Im just finishing up the roof inspection course, not yet certified. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I am overwhelmed at the moment, but there is so much to know that I am worried about not knowing how to diagnose a defect or about encountering things I don’t know how to describe or am unfamiliar with. I know that experience is the best teacher, and I am also learning a lot from the courses themselves. I just wanted to post here and see what people might have to say about it. All thoughts and opinions are welcome, thank you! PS. I started my education on 7/4/2026 with almost no trade experience except some minor framing and roofing experience.
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Welcome Nathan. Where are you located?
Many inspectors come from some construction experience.
With almost none, it will be harder.
Take all the courses InterNACHI offers until you pass them with an 80% or above.
Maybe do the House Of Horrors in Colorado.
And consider trying to get hired on with a multi-inspector firm.
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I’m a home inspector working in South Korea. For CPI inspectors here, the language barrier is always one of the biggest challenges when taking InterNACHI courses and exams. Although most Koreans receive a good education and many of us have some familiarity with English, those of us who have not lived in the United States often reach a point where the language becomes difficult. That is why studying this field also requires us to become comfortable with English and keep exposing ourselves to it. Even this message was written with the help of a translation tool.
Still, I believe you have one major advantage that we do not—you are a native English speaker.
Even though I still cannot communicate comfortably in English, I attend InterNACHI conferences in the United States and seek out experienced American inspectors whom I can learn from. Conversation is still difficult for me, but technology has improved so much that it is now possible to communicate without too much difficulty.
You are already in a more favorable position than many of us. With a genuine desire to learn and the determination to keep going, I believe you can succeed.
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Think of becoming a home inspector like learning a trade or getting a degree in a specific field. It takes a lot more than 2 weeks. So just keep studying and be patient.
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I am located in California. I definitely look forward to attending the house of horrors at some point!
No doubt! I fully expect it will be numerous months before I am comfortable in this field, but I am determined and I study profusely! I also have a CPI not too far from where I live that is willing to take me on some ride alongs once I get my CPI.
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That’s when things will begin to click
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And yet with the various challenges they face our Korean counterparts are “kicking butt and taking names” in the inspection field! They are a prime example of what can be done if you just apply yourself and work at it. Bravo!
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I have some suggestions for you.
- Make a friend in the new home construction field, preferably a GC that knows what they are doing, and have some fun on new construction sites inspecting them from the ground up. If you learn how they are built, with the help of your new friend, you will much better understand what you are looking at and what is wrong.
- Spend lots of time on the MLS looking at used homes for sale and carefully going through the listing photos. See how many issues you can find, and there will be plenty, and practice how to write them up.
- Go through your entire house after each learning module and pick out any defects you find and practice writing them up. Of course if you’re married don’t mention them to the Wife or you won’t have time to inspect as you’ll be correcting them all.
There are many other things you can do to enhance your training and abilities before you hit the field. Don’t freak out about it all and just do it!
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