Hope Home Inspections LLC ensures all our inspectors are licensed and insured. We not only carry General Liability Insurance, but we also have Errors and Omission Insurance to protect the buyers, agents and ourselves.
Licensing & Insurance Requirements:
Home Inspector Licensure requirements for initial licensure in Florida are:
- Passing a department approved state examination.
- Completion of a department approved 120-hour course study that covers a home’s structure, electrical system, HVAC system roof covering, plumbing system, interior components, exterior components, and site conditions that affect the structure.
- Applicants must submit an application, pay a fee, submit to a criminal background check, and be of good moral character
Home Inspectors must obtain a $300,000 commercial general liability insurance policy.
Both active and inactive licensed professional home inspectors are required to complete 14 hours of continuing education credits for renewal. The continuing education must include 12 hours of general continuing education courses, course topics concerning home inspection services or the components of a home, including the limited visual examination of the following readily accessible installed systems and components of a home for the purpose of providing a written report of the condition of the home for:
1. The structure, 2. Electrical system, 3. HVAC system, 4. Roof covering, 5. Plumbing system, 6. Interior components, 7. Exterior components, and 8. Site conditions that affect the structure.
Additional 2 hours of hurricane wind mitigation which shall include training on completion of the “Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form,” OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 01/12), incorporated by reference in Rule 69O-170.0155, F.A.C. (eff. 2/1/12).
Is there a difference between a Home Inspector and a Building Inspector?
Yes, building inspectors deal with and ensure buildings and homes meet building codes and home inspectors make visual inspection of homes to provide a written professional opinion of the condition of the home. Home Inspection is its own profession and anyone holding themselves out to the public as a home inspector will require a license. This will include building inspectors, contractors, architects and engineers. All of these professions may inspect components of a home within the scope of their license but they cannot call or represent themselves as a home inspector. They are similar but different professions.