Im Certified home inspector looking to expand my knowledge and certifications to septic tanks and I just finished pools and spas certification. Im in Texas and enjoy learning new stuff needed for assisting in my job and helping others. I hate regulations and politics that require training and knowledge about things Im not licensed in, like electrical codes and building structures.
When did you become licensed in Texas? TREC is not displaying any record for you.
Are you aware you are required to place your license number on any type of Social Media posts (INACHI definitely included) where a consumer may see you and use your services? I don’t see it in your post or profile.
Now to your post. To begin with outside of Engineers and Architects there are no “licenses” in Texas related to the building of the actual structure.
Next have you reviewed your SOP and compared it to the “Building Codes”, “Electrical Code”, etc.? Have you compared your required licensing training to these “Codes”? If so you will see a dramatic parallel to them and those standards will be used if TREC ever calls you to the carpet for missing something.
Next if you truly “enjoy learning new stuff needed for assisting in my job and helping others” then you would become familiar with the various Codes and standards out there so you can not only better understand good building practices but also better serve your clients. Building codes do not create good building practices and instead good building practices are used to create the building codes.
And now to cover your question about septic certifications. Google NAWT for the answers.
My license is applied apologize I have not received it yet. Waiting on TREC.
As for Texas structures and engineers, are you telling me there are no Licensed Structural engineers that investigate the Structural capability of homes or structures? Who is The Structural Engineers Association of Texas (SEAoT) then?
And as for SOP and Building codes and Electrical Codes? TREC only states we only visually inspect the listed items, NOT have to be licensed or detailed in such expertise only to know if the Customer will need to have that specialist come out to inspect each item we deem Defective, as per TREC standards. Unless there is something I missed in all the training.
I have every certification for Texas SOP, Texas Business Operations and Professional Response Mod, Texas property and building Inspection Module 1 & 2, Texas Standards of Practice Module, Texas practicum, Texas Analysis and reporting Module, and Texas Law module. If I need others I was not told that by my company nor by AHIT.
And for Septic certifications are you saying that the course offered on InterNACHI Online courses does not teach proper methods or training for Septic inspections at all so I need to use National Association of Wastewater Technicians to get certified in septic inspections? NOT InterNACHI as described on their website?
That is not what I stated. This is what I stated.
First the SOP is extremely general in many aspects of what we are to look for. However take some time and read back through all of the enforcement actions for the past 5 - 10 years and see how many times Inspectors were nailed for items that are specifically spelled out in the “Codes” even though TREC does not reference the codes in the enforcement actions.
Second where do you think TREC gets their SOP requirements from for these very specific SOP requirements which are only a sample of what is in the SOP?
535.228(f)(1)(B)(iii)
535.228(g)(1)(D)
535.228(h)(1)(A)
535.228(j)(1)(B)(i)
535.229(a)(1)(F)
Thirdly do you honestly believe that TREC is using the training material from “Joe’s School Of Cool Inspecting” as their requirements in the SOP? What if “Billy Bob’s Kick Ass School Of Inspecting” teaches something different on a particular item? Which one would TREC use to nail you with if you are called on the carpet for a complaint? More importantly where do you think those schools are getting their training requirements from? The answer to the three are the codes and standards used for building a home. They are the authoritative source for building.
Fourth what are you using to determine or “deem” something defective? A very simple example is the lack of any high loop or backflow protection on a dishwasher. Are you only using your training materials? What about the dishwasher that has an integral high loop/backflow protection scheme employed? So let’s say you bothered to look up that information on a dishwasher by pulling the manufacturer installation requirements. Did you not just use a standard to make that call i.e. the manufacturer requirements? Are you aware that the “Codes” do reference the use of manufacturer requirements as a part of the code if it is similar or many times more restrictive than the code? While you are reading that dishwasher manual did you note how many times the manufacturer themselves reference the Codes?
Closely read 535.227(d)(3)(F)(vi) and (viii) and again go back to the enforcement actions and closely read why some Inspectors have been nailed and find those requirements in the SOP. Again remember that the SOP is very vague and generic in wording and TREC will use what they wish to nail an Inspector. We just had one not that long ago where the Inspector was nailed for a Code specific item that I am not aware of any training source covering. Wish I could give the reference but I’ve been in it so long that “not so long ago” may be longer than I can fathom. In any case as much of a hard ass as I am about bad inspecting even I was totally floored by that TREC call!
Who is “my company”? As for AHIT as well as all other training schools they only teach what is needed to take an exam and many times not that. If you have absolutely no experience in this area your real learning is about to begin! They are not responsible for what you do after you get your license and mostly don’t care as they already have your money for the training. As for “my company” you are an assett as long as you perform and do not cause problems for them. Once you make it to the dark side you will see how fast you are not valued!
To begin with that’s a poor try of boxing me in by trying to put words in my mouth. You have a lot to learn yet and about people as well.
INACHI has good training but I have yet to hear any professional On Site Sewage Facilities company (OSSF or septic) talk about how they obtained their INACHI certification for septic systems. Instead they obtain them from various sources approved by the Texas Commission On Environmental Quality. NAWT is one organization that helps train the trainers at State levels. You can certainly take State level courses that provide a certificate not a “certification” for inspecting OSSF or you can take the NAWT “certification” course. NAWT is a national level organization for wastewater treatment professionals and is considered a respectable operation.
So you do what you believe you need to do as it is your choice anyhow. I would recommend though that you have a long, hard talk with “my company” about the SOP to prevent from running into trouble with TREC.