How to become a home inspector in Texas
To become a home inspector in Texas, you move up through three license tiers with the Texas Real Estate Commission: apprentice, real estate inspector, and professional inspector. A professional inspector needs 134 hours of education and 175 supervised inspections, or 194 hours of education, and has to pass the NHIE and a Texas state part.
NHIE required, plus a state sectionChecked on October 4, 2026
Texas at a glance
| Item | Texas |
|---|---|
| Exam | Two parts through Pearson VUE: the NHIE as the national part (200 questions, 4 hours) and a Texas state part (30 questions, 45 minutes) |
| Exam fee | $210 for the national part and $58 for the state part, in the Pearson VUE handbook dated September 2026 |
| Professional inspector education | 134 hours plus 175 inspections under indirect supervision, or 194 hours including a 40-hour Texas Practicum |
| Insurance | $100,000 per occurrence, for every tier |
| Other | Age 18, U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien, and fingerprints with the Texas Department of Public Safety |
| Application fee | $120 professional, $100 real estate inspector, $60 apprentice, plus a $4 online fee |
| Renewal | Every 2 years, with 32 hours of continuing education |
The licensing body is the Texas Real Estate Commission. Fees and rules change, so check them with the state before you pay for anything.
Steps to a Texas license
- Meet the qualifications: age 18, citizenship or lawful admission, and TREC's honesty and integrity standard. You can ask TREC for a fitness determination first for $50.
- Finish the education and experience for the tier you want.
- Apply and pay the fee through TREC's online portal, and upload your education and experience.
- Get fingerprinted with the Texas Department of Public Safety and pass the background check.
- Pass the exam. The national part opens after the core modules, and the state part after the Texas law, Texas standards, and practicum courses.
- Upload proof of $100,000 of insurance.
- TREC emails your license.
The three tiers
An apprentice inspector works under direct supervision and needs no exam or education, only the application, fingerprints, and insurance. A real estate inspector works under indirect supervision. A professional inspector works alone and can sponsor the other two.
A real estate inspector needs 90 hours of education with 3 months and 25 inspections under direct supervision, or 154 hours of education on the substitute path.
On the exam, a professional inspector needs at least 75% on the state part and a real estate inspector needs 70%. A passing result on each part is good for one year. After three failures, TREC asks for more education before you test again.
More on the exam
Questions people ask
Does Texas use the NHIE?
Yes. Texas adopts the National Home Inspector Examination as the national part of its exam and adds a Texas state part.
Does Texas have reciprocity for home inspectors?
No. TREC says Texas does not have reciprocity with any state.
What is the Texas home inspector exam pass rate?
TREC reports that 56.8% of first-time candidates from approved Texas schools passed both parts on the first attempt, 330 of 581, from December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2025.
See where you stand
Take a free 200 question practice exam, weighted like the NHIE, with your score by task.
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