Chances are, you will at some point. Everyone makes mistakes. You just hope it’s minor and easy enough to move on from.
And even if you never make a mistake, at some point, some will say you did. But that’s part of any business.
That will never go away. I’m almost 10 years in with 6 guys under me, and I see still see stuff I’ve never seen before all the time.
Google.
Ask on this board,
Make friends with people in various trades who are willing to answer questions for you.
You talk about your certifications, training, and what makes you unique. 99.99% of people won’t realize you skirted the question as long as you answer with confidence.
I had the same issue. I ended up inspecting friends’ houses for free (houses that were NOT for sale) so I could practice enough until I was confident enough in my abilities.
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but you’re looking at this from the wrong perspective.
Doing the inspection is the easy part. I mean yes there are a million codes, rules, and odd things to remember. But you can learn it all from reading enough articles, and books, taking more classes, etc.
The hard part is getting anyone to call you.
Read this first:
Most wanna be inspectors don’t make it, not because they lack technical information, but because they don’t get enough business to survive.
You live in a rural or semi-rural area. What is your local real estate market like? How many homes are bought or sold within an hour’s drive of you in any given year? What percentage of that number would you need to make ends meet?