What do you guys think? Will California ever be regulated…Will legislation and insurance requirements ever pass for california home inspectors? And will we be grandfathered in as existing inspectors, or will we also have to go thru the hoops to be licensed???
I really hope we we get state licensing here. I worked a letter writing campaign and made tons of calls on California AB293 last year all to no avail.
I feel there are far too many posuers, and contractors that think they know what to look for out here. There are times I believe that any moron that knows which end of a screwdriver to use and has the use of a printer to make cards thinks that they can make a ton of money in the Inspection field…rather like a large number of Real Estate agents.
Ok…I will climb off my soap-box now…
There is talk at the Capital all the time on this subject. I have spoke with five (5) different AssemblyPersons on this matter as well as local Supervisors in the know. There will be Licensing and Insurance regulations for Inspectors here in CA. The answer is just when. The Assembly keeps changing/deleting all of the items that have came before them. Why? I have not been able to get anyone to give up that reason.
All Inspectors in CA should carry enough Liability and E & O insurance regardless of what the outcome is as of date. This is to protect you. I am still trying to obtain an audience once again at the Capital. Trying to get these people to spend some time with you is darn near impossible. Our U.S. Senators for CA could care less, it is not on their agenda and the State Senators are all worrying about what is going on at the Hill.
I have tried countless times to get members to get together and have their voice heard. If you really want to be part of it get it together and make a stand. If not, keep asking questions. I have better things to do with my time than spend it alone down the hill in Sacramento trying to help our CA NACHI Inspectors. Just my opinion.
This may be abstract… but did you ever think that the REALTOR ASSOCIATIONS may have connections, and do not want the home inspection industry to become licensed and regulated… More strict standards for inspectors would decrease competition, and thus REALTORS would have to select from more qualified or say “licensed” inspectors…not just the handyman down the street… that has no training or experience…
I am not really sure myself, but I wonder if this would be the case… I think Realtors truly need us to “assist” in the deflection of liability but at the same time do not want us to find serious defects that “may” destroy their commissions and deals… And this is not all realtors, but a large percentage.
Just a conspiracy theory… feel free to comment either way, as I just speculating… and may be wrong.
In application, you willl find that just the opposite has occurred in states that turned control of our profession over to the government.
Home inspectors, as yourself, are often pushing legislation as a means of eliminating their competition (of course, your interest is in the welfare of the consumer and not your own business, yada yada yada). When it happens, the effects are contrary to that.
You will establish an official state endorsement called “a license” in which, everyone holding one will be sufficiently and equally qualified to perform an inspection. Several dozen schools will start up within months of that announcement, teaching and preparing people for these minimal requirements that will immediately identify them as sufficiently and equally qualified. A few months after that, hundreds more of sufficiently and equally qualifed home inspectors start “price wars” in order to get business…since additional qualifications are no longer an issue. Inspection fees plummet while the schools continue to crank in the new home inspectors.
Your state legislators are seemingly oblivious to your concerns because they probably suspect that they are motivated by greed and not consumer interest. They know who the consumer interest groups are and they know what lobbyists represent their constituent’s concerns. They also know that, once legislation is proposed, the special interests within the industry will get involved to complicate, change, and confuse it until it becomes so laden with controversy it will not pass - so why waste their time?
We have a track record, now, with laws that have been passed and we know that you cannot legislate your competition out of business. You can do that, more effectively, through sales and marketing efforts.
I agree that regulation increases the number of inspectors; does not assure quality; allows you to be judged by both bureaucrats and juries; is done to eliminate competition in the name of protecting the consumer.
It can also be argued that some consumer protection occurs.
Its a double edged sword.
If it is pursued try to emulate North Carolina and get under the Engineering Board. You must take the industry to a professional level and not a trade level. At all cost avoid association with the real estate board.
The standards and ethics of your trade association coupled with knowledge and experience is your best marketing. Instead of trying to force others up to your level, force your self higher.
John Cahill, Chairman Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee
PS Usually not up this late but waiting to take someone to the airport for an ungodly early flight.