QUESTION: I am a realtor in Ottawa and I have a hard time differentiating between many different credentials for home inspectors. If this issue is difficult for real-estate professionals, how can consumers figure out who is legitimate?
Paul Dalgleish, Ottawa
ANSWER: This question was posed to me during a recent trip to the nation's capital for some home inspection committee work I was involved with. I was surprised to find that several realtors that I talked to during the trip were not well-informed about the difference between legitimate credentials and worthless "certifications". I will be more than happy to enlighten you on this topic and suggest possible methods for your clients' education about what to look for when hiring a home inspector.
The first issue to address is why real-estate professionals like you are not well-educated in knowing the difference between qualified inspectors and pretenders in your area. Much of the blame for this falls squarely on the shoulders of local home inspectors, the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI), and your provincial CAHPI member, the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors (OAHI/CAHPI-ON).
These associations have not been successful in developing adequate educational programs for many individuals involved in the real-estate industry. That list includes lawyers, lenders, insurance brokers and realtors. While several organizations like the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) have developed informational materials available for the general public and others, little direct education has come from several of the provincial CAHPI associations.
As discussed in this column many times in the past, there currently exists almost no government regulation or licensing for home inspectors in most areas in Canada. The only province to enact licensing is British Columbia, which came into effect just this year! After many years of promotion and lobbying by CAHPI-BC, the government announced the details of licensing requirements this past winter. These new requirements will help me answer your question.
In B.C., any home inspector who wishes to obtain a licence to practise must have one of three credentials. They must be either a member of CAHPI-BC, accredited through the National Certification Program (NCP), or a member of BCIPI. The last group are inspectors who fall under the umbrella of the Professional Engineers of B.C., which may not have equivalent groups in many other provinces, so their credentials will not be relevant for this discussion.
The other two credentials, which are Registered Home Inspector (RHI) for CAHPI-ON and National Certificate Holder for the NCP, are very relevant in Ontario and all other provinces. One or both of these credentials, which hundreds of inspectors have achieved across the country, are the only true credentials outside of B.C. The RHI is achieved only after successful completion of comprehensive exams and education along with a minimum of 200 to 250 inspections done to CAHPI standards as well as other requirements.
National Certificate Holders must have performed a minimum of 150 inspections, have completed education at an accredited college or institution, and successfully completed a test inspection with peer review (TIPR). The TIPR is a unique test that simulates a typical home inspection performed in front of experienced examiners who are also National Certificate Holders.
The term 'certified' is bandied about like fly balls at the recent Major League Baseball home-run derby. It means nothing, as any fly-by-night inspection company, franchise or Internet marketing group can hand out "certifications". There is even an American-based online marketing group that hands out bogus "certifications" after completing a non-proctored, 30-minute exam where anyone can miraculously achieve the 80-per-cent pass rate. That and a few hundred dollars charged to your credit card will get you an instant certification. I'm not making this up.
Until more provincial governments see the need to get involved in the regulation and licensing of the home-inspection industry, care must be taken to ensure that your are recommending only skilled inspectors for your clients' protection. Most homebuyers have heard horror-stories about friends and family members who have been faced with major repairs bills after possession of homes inspected by unaccredited inspectors.
To sum up, and to answer your question very directly, homebuyers should only be asking about two credentials when booking home inspections. Hiring an RHI, a National Certificate Holder, or preferably an individual that is both, will ensure the highest quality of home inspection possible.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the President of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed or sent to: Ask The Inspector, P. O. Box 69021, #110-2025 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB. R3P 2G9. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
