows and misses, the temperature difference it needs, training options, and what the SOPs say.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Are pool and spa inspections a good add-on?They can be where pools are common, since ASHI and InterNACHI leave pools out of a home inspection. What a pool inspection covers, from bonding to barriers.Checked on October 27, 2026
- What software do home inspectors use to write reports?Inspectors write reports in apps like Spectora, HomeGauge, Home Inspector Pro, ISN, Palmtech, and Tap Inspect. Platforms, posted prices, and trials compared.Checked on October 27, 2026
- How does a home inspector get Google reviews?Ask every client in person after the walkthrough, then send a direct review link with the report. Google bans rewards and selective asks; the FTC bans fakes.Checked on October 27, 2026
- How do home inspectors get referrals from real estate agents?Home inspectors earn agent referrals through careful work and steady contact. RESPA and many state rules bar paying agents, referral gifts, and shaded reports.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Should a new home inspector work for a company or go solo?A company brings the jobs and keeps part of each fee. Going solo keeps the fee and every cost. Here is W-2 vs. 1099, noncompetes, and what to ask.Checked on October 29, 2026
- Is a home inspection franchise worth it?Five home inspection franchisors list startup costs of $41,200 to $134,290 as of October 2026, plus royalties. How to read the FDD before signing.Checked on October 29, 2026
- How do you start a home inspection business?License first, then the entity, insurance, report software, agreement, tools, prices, and a Google listing. Startup costs from each source, as of October 2026.Checked on October 29, 2026
- How do home inspectors make sure they get paid?Put the fee in a signed agreement, collect at booking or on site, and hold the report until paid. Plus pay-at-closing rules and small claims limits.Checked on October 29, 2026
- What goes in a home inspection pre-inspection agreement?The client, property, fee, scope, exclusions, and standard of practice. State rules on required contents, signing before the inspection, and liability caps.Checked on October 29, 2026
- How long after an inspection can a client sue a home inspector?State home inspector laws set their own time limits to sue, from 1 year in Pennsylvania and Ohio to 4 years in California and New Jersey. A 13-state table.Checked on October 29, 2026
- Can a home inspector do termite inspections?Usually only with a state pest control license. Here is what a WDI report is, when VA, FHA, and USDA loans need one, and the rule in 11 states.Checked on October 29, 2026
- How does a home inspector get certified to test for radon?Through an NRPP or NRSB course, exam, and approved device. Of the states checked, 14 also require a state credential. Fees and renewal as of October 2026.Checked on October 29, 2026
- What do home inspectors do in the winter slowdown?Home inspectors use the slow months for CE, new services, agent outreach, and business upkeep. Census data shows October to December are the slowest months.Checked on October 27, 2026
Clients and reports
- How do you explain inspection findings without scaring clients?Give each finding its context: what it is, how serious it is, and the next step. Frame the house first, use plain words, and never soften a serious defect.Checked on October 27, 2026
- Should clients attend the home inspection?Yes. Invite clients and ask them to arrive near the end for a walkthrough of the findings. How to run it, and how to handle agents, sellers, and the report.Checked on October 27, 2026
- How should a home inspector handle a difficult client?Stay calm, answer fear with specific facts, and keep a written record. A signed pre-inspection agreement, required in some states, heads off most disputes.Checked on October 27, 2026
- How do you write a home inspection report clients read?Lead with a summary of serious items, write each finding in plain words, and end it with a next step. ASHI, InterNACHI, and state rules set the minimum.Checked on October 27, 2026
- How long does a home inspector have to deliver the report?Some states set a deadline, from 2 days in Illinois and Texas to 7 business days in Maryland. Others leave it to the agreement. On site or office, compared.Checked on October 29, 2026
Staying in the work
- How much continuing education do home inspectors need?Home inspector CE runs from 8 hours every two years in Alaska to 60 every three in New Mexico. See hours by state, ASHI and InterNACHI rules, and Pennsylvania.Checked on October 27, 2026
- How do home inspectors stay safe on the job?How home inspectors stay safe: OSHA ladder rules, when to skip the roof, attic and crawlspace limits in the ASHI and InterNACHI standards, panels, and lead.Checked on October 27, 2026
- How do home inspectors avoid burnout?Home inspectors avoid burnout by capping daily volume in the scheduler, caring for knees, hips, and back, and mixing in other work. Signs and recovery steps.Checked on October 27, 2026
- How do you become a home inspection instructor or mentor?Texas sets instructor rules; Oregon and Washington approve the course. See who can supervise field training in seven states and what a mentor takes on.Checked on October 27, 2026
- What else can a home inspector do?Home inspectors move into code inspection, commercial PCAs, insurance claims, energy rating, expert witness work, and teaching. Pay and credentials, sourced.Checked on October 27, 2026
Becoming a home inspector
- How to become a home inspector
- How do you find a home inspector ride-along?
- How much do home inspectors make?
- Is home inspection a good career?
- Building inspector vs. home inspector
- Home inspector certification vs. license
- Can you transfer a home inspector license to another state?
- Can a real estate agent be a home inspector?
- Home inspector certifications compared
- How long it takes and what it costs to become a home inspector
- How much does a home inspector license cost?
- Texas home inspector courses and school pass rates
- Online home inspector courses: which states accept online hours
- ASHI vs. InterNACHI
- Home inspection standards of practice: ASHI, InterNACHI, and the states
- Do you need a degree to be a home inspector?
- Can you become a home inspector with no construction experience?
- Can a felon become a home inspector?
- Is there an age limit to become a home inspector?
- Becoming a home inspector after the military
- What is InterNACHI?
- What is ASHI?
- What is a Certified Professional Inspector (CPI)?
- What is a Certified Master Inspector?
- What is a NIBI Certified Inspector?
- What is a real estate inspector?
Study the exam you're actually going to sit.
Start with the free 200 question practice exam. Every miss explained.