https://www.nachi.org/indiana-licensure-law-regulations-course.htm
I see a lot of parallels between real estate agent rules and home inspector rules. I have a real estate license, but it’s on referral wit the State of Indiana.; I would have to disclose it.
Indiana has very specific rules for licensure in the state. It is governed by TITLE 878 HOME INSPECTORS LICENSING BOARD. It is important for students to know and understand it completely.
We have a very unique and unusual requirement for licensure. It is listed in 878 IAC 1-3-2 Prelicensing course requirements. It states, “Sec. 2. (a) Applicants for licensure must complete no fewer than sixty (60) hours with a minimum of forty (40) hours of classroom training and a minimum of twelve (12) hours of practical experience provided by a board approved prelicensing course provider.”
Sec 3 defines “practical experience” as ”experience obtained through either on-site inspection work or experience obtained in a lab setting that includes hands-on or visual defect recognition of building systems or components.”
It is important to understand, the 12 hours of practical experience CANNOT be obtained from another licensed inspector, unless they have been approved as a prelicensing course provider. InterNACHI does not offer this part of the requirement, so the student has to find an approved provider for the 12 hours on their own.
You can use this Verification Tool to find an approved facility.
You will get a list that looks like this:
It is also important to know that only a few of the approved providers listed offer the 12 hours of practical experience as a stand-alone service. An InterNACHI member did the research a few years ago and concluded that only three providers offered just the 12 hours. Keep in mind, this list is from 2020.
It is important for students to understand that any licensee who received their course work from InterNACHI, but did not receive their twelve (12) hours practical experience from a board approved pre-licensing course provider, may be in violation of IC 25-1-11-5(1)(A).
It states, “A practitioner is subject to the exercise of the disciplinary sanctions…if, after a hearing, the board finds that…a practitioner has…engaged in or knowingly cooperated in fraud or material deception in order to obtain a license to practice”
Furthermore, an unapproved licensed inspector who provides the 12 hours of practical experience to a student are in violation of 878 IAC 1-4-1. It states, ”Sec. 1. No prelicensing course provider shall conduct, solicit, or accept student enrollment for a home inspector course as prescribed in this rule without approval of the provider by the board.”
Despite the specific rules, I suspect that many licensed inspectors in Indiana have violated the requirement for the 12 hours of practical experience and still have been granted a license. There is a flaw in the process. If you know of any unapproved licensee who has accepted a student for the 12 hours for compensation, I encourage you to file a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, Licensing Enforcement Division.
InterNACHI is in a very unique position to offer this portion of the Indiana requirement at the House of Horrors, but they do not. I encourage you to reach out to them ask them to develop a program tailored to meet Indiana’s requirement.
There are certain elements that are required to be listed a home inspection report in Indiana that some licensees fail to include.
- License number as required by 878 IAC 1-2-1
Other requirements are listed at IC 25-20.2-2-7
- A statement that the report does not address environmental hazards
- A statement that the report does not address wood destroying insects and organisms
- A statement that the report does not address subterranean systems or system components
Even if the Attorney General determines a complaint filed against a licensee is without merit, they will still charge the licensee with failure to include this information.
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