I disregard all comments from anyone who is against CMI unless they post reasoning along with it. CMI is not running for President and doesn’t need votes. It needs constructive criticism.
According to your numbers 33% of the membership supports a professional designation that only 8% qualify for, so I’d say that is overwhelming support. I’d almost classify it as a “popular” idea.
Joe B. and Greg B’. and others have correctly argued that the professional designation could potentially be acquired by a large percentage of inspectors in the future. This is a reasonable criticism that if correct, would dilute the professional designation to the point where it means nothing.
The solution would be a sliding requirement that increases as the % of CMI’s increase. I think their thinking is dead on correct. Smart fellas. And a sliding (increasing) requirement system is a form of capping. Capping is of course something I have a history of supporting.
The question is… do you support it? And if not, why not?
OK. I think I figured out a sliding formula for number of hours of continuing education required. By squaring the number of CMIs the requirements parabolicly increase as the % of CMIs increases.
Cont ed hour requirement = 100 + (number of CMIs X number of CMIs / 10,000).
If there are 300 CMIs the cont ed requirement would be 100 + (300 X 300 / 10,000) = 109 hours
If the number of CMIs climbs to 500 the cont ed requirement would climb to 100 + (500 X 500 / 10,000) = 125
If the number of CMIs climbs to 1,000 the cont ed requirement would climb to 200.
If the number of CMIs climbs to 1,500 the cont ed requirement would climb to 325.
I usually don’t post much here but this is calling me. I have been a NACHI Member 5 yrs (I think). I work full time in the HVAC field (home inspections part time), I did commerical building maintenance for 20 yrs, rebuilt (not remodeled) 2 houses, taken and passed at the local college the new building codes (over 100 hrs of classes), 36 hrs of classes on home inspection from local college, 16 hrs at same college for house wiring, 16 hrs of formal oil and gas furnace training. I also wrote my own 30 + page inspection report that I use to gave away free on this website, all with good feedback. Does my college degree from 30 + yrs ago count, it was in the mechanical field with a ton of HVAC classes in there someplace.
Where am I going with this? There is no way I would at this point consider myself a Master Inspector(maybe I should). I have so much more to learn about this business.
There is no consistency of quality or expertise in having the only requirement to be 100 hours of continuing education. In some states, no licensing is required so one can become an inspector with 0 hours. 0+100=100 hours total education to be a CMI. In Texas for the no-apprentice route it takes 448 hours of education to get licensed (after 1-1-05). 448+100=548 hours. 100 vs 548 is a pretty big difference in formal education requirements. An nowhere does one have to actually perform ANY inspections to be a CMI.
On-site supervised inspections (where someone qualified to teach and instruct, not just another licensed inspector that did a certain number of inspections right or wrong) is not required anywhere… I think.
I think NACHI is the only association that requires that your first 4 inspections be mock inspections (not for a poor fee-paying client involved in a real real estate transaction).
ASHI and NAHI actually tell their come-only-with-cash Candidates to go out and do their first inspections for poor, unsuspecting consumers.
I think FABI requires a grand total of 1, but again… it is unsupervised and can be done as your first inspection for a poor consumer.
Point is… # of onsite supervised inspections is not a criteria used much in our industry… probably due to economics and logistics. # of unsupervised inspections (# one did wrong or right, who knows) is not a qualification of any sort.
First off I support the CMI designation. I will say, however, that I have a reservation inasmuch that in its current form one can simply mail in an affadavid and some $. Unless I missed something on the application form, their is no requirement for supporting documentation to provide formal information of the continuing education classes required along with the application.
I realize that the individual submitting the application is affirming their truthworthiness in the presence of a notary public, however, I for one would feel more at ease if some form of documentation of said courses that equal 100 hours were provided along with the application. If not a certificate of completion than at least require a worksheet that lists the date, title of the classs, and the length. And yes, I read the disclaimer that said a certain number of the applications would be audited to verify compliance. How much time would it take to read over a worksheet with the application to at least provide a cursory evaluation, I for one think that would be time well spent.
Glad to see this discussion still going. I think everyone agrees that the term “Master” ought to be worth something. I started to put this example on the board last night but got busy elsewhere. In the military only 1% of the standing force can be promoted to the rank or position of Master. (MasterChief, Master Sgt, Master Gunnery Sgt and Chief Master Sgt) and takes on average 22 years to get there. I am not recommending anything that strict but as I said a couple of pages ago I think 100 hours of CE is way too low. I also believe there may need to be some kind of Matrix formed with other elements so that those who have gotten education in the building trades or National / State certifications could use those as well. It is hard to put a number on job experience because it is so subjective but I think there are a lot of smart people in this organization and we should be able to do that. I also said earlier there are already a lot of people using the title “Certified Master Inspector” We can all stand around arguing over the nuances and the minute details while the rest of the inspector community is using it
A master certification should be hard to obtain. It should not be another simple online certification. If every home inspector could qualify it would have little meaning.
To qualify an applicant must posses 3 of the following,
5 years as a full time inspector
1000 fee paid inspections
250 hours of CE credits
ICC Combination Residential Certification
State Building Inspectors License
4 year degree construction related
Anything less will only tarnish the industry.
Is there a licensing fee to obtain the status of an approved school?
Nick, to what benefit is this to You, or Nachi. Not the industry, just the first two mentioned. I only ask b/c you support it so vigurously. Who will benefit from this other than 8% of inspectors.
I meet or exceed the criteria as stated now. I am not signing up. As for the ICC tests being a requirement, why, the are an ICC requirement. If you want to join ICC, buy their books and take their tests then go ahead. 4 yr college degree, pleeeeeeease, are you kidding me? How about a State License? How about another Code Compliant License/Cert?
As for the trades, it’s baisicly suit up and show up for 4 to 5 years, which many people can not do.
[size=2]As I find few clients/realtors in my area that even know there are HI associations, and the ones I do find do not seem to care if I belong. I will not get too worked up about the latest and greatest HI acronym. [/size]
In fact I believe I will market myself as a MCHI. Why not?
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Greg you do not know me nor have you any idea to my experience, why would you say such a thing? Jealous. Of my experience???
I carry a AWS Cert in Weld Inspection, a state HI Cert, and a WDI State Cert. I am positive with a week and a book I would easily pass the ICC tests, so what.
How about another Code Compliant License/Cert?
acronym. [/size]
Why not?
Jealous.
Of my experience???