Monika,
As I understand it, if the inspection is for the purpose of determining the condition of the house prior to it’s sale, then it is a “home inspection” and must be performed by a licensed home inspector. New or used, it doesn’t matter although there is no law stating that every house must be inspected prior to a sale.
A home inspection is not the same as a building code inspection, it will not determine whether or not a house is up to code. Building code inspections are conducted by inspectors that work for (or are contracted by) the governing municipal authority. The Alberta safety codes council provides the education / training for SCO’s (Safety Code Officers), some of those courses are required to obtain the designation of a CAHPI Associate that I have. SCO’s are exempt from the new home inspector licensing requirements as they are not home inspectors and vice versa.
Definitions:
A Home Inspector is defined as an individual who is employed by one or more home inspection businesses to conduct home inspections.
A Home Inspection means an opinion as to the condition of a dwelling based primarily on a non-invasive examination of readily accessible features and components of the dwelling.
A Home Inspection Business is defined as the activity of providing home inspection services to consumers.
Exclusions:
A business operating in only the way(s) listed below does not require licensing as a Home Inspection Business:
Contracts for inspections of common areas of a condominium property.
Contracts for inspections of dwellings to be used for commercial or business purposes, including use as a rental property.
Contracts for inspections of dwellings conducted by a person participating in a home inspection training course or as part of a test home inspection if the consideration, if any, for the home inspection is paid to the educational institution or supervisor of the test home inspection and no remuneration is paid to the person conducting the home inspection.
Inspections of dwellings by a safety codes officer pursuant to the Safety Codes Act.
Inspections of dwellings for purposes of constructing, altering, maintaining, repairing or improving the dwelling.
New regulations: