Do you need a degree to be a home inspector?

No. None of the 12 licensing states checked here asks for a college degree, and five of them ask for a high school diploma or the equivalent. What they ask for instead is a home inspection course and a passing exam score, and often field work.

Checked on October 4, 2026

What the states ask for

This table lists the education level in each of the 12 licensing states this site has checked rule by rule:

High school and degree rules for home inspectors in 12 licensing states
State	High school diploma	College degree
Arizona	None found in the rules	Not required
Florida	None found in the rules	Not required
Illinois	Required, or the equivalent	Not required
Kentucky	Required, or the equivalent	Not required
New Jersey	Required, or the equivalent	Not required
Ohio	Required, or the equivalent	Not required
Oregon	None found in the rules	Not required
South Carolina	None found in the rules	Not required
Tennessee	Required, or the equivalent	Not required
Texas	None found in the rules	Not required
Virginia	None found in the rules	Not required
Washington	None found in the rules	Not required

"None found" means the statute and rules this site read name no education level. A state could still ask on a form, so check with the board before you apply.

What replaces the degree

Every licensing state checked here asks for training or supervised experience instead. Florida, for example, asks for a course of at least 120 hours. Ohio asks for 80 hours, in a classroom or online, plus field work. For every state's hours, see how long it takes and what it costs.

Then comes the exam. In most licensing states it's the National Home Inspector Exam (NHIE). For what it covers, see the National Home Inspector Exam guide.

What the federal data says

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or the equivalent as the usual entry education for construction and building inspectors. Home inspectors belong to that group, and BLS lists no degree for it.

Questions people ask

Do I need a GED to be a home inspector?

In some states. Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee ask for a high school diploma or the equivalent. The rules read for the other states checked here name no education level.

Does a college degree help?

It can count for credit. Oregon gives 10 of its 20 required points for a 3-credit college class in home inspection. Virginia counts the same kind of class as 5 points.

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