Become a Professional Home Inspector in Kentucky — Your Six-Step Guide to a Kentucky Home Inspector License

Complete 64 Hours of Kentucky-Approved Home Inspection Education

The first step to becoming a licensed Kentucky home inspector is gaining the knowledge to conduct several different types of home inspections and all that they entail.
The state of Kentucky requires applicants to complete 64 hours of education approved by the Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors. This training must be in a live, in-person classroom setting. The state doesn’t allow for online training.

You will be taken step by step through the entire home inspection process. You’ll also gain hands-on experience through lab work and fieldwork as well, including conducting practice inspections.

Conduct 3 Unpaid Home Inspections

Kentucky requires 16 lab hours (practice inspections during training), which will count towards your 64 total course hours. In addition to this, you will be required to conduct three unpaid home inspections in the field, and write a satisfactory report for each. This is offered by AHIT immediately following your classroom course.

Take and Pass the National Home Inspector Exam (NHIE)

After completing your home inspector course, the next step in establishing yourself as a trusted expert is passing the National Home Inspector Exam. The exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions (25 of which are not scored) covering three major domains, or sections, that every home inspector should know. Those domains are:

• Property and Building Inspection/Site Review
• Analysis of Findings and Reporting
• Professional Responsibilities

Test takers are given 4 hours to complete the exam, and each attempt costs roughly $225 (depending on your location). Due to the unignorable cost of taking the exam, we highly recommend taking an Exam Prep course to greatly increase your chances of passing on the first try. If an individual does not pass, they must wait 30 days before taking the exam again.

Fun Fact: Veterans taking the National Home Inspector Exam are eligible for reimbursement through the GI Bill. Those who choose to exercise this benefit must complete a VBA-22-0803-ARE and submit it with the receipt to the VA for reimbursement.

Complete a Kentucky State Police and F.B.I. Background Check With Fingerprinting

The Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors requires you to complete a background check through the Kentucky State Police and the F.B.I. and have your fingerprints taken to obtain a license.

KY State Police Background Check (performed within the last 90 days)

The form is available at KentuckyStatePolice.org.

1. Select “Resources”
2. Select “Forms”
3. Select “Background Check Form Page”

FBI Background Check

The form is available at FBI.gov.

1. Select “Stats and Services” tab
2. Select “Identity History Summary Checks”
3. Select “Option 1”

Purchase General Liability Insurance and/or Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance

Next, you must submit proof of a certificate of general liability insurance by a company that is authorized to offer insurance in Kentucky. You must have a minimum coverage amount of $250,000, and you must list the Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors as the certificate holder.

Pay the $250 Fee and Send in Your Application

You’re almost finished! There are just a few more things you need to do before and you’re well on your way to becoming a licensed home inspector! You will need to apply for a license from the Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors and pay a $250 non-refundable fee. You can apply online or by filling out and mailing in a physical application.