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How to become a home inspector in Delaware

To become a home inspector in Delaware, you register as a trainee, do 75 inspections with a licensed supervisor on site, finish 140 hours of training, and pass the National Home Inspector Examination. The State Board of Home Inspectors then licenses you once your insurance is on file.

NHIE requiredChecked on . Updated

Delaware at a glance

Delaware at a glance
ItemDelaware
ExamThe NHIE through PSI, passed before you apply for the license. The rule names it.
Exam fee$225 per attempt, with 30 days between tries
Education140 hours of classroom or online training approved by the Board, ASHI, or InterNACHI
Field workRegister as a home inspector trainee, then do at least 75 inspections with a licensed supervisor on site
InsuranceErrors and omissions of $50,000 and liability of $250,000, held by you or your employer
OtherA high school diploma or GED. No age rule or fingerprints were found.
Application fee$519: $186 for the trainee registration and $333 for the license application
RenewalEvery 2 years, by August 31 of odd years, with 40 hours of continuing education

The licensing body is the Delaware State Board of Home Inspectors, Division of Professional Regulation. Fees and rules change, so check them with the state before you pay for anything.

Steps to a Delaware license

  1. 01

    Create an account in DELPROS, the state's licensing portal.

  2. 02

    Find a Delaware-licensed home inspector to supervise you, apply for trainee registration, and pay $186.

  3. 03

    After the registration is issued, do at least 75 inspections with your supervisor on site and log each one.

  4. 04

    Finish 140 hours of approved training.

  5. 05

    Pass the National Home Inspector Examination through PSI and have the result sent to the Board.

  6. 06

    Buy errors and omissions and liability insurance and have the carrier send a certificate to the Board.

  7. 07

    Apply for the license by examination in DELPROS and pay $333.

The trainee step

Only inspections done after your trainee registration is issued count toward the 75. Each supervisor sends the Board a notarized form agreeing to supervise you, and signs your Experience Log.

Keeping the license

Every Delaware license lapses August 31 of an odd-numbered year, so the next date is August 31, 2027. Each period needs 40 hours of continuing education, prorated in the first one. A late renewal costs 50% more and is allowed for up to 6 months.

How long it takes in Delaware

In Delaware, you register as a trainee, then do 75 inspections with a licensed supervisor on site. Inspections done before the trainee registration is granted don't count, and you also need 140 hours of training. Delaware sets no minimum trainee period; the hours and inspections are the floor.

Home inspector pay in Delaware

BLS puts the median pay for construction and building inspectors in Delaware at $72,700 a year in May 2025, against $74,690 for the whole country. BLS counts about 570 people in that job in the state, and home inspectors are one specialty in the group, next to city and county code inspectors.

The number leaves out the self-employed. An inspector who owns the business is self-employed, so that pay isn't in it. For what owners report, see how much home inspectors make.

Delaware next to the other states

  • NHIE required
  • NHIE accepted
  • State exam only
  • License, no exam
  • No state license
  • Adds a state section

Delaware is ringed. Each square opens that state's page.

More on the exam

Questions people ask

Does Delaware use the NHIE?

Yes. Delaware's rule names the National Home Inspector Examination, and you pass it before you apply for the license.

Can I take the Delaware home inspector training online?

Yes. The rule allows classroom or online training for the 140 hours.

Does Delaware have an associate home inspector license?

No. The first step is a home inspector trainee registration, which lets you do supervised inspections. It is not a license.

How long does it take to become a home inspector in Delaware?

In Delaware, you register as a trainee, then do 75 inspections with a licensed supervisor on site. Inspections done before the trainee registration is granted don't count, and you also need 140 hours of training. Delaware sets no minimum trainee period; the hours and inspections are the floor.

How much do home inspectors make in Delaware?

BLS publishes no separate figure for home inspectors. It counts them with construction and building inspectors, whose median pay in Delaware was $72,700 a year in May 2025. That figure leaves out the self-employed, which includes an inspector who owns the business.

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Becoming a home inspector

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