I have received some information from two sources about grandfathering of home inspectors once home inspector licensing is adopted in Ontario. I’m of the belief that Ontario will adopt some form of grandfathering that incorporates the Certified Master Inspector (CMI) professional designation similar to what Alberta did when it used our Certified Master Inspector (CMI) professional designation to grandfather home inspectors. There is a twist though. I’ve heard that you will have to have been a Certified Master Inspector (CMI) for a certain amount of time for it to count. From one source I heard 18 months and from another I heard one year. Again, I don’t know what requirement will finally be adopted.
I consider this information to be merely rumor at this time. Nevertheless, we can’t take any chances, nor can you.
Therefore, I’ve devised a system that eliminates the risk to you (either way) and costs you nothing to manage this risk:
If you are already a Certified Master Inspector (CMI), this does not apply to you. You are already in the best position I know of to get grandfathered should grandfathering be adopted (and I’m certain that some form of grandfathering will be adopted as to not disrupt the real estate market).
If you don’t qualify to be a Certified Master Inspector (CMI), this does not apply to you. You should apply as soon as you qualify though.
However, if you are not currently a Certified Master Inspector AND you qualify to be one, take these steps now (TODAY!):
Immediately apply at www.CertifiedMasterInspector.org but during the application process, STOP at page three where it asks you to pay. Do not pay the $2,500.00 fee.
At this point in the application (after you’ve submitted page 1 and 2), email me at contact@certifiedmasterinspector.org and tell me that you applied but did not pay the $2,500.00. Include your name, email, and phone number in this email.
I will have someone at the Master Inspector Certification Board call you personally to collect payment, but we’ll only collect $1,000 from you by credit card.
We’ll archive your time-stamped application so that if you need us to provide evidence that you are a Certified Master Inspector (CMI), we’ll be able to do that for you.
Now when Ontario finally adopts licensing, if it turns out your Certified Master Inspector (CMI) was useless to you with regard to getting a license, you have two options:
You can keep your Certified Master Inspector (CMI) professional designation and you’ll have saved $1,500.00.
— or —
You can contact me and I’ll send you a full refund for the $1,000.00. You won’t be a Certified Master Inspector (CMI) any longer, but you won’t have spent any money managing the risk of not being one. I’ll refund your full fee immediately.
Either way you win while managing your risk of not being grandfathered for a total cost to you of $0.00.
I find it a bit erroneous to “believe” that grandfathering will happen in Ontario. I’ve checked the Ontario Panel Report - “A Closer Look: Qualifying Ontario’s Home Inspectors” and that specific word fails to appear.
I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it clearly indicates the words in that document as “should include passing a written exam, a field test and experience requirements”. Of course nobody will really know for sure until the DAA (Designated Administrative Authority) sets the actual qualification bar for licensing. Of course with further qualification assuming that licensing happens.
Interesting , I expect all active home inspectors will be grandfathered in and be accepted given a license . Past experienced has been done this way with electricians in the late 194?S with auto mechanics in the middle195?s and other construction trades .
I can not see the Ontario government taking away a persons living .
I see many who call them selves a Carpenter or a roofer and see no enforcement on them.
If this is your ‘living’, then you should have zero problems qualifying under the proposed requirements… for everyone. IMO, if they want to be above criticism, they should not allow grandfathering. I suspect this will eliminate up to 50% of the “god old boy” network, and the “just getting by” and “couldn’t give a rats arse” crowd. If you guys really give a sh*t about the industry and the general public in your area, you will tell the authorities that you DO NOT want a grandfathering clause!
In Alberta, nothing was said about CMI until they announced it. At that point I did not have the designation nor did I qualify because I had not taken the proper courses that they had adopted (at first it was Carson Dunlop and one other. This was announced in the spring. By the end of summer there were more courses you could take including a proctored exam through InterNACHI. Without them I would have been out of business.
I bought the Carson Dunlop Program right away thinking I needed to get it because no other online programs were being adopted.
I guess my point is that if you can get your CMI I would definitely do it. If you do not quilify, wait until the regulations come out to see what you will need. Don’t jump on taking a course right away. I made a $3500.00 mistake. Anyone wanna buy a useless Carson Dunlop program??
I was more than qualified to be an inspector. I had two years of inspecting under my belt and had taken pretty much every course NACHI offered as well as other courses.
The issue I had was that I had not taken the ones that were adopted by the Alberta Government.
I talked to a home Inspector in BC and he said the same thing he bought the C&D on the open market and was told NO GOOD he had to buy it from CAHPI and take their course and like you he is out a lot of money .
Now membership in an association is not required in BC .
Just a thought but, if grandfathering in some form does not happen then who would be qualified to administer the field exam? It would take considerable time , IMO, to train the new test givers to ready them to test the inspectors before the next inspection could be done.
I see what you are saying but that is why they always announce it well before it is legislated. We were given 4 months to get our poop in a group before it came into effect. They will likely name a few courses that you can take to become licensed. More will come along as the process proceeds.
Field Testing - likely recognized by the ones already complying under the MTCU Colleges & University regulation act. That’s at least a starting point.
Others, while - mileage will vary, but as stated it’s not a done deal until the reg’s are in place.
Roy you raise a good point - but however, don’t short sell “apprenticeship”. Most construction trades and even the people that repair vehicles, or work in shops underwent some form of apprenticeship.
I did It was 2000 hours per year and four years in 1951 and also went to trade school each year.
Both my Brothers worked at the trade but did not have the trade school training I went through .
They were granted their license and did some more upgrading .
later .
I know some who got their Auto Mechanic license who did not do an apprenticeship in 1955 .
Grandfathering is a positive thing in all industries. There may be occasional candidates gaming the system but very few. For the greater good of all it has been allowed for other things and should be allowed for inspectors.
We get nowhere setting impossible standards devised by the opinions of close minded individuals who assume their standard is the de facto for all.