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How to become a home inspector in Hawaii

To become a home inspector in Hawaii, you need no state license or exam. A 2018 legislative resolution says home inspectors are not licensed, certified, registered, or regulated by the state, and a 2019 audit found too little evidence to start.

No state licenseChecked on . Updated

Hawaii at a glance

Hawaii at a glance
ItemHawaii
State licenseNone
State examNone
Last reviewState Auditor Report 19-09, March 2019, on Senate Bill 2403. It found insufficient evidence to regulate.

Steps to start inspecting in Hawaii

  1. 01

    Learn the trade through a course or training of your choice. Hawaii sets no hour count.

  2. 02

    Take the NHIE if you want a recognized exam result. The state does not require it.

  3. 03

    Join a trade group, such as ASHI, if you want one of its titles.

The 2019 audit

Senate Bill 2403 of 2018 would have regulated home inspectors. It was deferred on February 13, 2018. The State Auditor then reviewed it and, in March 2019, found insufficient evidence under the state's test for new regulation. The report found no documented complaints and put the cost of starting a program at about $335,000.

Where the NHIE still fits

The NHIE is open to anyone. ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors, asks members in a state with no license to pass it before they move up to its Inspector level, along with 50 paid inspections. Its ASHI Certified Inspector title asks for the NHIE and 250 paid inspections.

How long it takes in Hawaii

Hawaii has no home inspector license, so the state sets no hours, field work, or wait. How long it takes depends on the training you choose.

Home inspector pay in Hawaii

BLS puts the median pay for construction and building inspectors in Hawaii at $79,320 a year in May 2025, against $74,690 for the whole country. BLS counts about 710 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.

Hawaii next to the other states

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

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

More on the exam

Questions people ask

Do home inspectors need a license in Hawaii?

No. Hawaii does not license, certify, or register home inspectors.

Do I need to pass the NHIE in Hawaii?

The state does not require it. ASHI asks members in a state with no license to pass it to move up to its Inspector level.

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

Hawaii has no home inspector license, so the state sets no hours, field work, or wait. How long it takes depends on the training you choose.

How much do home inspectors make in Hawaii?

BLS publishes no separate figure for home inspectors. It counts them with construction and building inspectors, whose median pay in Hawaii was $79,320 a year in May 2025. That figure leaves out the self-employed, which includes an inspector who owns the business.

See where you stand

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Becoming a home inspector

Other states