And why do we have licensing?

Local Inspection Issues North Carolina Home Inspectors
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An interesting read. If it looks, acts and sounds like a home inspection then it’s simple it’s a home inspection. Bureaucracy at it’s finest

Home Cloud Documents.pdf (7.8 MB)

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The fact that they cannot recognize a duck when it quacks and waddles by is amusing.

And all this is because the duck looks over and says, “I am not a duck.”

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The Assistant Attorney Generals letter [in your attachment] recognizes Home Cloud services as a Home Inspection under NC law.

When money changes hands laws don’t matter!

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Points of interest and to consider.

  • Jeez it took the AG 18 months to respond to the HI Licensing Board?? I expect NC has as many issues as other States but 18 months??
  • The licensing board asked the AG for an opinion only. Depending on your laws for HI’s the licensing board may have the authority to issue a Cease and Desist Order and possibly fine the company if they ignore the C&DO. They typically do not have the authority to enforce it. For that they would typically need to file a criminal complaint with the AG who will enforce it. Maybe they have already done that and requested the AG to enforce it. If so with the AG’s turtle pace I would not expect to see it any time soon!
  • The company is attempting to do an “End Around” of the laws by claiming they are not performing an inspection and only collecting data (last claims they made). The data is then provided to licensed trades to evaluate. Of course the AG has already decided that does not matter. But lo and behold nothing is being done to stop it.
  • NC does not license inspection companies and license only individuals so they technically have no control over a company. Since they have no names of individuals actually performing the data gathering it is questionable who they would then go after. This may be another attempt or aspect of this company’s “End Around”?

It is interesting to note on their WEB page showing their history they have 2025 “Coming soon Launching In Texas”. That should be interesting to see. Texas has very similar laws as NC. However long ago Texas did license companies and had rules/requirements on them. A number of years ago they decided to eliminate licensing companies. I suspect that was to pave the way for crap like this to occur.

Texas has unofficially stated that any inspection of a home for either a seller or buyer who is contemplating selling or buying a home must be performed by a licensed Home Inspector. Yet they have not added that to the laws and enforce it when it is convenient to. However we have plenty of licensed Engineers out there performing inspections without a Home Inspector license. The licensing board will not go after them and the Engineering licensing board will not as they claim it is outside of the Engineering license laws and they have no authority. So far I have found licensed Petroleum Engineers, Software Engineers (they are licensed here) as well as other Engineers whose line of study has nothing to do with construction that are hanging a shingle and inspecting a home. None of those advertise their engineering specialties for obvious reasons and the Engineering licensing Board does not require them to identify their specialties in any advertisements, communications, etc.

If the States that license Home Inspectors want to truly protect the consumers they would get their heads out of their asses (that includes Texas). These are steps they need to take to ensure consumers are protected.

  • Have an HI licensing board completely independent from the other RE licensing, trades, engineering, etc., licensing boards. The rules, laws, etc., would be written by actual licensed Home Inspectors and reviewed by the AG for legal enforcement. Here in Texas we fall under the Texas Real Estate Commission who licenses RE Salespeople. Can you say “The Fox is guarding the hen house”?. Other States they fall under contractor boards, engineering boards, etc. Every one of those boards have a vested interest in screwing up the Home Inspection industry for their own benefit.
  • Companies who perform HI’s must be licensed since there are aspects of a company that a lone Inspector would not be involved with.
  • Rules and laws must be consistent and complete to cover both individual Inspectors and also companies acting as Inspection companies in any form or fashion.

You ask “and why do we have licensing?”. The answer is simple to make it look like the State is doing something to protect the consumer and that is basically it. Consumers for the most part have no idea of the intricacies and intertwining of all the various laws and know no better thinking that the State is protecting them. Another reason of course is to keep people at the Gubberment level employed and collect lots of licensing fees and enforcement fines! I would not doubt there is also money to be made greasing palms.

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In comparison when a complaint is filed against a home inspector the average time to investigate and make a recommendation to the board is 45-60 days.

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It appears HomeCloud holds an unlimited GC license in North Carolina - it’s at the bottom of their website.