I’m looking to get into commercial inspections. Can someone tell me how to take the appropriate courses? Do I become a member of CCPIA first and then take the courses?
I only see a few courses on the InterNACHI website and only a few courses on the CCPIA website. Not sure if there is a actual order of courses and to get certified. It doesn’t seem clear.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Max
yes join CCPIA and take the courses.
the courses at ccpia.org must be passed at 100%. not 80% like nachi tests.
to be certified you really only need the ComSOP and ethics course. But would highly recommend the rest.
there is allot of info that is completely different then residential
Thanks WIlliam
I’m still confused. The only courses under ccpia are (indoor air quality, structural evaluation, ladder safety, low slope roofs, and the 2 you mentioned which I don’t think are even technical.)
Under nachi.org when I select commercial courses, there is the commercial pre-requisite course, HVAC and Electrical).
Isn’t there a certain list of “technical courses” for commercial inspection certification? Kind of like to become CPI certified, you had to take (roofing, exterior, electrical , hvac, plumbing, etc…)
Am I missing something.
Thanks for your help.
Max
here is a screenshot of the main courses. within those there are many more courses.
it does not cover commercial plumbing, HVAC, and such. as they are usually similar systems for small commercial buildings, and for the large commercial jobs, you would have to hire specialists to do these inspections for you and get a report from them.
Once you start taking the course you will learn the process and how the ComSOP works.
it is not the same as doing a residential inspection.
Maybe just look up the ComSOP and read it and you can see the differences.
I uploaded it here.
ComSOP-2018.pdf (14.1 MB)
Thanks William.
Its making more sense. Really appreciate your help.
Take Care
Max
Just a heads up, learn Nachi’s material inside and out, then gain experience, and ask questions. There also some great books out there on PCAs, and lots of videos on Youtube. But with that said, there is no requirement out there on the client’s side - anywhere - to have the assessor be ‘certified’ to a PCA standard. The big clients look at the actual standard you follow more than anything else. Which, if you look at standards like E2018, emphasize qualifications over certifications (E2018 mentions certifications, but only in the context of a training topic certificate or CEU certificate). The body of experience, the body of education, and the body of training matter more. This is all then summarized in the Statement of Qualifications that accompanies every report.
As an example, I actually had a client ask me if we were ASHI certified to do commercial work. It took every ounce of strength in me to not laugh out loud. I patiently explained to him what he was suggesting, and then we had a nice chuckle about it.
Also for the record, we train our people for a full month before they go in the field. 8 hours a day, five days a week, for 4 weeks. And once they clear that, they shadow the senior folks for 4 or 5 projects, and get assigned a mentor for their first year.
