Home inspectors arm home buyers with important information they need to make good financial decisions. Purchasing a home is one of, if not the largest investments an individual will make and home inspectors help provide objective information about the condition of a home to help those home buyers make a good investment. The service is so valuable and necessary that an estimated 77 percent of homes in the U.S. are inspected.

Steven O’Donnell, one of AHIT’s experienced instructors and home inspector started his home inspection career because the cost to start a home inspection business is so low compared to other business startup options. “The reason I chose inspecting was due to the low startup costs. What other business is there with a $100,000 first year income potential that costs less than $10,000 to start? It was by far the lowest start-up of all of the businesses I evaluated before taking the AHIT course in 1994. It still is today!”

To get started, home inspectors need very little. Depending on the state you live in, you may be required to get a license. These costs vary by state. In states that do not have a licensing requirement, startup costs will be lower. Regardless of the licensing requirements in your state, you will need insurance, a device on which to work (such as a tablet), reporting software, marketing materials, and a few tools. Ongoing costs include any continuing education and licensing renewal costs required by your state, ongoing marketing and insurance costs, and expenses like gas.

Regardless of whether the real estate market is booming or not, home inspections are always needed. Real estate transactions are always taking place and a home inspection is typically a component of these transactions, if not a requirement. With countless buildings and homes in need of inspection at all times, including foreclosed and repossessed homes, there is never a shortage of work for home inspectors.

The price of a home inspection varies from state to state but the national average is $324 per inspection. A full-time home inspector can easily perform about 250 inspections per year which would generate an income over $80,000. In addition to the base home inspection fees, home inspectors can also add additional services to their lineup to add even more revenue such as radon testing, well/septic evaluations, pool/spa inspections, and mold testing. The income potential for a home inspector really comes down to where the inspector works and how hard that individual is willing to work. While salary average estimates differ depending on the source, the average home inspector in the U.S. makes about $50,000 to $70,000 each year.

As a home inspector, you are in control of your schedule. You accept work and schedule inspections when it works for you. And, home inspection is an easy career to do on the side, in addition to a full-time job. In fact, many people who have non-traditional schedules like firefighters or paramedics will start a home inspection business in addition to their first career to keep themselves busy and bring in extra revenue. Many of our students have financial and family responsibilities that require them to slowly transition to their new career while still working full time to make ends meet. Luckily, home inspection is an ideal career choice in these circumstances. Over time, you’ll connect with more referral sources and begin to fill your schedule with home inspections and can feel confident making the change to your home inspection business full time.

So many students come to AHIT from careers where they’ve worked hard, physical jobs day in and day out. This career still allows you opportunities to be ‘hands-on’ and out from behind a desk without the rigorous physical activity that can injure or further aggravate joints and backs.