Tennessee - Volunteer Country

General Inspection Topics Legislation, Licensing, Ethics & Legal Issues
21

Mr. Kelly,

Thank you for your communication.

As soon as I receive the final testing entity information, I will be
able to place the contact information on our website; however, I do
know that the testing will not begin until around the first week of
April, and applications will not be available until around the first
week of May.

If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.

Carol Kennedy
Administrative Director
Home Inspector Licensing Program
Department of Commerce and Insurance
500 James Robertson Pkwy., 2nd Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
615-253-1743(Telephone)
615-741-6470 (Fax)

22

Thanks for all the help Ben! :slight_smile:

ps. I just passed threw town on 216 to 21.

23

Any information from the meeting yesterday.

24

Some arguments from some inspectors, mainly wanting to change some of the legislation, which the board cannot do, but according to the board everything is on track for the July date. They should have things ready for applications very soon, for the word out is as of July 1st, if you are not licensed you cannot do inspections in Tennessee period.

25

I just got back from the NACHI meeting, where there were several members of the advisory committee. They stated that you must have to have your license by JULY 1, 2006. If you do not have a license by them, you CAN NOT do any inspections until you get a license. This is a big change a from a few weeks ago, when we had until the end of December, to get them.

The NHIE will be the state test we will have to take. nIt also has to be taken at some other testing site.

The SOP’s are still a little in the air. Sounds like we will have to use ASHI. n

I just hope that they can issue the licenses on time for everyone. That is my big concern, since we can not even apply for the, yet. It may be a few more weeks, before we can even put in the paper work.:twisted:

26

ATTENTION TENNESSEE HOME INSPECTORS
As you know, Tennessee has passed legislation to license home inspectors. Although the law is not yet in effect, one of the licensing requirements is passing the National Home Inspector Examination.
IMPORTANT!
Beginning April 3, 2006, you MUST take the National Home Inspector Examination through PSI, Inc. Register at www.psiexams.com.
If you take the exam through Promissor, Inc., our primary testing company, the State of Tennessee might not accept your score and you may have to pay another fee to take the test through PSI.
Go to www.psiexams.com to register for the National Home Inspector Examination for Tennessee licensing.

27

http://candidate.psiexams.com/common/bulletin/display_bulletin.jsp?ro=yes&actionname=83&bulletinid=179&bulletinurl=.pdf

28

grrrrrr…This is what it says at the bottom of the registration page.

The test is conducted at the following test centers
No testcenters are found for the test

I couldn’t find that location on mapquest. I guess they figure they have time to set these things up.

29

Ok…I just got off the phone with PSI. They are apparently not ready for us yet. You can register and pay your fee online but they do not have any test dates yet. The dates will not be available until April 3rd, I guess that is because the contract does not start until then.

Be prepared to be on hold for a very long time if you call. Also, I hope you like opera because that is the muzak they have while you on hold. Hopefully they will have all of this online by then so we don’t have to call.

30

Everyone needs to take a good look at the whole thing. I am for the license but someone isn’t thinking, they use the terms (engage in) (directly and indirectly) concerning anyone. Does that mean other professionals called in through the inspection such as HVAC have to be a licensed inspector? They are engaged in my inspection. Also I can not find any mention of trainees or helpers, how can you grow without training someone. I guess I’m to just fork out 5000-6000$ for school and insurance in the hopes that the person will work out. I guess I should have been paying more attention. Scott:mad: </IMG>

31

Test dates are now available on the web at http://www.psiexams.com/ . You must register an pay first and then you can schedule your test on the web site. You do not have to call them. It’s all pretty painless (except for the pay part)

32

Well they have already put us under the gun to get a license, but now you have to wait 2 weeks before you can take the test.

33

We held a rulemaking hearing on Thursday, March 23, 2006. As a result
of that hearing, in order to allow additional time for the public to
make their concerns and issues public, we extended the Public Comment
period an additional 2 weeks, through 4:30 p.m. April 6, 2006.

Leaving the Public Comment period open for the additional time period
was great for the public, but does delay the review and processing of
additional documents relative to the licensing of the home inspectors in
Tennessee.

That being said, Applications should be available on our website
around mid to late May. Within the next few days I hope to have our
webmaster place on our website, a copy of the Rules by Public Necessity,
which we are required to file on a temporary basis (April 7 - September
18, 2006), in order to allow our office to receive applications, etc. in
order that we may begin licensing qualified home inspectors. We are
also working during this period of time to complete and file our final
set of Rules. We realize that as this Program progresses, some of the
laws and rules may need adjustment/changes, but we have tried very hard
to implement an initial set of laws and rules that will protect the
consumer as well as the inspector.

I am working on application instructions which should also be placed on
the website within the next few days. This should assist the applicants
in gathering the required documents to submit with their application.

Once applications are received, and I assume I will have several prior
to July 1, they will be processed and secured in my office until July l,
2006, when our data processing system will issue licenses to all those
who have been processed.

I hope the information provided has helped you. If you need further
assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards,
Carol Kennedy

Carol Kennedy
Administrative Director
Home Inspector Licensing Program
Department of Commerce and Insurance
500 James Robertson Pkwy., 2nd Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
615-253-1743(Telephone)
615-741-6470 (Fax)

34

Took and passed the NHIE today in Jackson. I am glad to get that part behind, now for the rest of it. Got to get all the ducks in a row.

35

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
**Applications should be available around the end of May from our website or by mail
from the Tennessee Home Inspector Licensing Office.
**Beginning July 1, 2006, if you are submitting an application per the Tennessee Home
Inspector License Act of 2005, Section 6(a), you are required to submit the following **with
your application:
**1. A nonrefundable
$300.00 application and initial licensure fee. This payment
must be made by check, and made out to the Department of Commerce and
Insurance.
2. A copy of your high school diploma or GED certificate. If you are unable to locate
your high school diploma, then we would require a high school transcript showing
your graduation date.
3. A copy of the certificate you received upon completion of the 90 hours of required
prelicense
home inspection education.
4. A copy of the state selected National Home Inspector Examination testing results
showing a **passing **score.
5. A copy of the certificate of insurance showing you are carrying Errors and Omissions
insurance, and **at least **five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) general liability
insurance.
**“GRANDFATHERING”
**Beginning July 1, 2006 through December 28, 2006 if you are submitting an application per
the Tennessee Home Inspector License Act of 2005, Section 6(b)(1)(2), you will be required
to submit the following with your application:

  1. A nonrefundable
    $300.00 application and initial licensure fee    . This payment
    must be made by check, and made out to the Department of Commerce and
    Insurance.
  2. A copy of your high school diploma or GED certificate. If you are unable to locate
    your high school diploma, then we would require a high school transcript showing
    your graduation date.
  3. A copy of the state selected National Home Inspector Examination testing results
    showing a **passing **score.
  4. A copy of the certificate of insurance showing you are carrying Errors and Omissions
    insurance, and **at least **five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) general liability
    insurance.
  5. **A listing of at least 150 home inspections you have completed and received
    compensation for. This list will need to include the name of the client, address
    and date of inspection. **If you are unable to provide this complete list of clients, you
    will be required to apply under the Tennessee Home Inspector License Act of 2005,
    Section 6(a)    .
36

**There is a list of recently approved home inspector schools on our website. Additional
curriculum submitted and if approved, will be added to our website. We are also accepting
training hours taken through schools endorsed by the National Associations. The
Associations are listed in Chapter 65, Tennessee Home Inspector License Act of 2005,
Section 4(b).
The web site addresses for the National Associations are: ashi.org, nachi.org, nahi.org, and
ahia.org.

What is ahia.org, when I google it , it comes up as a healthcare site???

**

37

Policy Statement #1
PRELICENSE
EDUCATION HOURS
INDIVIDUALS WHO:
· have completed home inspector training hours on or after July 1, 2001 from a
proprietary entity or an accredited educational institution, that has been approved
by the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
or the Commissioner’s designee, may upon submitting satisfactory evidence of
completion to the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee, apply these
training hours toward the application requirements as required per the Tennessee
Home Inspector Licensing Act of 2005.
Adopted April 12, 2006

**[FONT=Arial-BoldMT-Identity-H]POLICY #2
**National Home Inspector Examination
APPLICANTS WHO:
· have taken and **passed **the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE)
on or after July 1, 2001, may upon submitting a copy of the testing results
with their application to the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of
Commerce and Insurance or the Commissioner’s designee, apply the
testing results toward the application requirements as required per the
Tennessee Home Inspector License Act of 2005.
Adopted May 4, 2006

**TENNESSEE HOME INSPECTOR LICENSING
BY
RECIPOCITY
*APPLICATIONS MAY BE SUBMITTED DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE 2006 IN ANTICIPATION OF THE
JULY 1, 2006 INITIAL LICENSURE STARTING DATE
***Beginning July 1, 2006, an individual, living as a **nonresident
**of this state may apply for
home inspector licensure in Tennessee if they currently hold a like, unexpired license as a
home inspector in the individual’s resident state, if the requirements for licensure in their
resident state are at least equivalent to the requirements for licensure in Tennessee. The
applicant would be required to submit the following:

  1. Tennessee Home Inspector Application
  2. A nonrefundable
    $300.00 application and initial licensure fee    , paid by check
    and made out to the Department of Commerce and Insurance.
  3. Documentation (preferably a signed letter) from the applicant’s resident state
    licensing program showing:
    a. That the applicant holds a current, valid license
    b. Hours submitted for licensure in the resident state
    c. Date applicant passed National Home Inspector Exam (NHIE)
  4. If prelicense
    training hours did not equal 90 hours for the nonresident
    state,
    applicant is required to submit a copy of certificate(s) showing applicant has taken
    additional hours of home inspector training, which when combined with the hours
    required for his resident state licensure, equaled a total of at least 90 hours.
  5. A copy of the certificate of insurance showing the applicant carries Errors and
    Omissions (E & O) insurance (no minimum coverage set by the State of
    Tennessee), and **at least **five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) per
    occurrence of General Liability insurance.
    5/10/06

[/FONT]

38

HI Guys, Is the test hard? Where can I get some study material for the test?

39

Get the illustrated home and study it, take the nachi test some as well. Read all the answers before picking one…Need to go ahead and take it, time is ticking…

40

Barron,

The test is hard if you do not study for it. You can take a practice test right here at NACHI at http://www.nachi.org/qa.htm .

There is also a free course at http://www.nachi.org/course.htm that should help you. Good luck when you do it. The applications should be available soon so you don’t have much time.