How much experience should a home inspector have?

Home buyers in Maryland are typically told to hire an “experienced Home Inspector.” But what does that even mean?

Asking a Home Inspector how many inspections they have done could be one indicator of experience, but having done thousands of inspections is no guarantee of quality or ability. You may be surprised to learn that newer inspectors will often spot issues that veteran inspectors miss, because they are still getting comfortable with the inspection process and tend to take a bit more time on site. Performing a lot of inspections simply means an inspector has seen a wider variety of houses and more ways things are done wrong.

How about Continuing Education?

Regulations require Maryland home inspectors to take at least 15 hours of continuing education per year. But did you know that the rules only require a Certificate of Attendance? In other words, an inspector can show up for a class, sleep through the whole thing, and still receive credit. It’s possible for an inspector to “earn” all the continuing education credits they need but not learn anything new.

The Protégé Effect

“The best way to learn is to teach.” —Frank Oppenheimer, American Physicist

It is important that home inspectors work on refreshing and expanding their knowledge. Taking classes is one way, but a far more effective method is to teach a class. This is why we are proud that our own Mrs. Bob is an Adjunct Professor at Frederick Community College, where she teaches the Home Inspection Pre-Licensure classes. Since she started teaching, she has helped more than 100 students get started on their new career paths. Her most recent class, pictured here, finished in February, and the next session begins this week. Mrs. Bob has also taught technical seminars at InspectionWorld, the national conference for the American Society of Home Inspectors.

So if you’re looking for experience, look for the teachers. Call Inspections by Bob.