I believe all residential home inspectors should be able to provide an additional service on properties with septic systems (business tip: diversify services).
A routine maintenance inspection of the septic system would add about 30 minutes to the home inspection - and I’d charge another $75.
This training is for home inspectors…
The routine m[FONT=Courier New]aintenance inspection is designed for residential home inspectors to:
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perform a routine maintenance inspection using visual-only, non-invasive inspection techniques; and
The MO department of health and senior services is responsible for licensing all septic inspectors and installers in the state. They have a very comprehensive inspection checklist that they require the inspectors to use. The inspection has some distinct differences between what your septic course teaches and what they require. (not that either are wrong, just different).
A MO septic inspection takes me a minimum of 1 hour (assuming I do part of the inspection at the beginning of my home inspection, and begin the hydrolic load test during the inspection. And we charge between 200 and 250.00 per inspection.
If you contact the state, they may provide you with the inspection forms as well as info on getting NACHI training approved for MO CE. (That would be appealing to non-home inspectors too.)
Part of a septic inspection is to inspect the plumbing of the house.
Don’t have to be a county inspector do provide that service to a homebuyer… right?
As it turns out, I realized that I’ve been performing routine maintenance inspections for my clients for years.
The course teaches home inspectors how to provide 3 useful pieces of information to their client:
the location of the system components;
how the system works; and
maintenance recommendations.
Don’t have to be certified by the state to do those three things… do you?
If you do… well, that’s terrible.
I believe all home inspectors should be wiling and able to do those three things (aforementioned) with the proper training without the state getting involved. http://www.nachi.org/septic-course.htm
Just trying to help inspectors diversify services (to stay in business).
I think InterNACHI’s courses provide the means to do just that.
To do ANY septic inspection, you must be licensed by the state. Some counties in the state require additional licensing (usually paying them a fee is all that is required.)
I wonder how does your state define “any septic inspection?”
Providing maintenance recommendations - is that considered by your state as performing a septic inspection?
There are two DEFINED types of septic inspections that are recognized and allowed in the state and they both require a license. An EVAUATION (some might call this a “scratch & sniff” or a walkover inspction), and an INSPECTION (open tank, hydrolic load test, etc). They both have specific forms, that must be used, and according to licensing are supposed to be submitted to the State Department of Health and Senior Services for their records.
I’m sure you could do “maintenance” inspection without a license but if you get caught, they could very easily charge you with a misdemeanor.
If a “maintenance” inspection is what is asked for by the client, then I would do an EVALUATION.