Becoming a Home Inspector in Florida
When I first began the journey of becoming a license Florida Home Inspector, I was constantly running into walls of conflicting information. Trying to navigate official instruction in a sea of opinion based commentary wasn’t the ideal start for my research. As a home inspector, i have a desire to help people at every opportunity possible and if you’re looking to become a licensed inspector in the Sunshine State, you’ve come to the right place to learn how!
The Basic Steps
Find a pre-licensing course provider
Complete the 120 hour pre-licensing course and obtain your certificate of completion
Find a Florida-certified state exam provider
Write your Florida-state licensing exam
Register your LLC after naming your company
Obtain an EIN from the IRS
Obtain Liability Insurance
Fill out the DRBP application for a Home INspector’s business license
Wait for your License number (HI#*******)
Step-by-Step
Find a pre-licensing course provider
There are dozens of Florida certified course providers to chose from. Many are big-name organizations, others are smaller independent trade school classes. The biggest factors you will want to consider are cost, online/in person, reputation, compatibility with the final exam. I recommend choosing the course provider who is also an approved state exam provider. This will ensure you are studying material written by the same organization that will give you the final exam meaning the content will be similar. I recommend joining InterNACHI (https://www.nachi.org/ to take advantage of their course and exam which comes free with your $50/month membership. (Thats 1/10 the cost of paying up front for a course form anyone else if you complete the course in less than 3 months)
Complete the 120 hour pre-licensing course
Once you have selected your provider, complete the 120-hour training course. This consists of several modules that cover the major areas of a home (interior, exterior, HVAC, roofing, plumbing, electrical, etc). It may sound daunting to be faced with 120 hours of course work, but keep in mind that it is preparing you for an industry that requires you to educate and inform customers on a range of topics and being confident in that is 90% of your job. Don’t skip through sections even if you have significant experience. At the conclusion of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion.
Find a Florida-certified state exam provider
You will find a local Exam proctor to schedule and take your State Exam. The organization that provided your pre-licensing course will often provide references to these proctors. You will need to pay a fee to schedule your exam. The DBPR provides a list of approved-providers
Write your Florida-state licensing exam
The exam will differ slightly depending on the provider you have chosen. There is more than one state-approved exam but they all focus on the same core topics. On the day of your exam, you will complete a 100-120 question online exam in the presence of a proctor and may be notified of your results and certificate immediately or within a specified time-frame.
Register your LLC after naming your company (if starting your own company - if you’re being hired, skip to step 9)
Once you have a name in mind, check the LLC search for FL as well as doing a google search to ensure you don’t choose a name of a local competitor that would cause confusion and issues. Next, register your LLC with the state of Florida. Approval generally take 7-10 days and you will receive an LLC# via email afterwards. Most experts recommend a single-owner LLC over any other type designation when first starting out. This will provide you a level of protection in the event of a legal dispute with a client.
Obtain an EIN from the IRS
An EIN will allow you to open a business bank account, separate yourself from your business at tax time, and hire future employees. Visit the IRS to obtain a free EIN. You will need your LLC#.
Obtain Liability Insurance
Florida State requires that all active Home Inspectors obtain and hold Liability insurance int he amount of $300,00. It is also recommended that you obtain E&O (errors and omissions) insurance to better protect yourself.
Get Your Digital Fingerprints Taken
You will need to lace a LIVE SCAN fingerprint provider that is able to send your fingerprints directly to the DBPR. You can find a list here: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Criminal-History-Records/Documents/InternetDoc_ServiceProviders.aspx Make sure to tell them your ORI code:FL924250Z (home inspector). You can then track the fingerprint verification online. This needs to be done within 2 days of creating your online application (next step)
Fill out the DBPR application for a Home Inspector’s business license
This is the final step in becoming fully licensed in the state of Florida. You will gather all the documents you have obtained so far and fill out the online application. There is also a fee to apply for the license.
Wait for your License number (HI#*******)
Completing the application does not immediately provide you with a license number. You will need to wait to receive your official approval and license number for the DBPR before conducting business the state. This can take up to 3 weeks. Once you receive this, you are ready to start conducting paid-inspections for clients
