A new state law going into effect Tuesday requires that all West Virginia home inspectors be certified through the state fire commission.
To be certified, home inspectors will have to pass the national home inspection exam. The new law also includes requirements for continuing education and liability insurance coverage.
if (self’plpm’] && plpm’Mid-Story Ad’]) document.write(’’);if (self’plpm’] && plpm’Mid-Story Ad’]){ document.write(plpm’Mid-Story Ad’]);} else { if(self’plurp’] && plurp’97’]){} else {document.write(’’); } }if (self’plpm’] && plpm’Mid-Story Ad’]) document.write(’’);Michael Reel of Integrity Home Inspections in Williamstown is a charter member and current vice president of the West Virginia Association of Home Inspectors. He wrote the legislation, which was approved by lawmakers in April.
Reel says that in the past, someone could go to the secretary of state’s office, get a business license and call himself a home inspector. He says that put the public at risk because many people wrongly assume a business license is the same thing as having credentials.
The state rules are based on the guidelines of the American Society of Home Inspectors and the National Association of Home Inspectors.
The State has not issued a single license. I’m attending a meeting of the WVAHI tonight to learn more. My paperwork is in order and in the State Fire Marshal’s office. I’m working today. The word is that license numbers will be issued during the week but as of this morning no one has been issued a license yet.
The State Fire Marshal will start issuing License Numbers Thursday the word is. W.Va. inspectors may work as long as they have their paper work turned in.
I am sorry to say that the State of WV seems to be trying to making it impossible for NACHI inspectors.
Every time I call the Fire Marchalls office I get the same old line of ---- and it is not recognizing NACHI membership whatsoever.
The National exam is a joke and all the experience I have, and the study material that is out there is useless unless you are a ASHI member.
I took the national and was outraged how the test had hardly any home inspection techniques used in the field, and really don’t know where to turn .
I have surfed the internet for days to come up with anything that is similar to the national ( now that I know what it consist of ) and feel kinda lost at this point.
The NACHI material as good as it is was no help because the test is not intended for a NACHI member.
Is anyone else having trouble with the National…please reply.
PS. sorry, don’t mean to whine I’m just pissed
This is definitely an ASHI and NAHI situation with the state. I passed the National. I did study a little before test day but mostly relied on my experience and HI training. One book that I did read before the test was “Essentials of Home Inspection”. There have been two recent threads on the National Exam. I started one of them. I didn’t know what to expect with the test and thought I would get as much info as I could before taking the test. See this thread http://www.nachi.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4852&highlight=nhie](http://www.nachi.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4852&highlight=nhie)
***Well, I just got off the phone with The State Fire Marshalls Office in West Virginia.It was explained to me on Thursday of last week that the NACHI exam would be considered an equivalent to The NHIE.Well, today he said that they had a meeting on that subject and decided that until NACHI ,NAHI,and ASHI sent them their format of testing that they would only accept the NHIE for now.So I guess there goes another $100. ***
Most of the experienced HI’s that flunk the NHIE forget that it is a BASIC exam asking questions they haven’t really thought about for years and stumble on the answer.
i.e. what size of drain pipe is needed under a lavatory?
or how many amps will a #6 wire carry, etc, etc, etc.
Someplace I made and posted some basic notes I used to study for the NHIE.
Hey thanks,
***I don’t mind taking the exam,especially if it were offered online.It’s just a pain in the buttox to go to Dunbar ,WV ,sit down for 4 hours and take the exam.The other fact is that there is $200.00 worth of pressure on you to pass.It seems to make some simple questions appear to be trick or difficult questions.Ok,I’ll stop whining,It just seems a little starnge that there is only one exam that we can take,and not a State written or generic type of exam that maybe cost $30. ***
The process to this point has been pushed by ASHI & WVAHI. Just play their games, and get the certification–they are collectively hoping that the members not in their organizations will not get certified, and they can have the additional business.
I consider this as a challenge. I have purposely been to SEVERAL RE offices since this legislation was signed, just to HELP them to understand what this means, and how it works–I have also happened to recieve about 30% MORE inspections since. I like the way they brought this all about.
Stand up, play their game, and beat them at it. You will be very happy when you see just how furious it makes them.
One of the most reasonable posts I have read in a long time. From my observations enacted laws put ASHI/NAHI candidates out of business more than any other association. Perhaps the reason may in fact be that NACHI puts vast amounts of effort behind supporting their membership in their individual goals in education, marketing, and benefits.
Hopefully in the future NACHI West Virginia members will speak out against the exclusive use of the NHIE exam for state licensure. Signaling out one particular business within any law should be (or is possibly) a violation of anyones constitutional rights and definitely violates free trade practices. Just what will West Virginia and other states do when the NHIE goes belly up.
As it stands now, ASHI has total control over many states, solely based on their being the loan holder of the business operated by Noel Zak and her group that administer the NHIE. ASHI could in fact call that loan in tomorrow, find Noel and her group in default and assume control of the NHIE. In fact ASHI could shut down the exam totally tomorrow and in many states this would halt the licensure process completely. No state should be held hostage like this.
You know,I used to have to deal with alot of county commissioners once when I helped a friend get his heavy equipment business off the ground.And I realised one thing in doing business with government officials.If you become their friend,and you really want to sell them something,you can talk these guys into writing the specs on whatever they need around your product or equipment as in my case.I don’t know how many boom mower tractors I sold because I could get the county to write the specs around what product I was selling.It’s a sure deal.I think that is what happened with The State of West Virginia.Someone has a friend…who has a friend.Oh well,I will focus on what I need to now,and that’s to kick some major bootie.Hey I might see some of you guys in Richmon,Virginia
You know,I used to have to deal with alot of county commissioners once when I helped a friend get his heavy equipment business off the ground.And I realised one thing in doing business with government officials.If you become their friend,and you really want to sell them something,you can talk these guys into writing the specs on whatever they need around your product or equipment as in my case.I don’t know how many boom mower tractors I sold because I could get the county to write the specs around what product I was selling.It’s a sure deal.I think that is what happened with The State of West Virginia.Someone has a friend…who has a friend.Oh well,I will focus on what I need to now,and that’s to kick some major bootie.Hey I might see some of you guys in Richmon,Virginia
Can NACHI send WV the testing format to the Fire Marshall and show them that the NACHI format and National exam is not something that just anyone can pass.
I’m not trying to get out of the NHIE, I just know for a fact that we are as good as it gets in education and standards, but if we don’t have each other’s back down here than WV will be all ASHI.
Getting the NHIE in place wherever licensure, registration or certification comes up has been a top priority for 4-5 years by ASHI’s leaders and their headquarter staff. It has also been the #1 priority of the EBPHI (who oversee’s the NHIE). Its considered a “Hi-Stakes Poker Game” to them.
ASHI set up the 3rd party corporation (EBPHI), funded it to get it up and going (well over $100k to start with), gave it the ASHI test and renamed it NHIE (so it could be marketed to states as not association related); put ASHI members in control of the Board of EBPHI; moved ASHI’s Asst. Director (Noel Zak) over to EBPHI and put her in charge of the EBPHI & NHIE; housed them upstairs in the ASHI headquarters bldg for several years; and kept feeding them financially to get them solvent; then started putting a huge push on states to get licensure rolling because there wasn’t a big enough outcry from the GP to justify the need and expense for legislation of HI’s; then if a state started talking legislation they started pushing ASHI Stds & NHIE.
ASHI has a vested interest in what is a “Hi-Stakes Poker Game” to them.
Hi! Dan,Gerry;
If that’s the story with the NHIE test why is it not brought up at all of the meetings with state legislatures to show that it is really a organization pushing there own test thru other channels. Which really makes them bias CORRECT !!!:roll:
thanks for the chat earlier, the issues concerning NHIE and its relationship with ASHI are frequently brought up in conjunction with licensing reagulations. However many states feel that they have no choice in using it unless the wish (like NY has done to develope their own) as it is the only independently proctored exam available throughout the country.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I see this issue as an golden opportunity for NACHI to advance our profession and gain an inside position within states considering home inspection licensing. All we need do is follow ASHI’s lead and set up a separate organization to oversee a proctored exam.
What is keeping NACHI from steeping up and quelling the monopoly that the NHIE has over our profession? We obviously have the resources, manpower and talent to see this through, what is stopping us?