When I grow up I want to be cranky like Cookie. 
Include lots for marketing.
We borrowed $25,000 to start our business with the idea it would be maybe 3 months to have a decent income coming in, but it took nearly 6 months before we could sleep at night and so it was good to have some bucks in the bank to live off of. I would suggest no less than $8,000 to get up and running, you know FAX, laptop, camera, tools, clothes, insurances, stationary supplies, lettering on your truck, marketing ads, it all adds up really fast, and then you need some money to carry you over until you get some income coming in.
You will get more criticism than help on this BB, by asking questions, most here are insecure and are afraid of competition. There is a lot of good info, but you would do better to find it on your own, or P.M Russell Ray, he likes to help and knows a lot.
:roll: :roll: :roll:
Third Eye 
I started with about $10,000 and a rich wife.
Wish I still had the ten grand :twisted:
Makes perfect sense to me
haha, a comedian… i ran a private bartending company that supplied bartenders to private party, organizations etc… my biggest question is what do i need to open an inspection business
ok cool, thanks for the information, very helpful (unlike this cooke)
Uh-oh !!!
You are 22 years old and most successfully Home Inspectors have many many years in Construction before becoming Home Inspectors .
Most have been trying to tell you 90% of those who start do not last 3 years and many will have spent in excess of Ten Thousand dollars on becoming a home inspector .
The choice is yours to make but there are no short cuts just need to get lots of experience and have deep pockets to survive .
Please go into the ark hives and see some of the names of great home inspectors who did not make it .
… Cookie
But Roy if he fails, at least he can make a drink to drown his sorrows in, doesn’t that count for something? 
Determination (or plain crazy) and a lot of info on marketing. Develop a personal network of Bus. Associates. Get your name out there to the right people. Learn. Learn. Learn. And when you think you’ve learned enough, learn some more.
Most of us have industry related backgrounds, so it stands to reason that you have to make up for not having that.
Budget for marketing and then double it.
Oh, BTW, I had a second job up until last summer.
Save up your tips and just buy a company. Good money!! I got an e-mail this afternoon:
After eight successful years, I’m selling Home Check America. I’ve accepted a new job offer that I couldn’t turn down. You might know me from ASHI or NICASHI meetings, or maybe not. Anyway, I am willing to sell Home Check for an excellent bargain to the right person.
In October 2000 I started Home Check America. Like most inspectors, I struggled to get even one inspection, in fact I only had one inspection that first month, on Halloween day. Then in November 2000 I had no inspections. Even though I had spoken in many real estate offices, had a business card sized ad in most of the Chicagoland area yellow pages, etc. I wasn’t getting any calls. So over Thanksgiving I sat in front of my computer trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Then (as if from heaven) a got the answer.
Most home inspectors know that realtor referrals are important to success, and yet they struggle to get office presentation appointments. I did something that resulted in me giving 18 office presentations in the month of December 2000 alone, which lead to doing 6 inspections that month. Then the following spring I had another 45 presentations, doing 24 inspections in February and 41 in March.
I could see things were really taking off, so in April I hired a full time office gal to answer the phone and a part time inspector named Eric. In May of 2000 I did 70 inspections while I trained Eric. In June, we both were fully booked, with me doing 63 and Eric about 25. So, I hired another full time inspector who was already trained and he did 42 in July with Eric and I being fully booked as well. I personally did 456 inspections my first year and guys did 152. These are real numbers. I can show you how to grow your home inspection business. If I wasn’t offered such a great job in the industry I worked in before becoming an inspector, I wouldn’t be selling HCA. Instead I’d be beating your butt & taking names. 
You might be thinking you can’t afford my company because it seems bigger than yours. If that’s what you are thinking, let’s talk. I am a very successful single inspector firm. I chose to reduce Home Check’s size to only myself for several reasons, all of them good for you if you acquire me. But it is too complicated to put in this email. For the right person, I would be willing to stretch out payments if you need that.
Business is picking up. I’m seeing a better year in 2008. Sure the press reports about the housing market are bad, this is an excellent time to acquire a company like Home Check America. If you bought me, you could double your business overnight without the expense of building it up.If you are interested, send me an email and I’ll send you some additional information of what is for sale (assets, systems, financials, etc). This is NOT some scam thing or spam. I don’t know how else to sell the business than send you an email. Feel free to check me out at area real estate offices, or on our website, or the ASHI website, etc.
Best regards,
i do have a background, a whole family background, been working with my dad, his brothers and all since i was about 14 helping out and around doing additions and all, but my dad gave me some solid advice to not be in construction, good money but kills your body over time, so i did, i followed something else i love, a good time, open a bartending co and loved it, but my true calling is the houseing industry, its in my blood, so its time to dive back in but from a different perspective… thanks for the advice, and the note about drowning out the sorrows cause i can make some sick *** drinks, so cooke when i make it, and i will (i always do) i will throw the biggest inspectors party across the land … but i dont think you’ll be able to make it, sorry, only the helpful and the funny… thanks everyone else, who has been helping me… quote me on that, i owe you a drink
Sorry I do not Drink I do wish you all the best and hope you are one of the ten per centers .
Too bad you find my telling the truth upsets you .
I have been around a while and feel sorry for all those who have tried so hard and spent so much money who do not survive.
I hold no hard feelings and like I always I am here to help when and where I can. Season greetings to all.
… Cookie