Which home inspector specializations pay?

A phase inspection looks at a house while it is being built, before parts of it get covered up. The pre-drywall visit comes when framing, wiring, pipes, and ducts are still in view. InterNACHI publishes a Pre-Drywall Inspection Standards of Practice for this stage. A final visit near completion can follow.

A few states treat new construction as its own credential. Check the state before offering it.

An 11th-month inspection is timed shortly before a one-year builder's warranty ends. Defects it finds can still go to the builder while the warranty covers them.

For FHA loans on new construction, the warranty is a federal rule. HUD Mortgagee Letter 2019-05 keeps the Warranty of Completion of Construction, form HUD-92544, as a condition of FHA insurance. Its one-year term starts on the date title passes to the buyer, the date construction is complete, or the date someone moves in, whichever comes first. Builders' own warranties vary, so ask the client for the warranty document and read its dates before booking.

The EPA calls radon the second leading cause of lung cancer. Its radon health risk page links it to about 21,000 lung cancer deaths a year. Testing is the only way to know the level in a house.

The National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) and the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) offer national certification. Some states require it by law even without a state license; Virginia, for one, requires an NRPP or NRSB listing to test for others. Illinois goes further: anyone measuring radon for others needs a state radon license, which takes an approved course and an NRPP or NRSB exam. For the states that license radon testers, see radon certification for home inspectors.

Mold works differently. The EPA says no standards have been set for airborne mold or spore levels, and that sampling is usually unnecessary when mold can be seen. It also says sampling should be done by people with experience in sampling methods and reading the results. One credential is the Council-certified Microbial Investigator from the American Council for Accredited Certification. It asks for 2 years of field experience and an exam, and it is renewed every two years.

In Russ Motyko's view, an air test compares indoor and outdoor spore levels on the day it is taken. It does not find hidden growth, so the inspection findings that led to the test matter as much as the lab numbers. For what these tests add to a booking, see which add-on services pay.

In Florida, home insurance brings inspection work of its own. Citizens Property Insurance lists three kinds of inspection forms:

• 4-Point Inspection Form. Citizens requires it on applications for homes more than 20 years old. The current form is Insp4pt 03 25, per a March 2025 Citizens bulletin, and a Florida-licensed inspector completes it.
• Roof Inspection Form. RCF-1 03 25, required by Citizens when a soft roof is older than 25 years or a hard roof is older than 50.
• Wind mitigation form. The Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802. The revised Rev. 04/26 edition took effect April 1, 2026, per a March 2026 Citizens bulletin.

Who can sign the wind form is set by section 627.711 of the Florida Statutes. A licensed home inspector qualifies after at least 3 hours of hurricane mitigation training approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board and a proficiency exam. Licensed contractors, engineers, architects, and certified building code inspectors also qualify. For the license itself, see the Florida requirements.

No state license for historic home inspection was found. Older houses do bring one federal credential into play: lead. The EPA requires certification for lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments in housing built before 1978. The EPA or an authorized state, tribal, or territorial program issues it.

For the building itself, the National Park Service publishes 52 Preservation Briefs. Titles cover the repair of historic wooden windows, roofing for historic buildings, lead-paint hazards in historic housing, and controlling moisture.

Commercial inspection is a separate trade with its own standard, ASTM E2018, and its own clients. The home inspection laws of at least 18 states define the job by a home of one to four units. A commercial job sits outside those licenses. For how the pay and the work compare, see commercial vs. residential inspection.

Russ Motyko's advice is to start with radon. The equipment cost is modest, the training is short, and the time on site is small. Add mold testing once thermal imaging and moisture meters are part of every inspection, because those tools turn up the findings that call for a test.

The rest depend on the market. Phase and 11th-month inspections need a steady stream of new homes nearby. Wind mitigation and 4-point forms are a Florida job. Pick the one that fits the houses in the service area. Price it against the local fee for a standard inspection, which an ASHI Reporter column put at $405 on average for established inspectors in 2024. For the camera most of these lean on, see whether thermal imaging is worth it.