Skip to content

Independent exam prep. Not affiliated with the NHIE or EBPHI. No licensing, education hour, or CE credit. Disclaimer

Inspector Exam Lab
Get access

How to become a home inspector in Maine

To become a home inspector in Maine, you need no state license or exam, because Maine has none. The state's own 2020 review said Maine is one of 16 states that do not regulate home inspectors.

No state licenseChecked on . Updated

Maine at a glance

Maine at a glance
ItemMaine
State licenseNone
State examNone
Last reviewA sunrise review ordered by Resolve 2019, chapter 61, dated January 10, 2020. It did not recommend a license.
Radon testingAnyone who tests for radon has to register with the state

Steps to start inspecting in Maine

  1. 01

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

  2. 02

    Register with the state if you plan to test for radon.

  3. 03

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

  4. 04

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

The 2020 review

A 2019 bill, LD 671, became a resolve that ordered the state to study licensing home inspectors. The review, dated January 10, 2020, counted 7 complaints from 2012 to 2019 and found no sign of widespread harm. No licensing bill has been found in the Legislature since.

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 Maine

Maine 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 Maine

BLS puts the median pay for construction and building inspectors in Maine at $74,670 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.

Maine next to the other states

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

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

More on the exam

Questions people ask

Do home inspectors need a license in Maine?

No. Maine does not regulate home inspectors. Anyone who tests for radon has to register with the state.

Do I need to pass the NHIE in Maine?

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 Maine?

Maine 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 Maine?

BLS publishes no separate figure for home inspectors. It counts them with construction and building inspectors, whose median pay in Maine was $74,670 a year in May 2025. That figure leaves out the self-employed, which includes an inspector who owns the business.

See where you stand

Take a free 200 question practice exam, weighted like the NHIE, with your score by task.

Take the full length exam free

Not ready for that yet? Get the free NHIE study guide, a printable checklist of all 19 outline tasks, by email.

Becoming a home inspector

Other states