So has anyone submitted a Wind Mit using the home inspector licensing as qualifications yet. and if so were there any issues in getting it approved.
Second part of the question would be do we or should we be waiting for some official course approval for the education other than the InterNACHI online exam?
I am curoius as well, however, i believe that all of these questions will be answered on September 22.
I decided to test the waters and filled out one. I had my certification from the my safe florida program, but i never worked for any of the companies and am not on the approved inspector list. I sent a copy of the certification with the form and used my new license number.
I did it about a week ago for an insurance agent that is a close friend of mine. I am waiting to hear if they took it or not.
Cory,
What areas do you cover?
[FONT=Calibri]I have done several (about 25) wind mits since the mid part of July under my HI license. The only call back was from an underwriter for Universal that wanted a copy of my license and the InterNachi training certificate. I faxed the information and included the OIR Informational Memorandum dated August 4. Haven’t heard back from him so I guess he accepted it. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]The statute is very clear that insurers are to accept state licensed HI’s as authorized wind mit inspectors begining 1 July 2010. The statute is the current law and the insurers don’t really have that much input into who they will recognize or not. I personally worked through OIR with a Ms. Cindy Walden and she took it to their lawyers for an opinion and to get their blessing. According to the law I am not doing anything illegal or improper. If an underwriter has a problem with HI’s doing wind mits then their avenues of appeal are really very limited.
I had been doing wind mits for about 2 years under the wing of a GC signing off on the forms and have a long background in construction. So the actual wind mit inspection process was not a problem and not new to me. It really is not rocket science but it is not really an easy task. I spend a goodly amount of time on-line verifying manufacturer’s specs and testing data. All that information goes right into the report.
All of the latest BS regarding one training group rather than another is just that—BS. I try the KISS approach to most aspects of my life and in this instance what I see is that the InterNachi course is going to satisfy OIR as much as any other course. I took that course in May with the thought in mind that it would suffice. Since OIR has requested all of the participant information from InterNACHI regarding that course it looks to me as if they are going to accept the course carte blanche. The law regarding the training does not stipulate “approved” or any other type of specificity.
I will let you know if I am overwhelmed by rejections but as of now—not one.
[/FONT]
Allen,
Well just think you will likely now be overwhelmed with competition.
What do you currently get for a wind mitigation inspection?
Good Luck
That information is quite valuable, thank you for sharing it with us.
[FONT=Verdana]Michael- I charge $125.00 for the wind mit by itself and $75.00 with a full home inspection. Not a whole lot of serious competition in the Panhandle area and I personally know most of the home inspectors in the region through our InterNACHI chapter—all good guys that have been around longer than I have. We had a NACHI gold pin presentation at a chapter meeting about 2 years ago and the group of recipients had like 110 years of cumulative experience. That is a lot of knowledge to draw on. I also have my client base and good referrals[/FONT]
I hope it stays that for you. good luck.
Thanks Allen. Great job.
**I hope you have not been doing a lot of them. You are not, at this time, allowed to do them with just an HI license. Even after the Sept 22 meeting you will not be allowed to do them. You will need to wait until that form goes into effect and you will still need to take whatever course they deem appropriate. **
This is the response I got when I asked the OIR if I could perform Wind Mitigation Inspections with my Fl license:
Good afternoon,
Your request for information regarding your licensing as a home inspector was forwarded to me for reply.
Rule 69O-170.0155 has been opened back up to further revisions due to legislation recently signed into law by the Governor. A rule workshop has been scheduled for September 22, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. to update Form OIR-B1-1802 to reflect statutory changes and other issues related to the form. Our Management/Legal team is currently reviewing the legislative changes that are in order as well as areas of the form that need clarification or correction, including the signature page to include home inspectors as licensed under Florida Statute 468.8314 . HB663 specified the following criteria for home inspectors:
“Home inspector licensed under Section 468.8314, Florida Statutes who has completed at least 3 hours of hurricane mitigation training and completion of a proficiency exam”
At this time until the form is revised and adopted, it may depend on whether the insurance company can verify training, licensing, etc. but if it is acceptable to them, you would sign under the “other” category. We are in contact with other regulatory agencies and all aspects of the industry regarding suggested changes and we are seeking clarification for technical issues such as this. We will continue to provide updates on our website as well as our Interested Parties List in regards to upcoming workshops, hearings, etc. that will address the revisions.
Cindy Walden
Government Analyst I
Office of Insurance Regulation
Property & Casualty Product Review
(850) 413-2616 (Phone)
(850) 922-3865 (Fax)
Cindy.Walden@floir.com](mhtml:{7D81452A-37D3-488A-A1B6-E27775ACDC2B}mid://00000276/!x-usc:mailto:Cindy.Walden@floir.com)
Since there is no approved course and exam we cannot do them. The portion were she says “if it is acceptable to them” has always been there. I can tell you that Citizens will not accept them from an HI at this point.
Don’t you just love the state. They give us a license but then say that it isn’t any good.
Folks, the law is the law. It says HI license and three hours of training. Not three hours of their approved training on an new and improved approved form. Unfortunately for them they have to follow the laws just like the rest of us. If they are not prepared to check credentials that is their problem not yours.
I’m with john on this
Me too, it is doubtful that Citizens will screw over licensed home inspectors who have taken a course and have passed an exam. Especially in an election year, licensed home inspectors vote too. 
The state of Florida has licensed home inspectors to inspect all the components of the home. The law states that we are fully qualified to inspect those components if we hold a valid license. We with the exception of building code inspectors, which in most cases are state employees or are state contractors for the sole purpose of inspecting code, are the only ones licensed to inspect components. I don’t see how any company that is regulated by the state such as insurance companies can exempt state licensed inspectors from their list of qualified inspectors. The state licensed us to protect consumer. So now the insurance company or state does not want the consumer protect when it comes to home insurance inspections?
Our licensing regulation says that we cannot perform repair work on any home we inspect. This is not so for contractors, architects, engineers etc.
Time will tell.
Hey John,
Thank you for being such a help to your fellow home inspectors
[quote=“rhyland, post:18, topic:52167”]
Our licensing regulation says that we cannot perform repair work on any home we inspect. This is not so for contractors, architects, engineers etc.
Guess what the Dumb a s s e s from the State will let contractors, architects, engineers build the houses but some how think we are not good enough to inspect them without a separate Home Inspector license. The people who make the rules we all must follow are idiots and only make the rules to make money for the State. They made all the changes allegedly to help get more accurate reports and it is just going to get worse. What is really funny is the requirements needed to become a contractor, architect or engineer are about 50 times harder to obtain than trying to obtain a Home Inspector License. Now Just take a 3 hour course and you automatically are just as qualified as contractors, architects, engineers and there is no need to get a lifetime of experience. With all the mistakes I see those contractors, architects, engineers make I cannot wait to see the mistakes someone who has no construction experience makes reporting on how the buildings are constructed. I wonder how many new people doing these inspections will realize that a closed inspection is not necessarily a passed final inspection and just because someone has an application for a permit or actually has a permit that does not even come close to meaning that a final roof inspection has taken place let alone passed or not.
Mr. Meeker,
Following your logic, the revered contractor is qualified to do inspections simply because they are licensed contactors. If that is the case, why shouldn’t the contractor be able to do his own code inspections on his work and sign off for Govermnental compliance? We could just eliminate the building inspection departments and save the tax payers much money.