At present, there is still no licensing for home inspectors in Manitoba, or for that matter, all of Canada. While some progress has been made in a few provinces, nothing much has changed in the last few of years since I first discussed this issue. The only province that has made more than minimal efforts to this end is Alberta. A committee has been established by our Western neighbour to propose a method for establishing parameters, should the government vote to enact licensing. The Canadian Association of Home Property Inspectors-- Alberta has been at the forefront in these discussions, along with other stakeholders and government officials. The current proposal calls on the National Certification Program (NCP) to be the basis of licensing requirements. Discussions in British Columbia and Quebec have also used the NCP as a proposed standard for the accreditation of inspectors, should licensing be implemented. Unfortunately, efforts have stalled in those areas due to reluctance by provincial governments to get involved in regulating the home inspection industry. I also understand that recently Nova Scotia became the first province west of Quebec to openly discuss the possibility of licensing home inspectors.
This brings me to the previous reference to local occurrences. Near the end of March, an information session was held at a local hotel to inform all provincial home inspectors about the process for applying for the NCP. The event was hosted by CAHPI-MB on behalf of the NCP and coincided with the annual visit of the CAHPI national president. All Manitoba home inspectors who could be located were contacted personally by phone and e-mail and invited to attend. Several new CAHPI candidates, from around the province, and a few experienced, unaffiliated inspectors showed up to see what all the fuss was about. The session was very positive with many questions answered, especially in relation to the program being open to all inspectors, regardless of any affiliations.
Earlier this week, three local inspectors and one from Saskatchewan went through the Test Inspection and Peer Review (TIPR), which is the backbone of the certification process. As part of this review, the four applicants had to inspect a home that had previously been evaluated by a set of examiners, and then provide a written and verbal report on the conditions of the home. This review process included identifying any items in need of immediate attention or repair as well as answering a series of questions relating to general inspection knowledge. In having the honour of being appointed regional examiner for Manitoba Saskatchewan, I was involved in administering the process along with fellow examiner Roger Chamberland. The vacant home chosen was a true test for the four experienced inspectors, who will receive the results of their TIPR in a few weeks. If successful, they will become National Certificate Holders, joining approximately 200 others who have attained this high level of accreditation across the entire country.
This brings me to a more direct answer to the question posed by the reader. When inquiring about experience and credentials before hiring a home inspector, ask if the inspector is a National Certificate Holder. This designation is rapidly becoming the baseline accreditation across Canada and is recognized by CMHC and various other national stakeholders. Without getting into a discussion about various home inspector associations or organizations and their various certifications, the National Certificate Holder designation is the only one that can be earned by all home property inspectors in Canada, regardless of affiliation. It truly is the only unbiased and stringent measure of a home inspector's ability in Canada, probably North America. That is the reason why its development has been backed and funded by CMHC and the federal government.
While it is generally agreed by most home inspectors that provincial licensing of home inspectors is inevitable, we are not there yet. Until that time when governments across this great expanse of a country decide to get involved, National Certificate Holder will be the only universally credible designation for home inspectors available.
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 new website at www.trainedeye.ca
