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The NHIE Home Inspection Manual

The NHIE Home Inspection Manual is a two-volume book by Bruce A. Barker, 2019 edition. EBPHI, the board that runs the National Home Inspector Exam, sells it. The set costs $150 as an eBook or $259 in print, and EBPHI lists it first among the exam's references.

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The two volumes

EBPHI sells the manual as two books with more than 900 pages between them. This table lists each volume, what it covers, and the price on EBPHI's books page:

NHIE Home Inspection Manual volumes and prices, 2019 edition
VolumeTopicseBookPrint
Volume 1, Mechanical Systems and NHIE ContentElectrical, heating and cooling, plumbing, fireplaces and chimneys, and the NHIE itself$80$129.50
Volume 2, Structural Systems and BusinessSite conditions, roofing, insulation and ventilation, and professional responsibilities$80$129.50
Both volumes as a setEverything in the two books$150$259

The candidate packet lists the pair as one line, the Home Inspection Manual, 2019. The books themselves carry the title NHIE Home Inspection Manual, Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Where to buy it

EBPHI sells the manual through its own storefront, run by Gilmore Global, linked from its NHIE books and illustrations page. That page says print orders take 7 to 12 days to process and ship. The store also sells a set of the manual's illustrations as image files for $199.

How the manual relates to the exam

EBPHI says every question on the NHIE is referenced to a published source or based on the agreement of its subject matter experts. Its list of exam references names the sources used to write questions, with the manual first:

  1. The NHIE Home Inspection Manual, 2019, in two volumes
  2. The International Residential Code (IRC) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2021
  3. NFPA 101, Life Safety Code Handbook, 2021
  4. NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC), 2023

How many questions each system gets is set by EBPHI's content outline, not by the book. For those weights, see the NHIE domain weights and content outline.

An updated edition is on the way

On October 14, 2026, EBPHI's books page marked updated editions of both volumes "Coming Soon." It says they add longer explanations, updated information, and more detailed illustrations. It gives no date.

The 2019 edition is the one the reference list names until EBPHI changes it. If you are buying close to your exam date, check the books page first.

Other ways to prepare

EBPHI also sells five practice quizzes. It says it does not review or endorse any training company or program, and that includes this one. For a study plan built on the outline, see how to study for the NHIE. To check your footing on each task first, try the free NHIE practice questions.

Questions people ask

Is there a PDF of the NHIE manual?

EBPHI sells the manual in print or as a full-feature eBook, and its books page says the eBooks are not PDF files.

Do I need the IRC and the NEC too?

EBPHI lists them as references next to the manual: the 2021 International Residential Code, the 2021 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Handbook, and the 2023 National Electrical Code. It does not say a candidate has to own them.

Will passing be easier with the manual?

EBPHI makes no promise either way. Its reference page says study of all or only these materials does not ensure a pass.

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