Become a Professional Home Inspector in Washington — Your Five-Step Guide to Washington Certification

Complete a Washington-Approved 120-Hr. Home Inspector Course

The Washington State Department of Licensing requires a license to work as a home inspector, and choosing the right training will set you apart and build your brand as a reputable inspector. The 120-hour required Washington-approved home inspector course, including ebooks, aligns with topics on the National Home Inspector Exam (NHIE).

Complete 40 Hours of Field Training

In addition to 120 hours of classroom training, Washington home inspector applicants are required to attend 40 hours of supervised field training with five actual inspections. Applicants will need to produce written reports on these inspections created within two years prior to application.

Take and Pass the National Home Inspector Exam and the Washington Home Inspector Exam

The Washington State Department of Licensing has a new online service for managing professional and business licenses. You will need to create an account to apply for the Washington Home Inspector Exam using their online software called SecureAccess Washington (SAW).

Setup your SAW account and apply to take the Washington Home Inspector Exam. You’ll be required to pay a fee of $300, which covers both the national exam and state exam. This fee is payable when you schedule your exam.

After your SAW account has been created, apply for the state exam. This test and the national exam are both required.

Before taking the exam, you can study by reviewing the home inspector examination candidate handbook provided by the Washington State Department of Licensing.

To take your exam, visit the testing vendor’s website to schedule.

• Select “Real Estate” as the category.
• Select “Washington Home Inspector Program” as the program.
• Select “Home Inspector Examination” as the examination.
• Select “Schedule/Apply for this Exam” and provide the required information, including your sssigned identification number to select your desired testing site.

Apply for Your Home Inspector License

Before applying, prepare the following required documents:

• Completed Home Inspector License application
• Copies of your state and national pass or fail reports from the exam provider
• A check or money order for the $720 licensing fee (payable to the Washington State Department of Licensing)

Applicants have two options to apply.

To apply online:

• Create an account through SecureAccess Washington (SAW) and apply online.

To apply through mail:

• Mail the required documents and application to:

Home Inspectors
Department of Licensing
PO Box 3917
Seattle, WA 98124-3917

After your license application is approved, you can either log in and print a copy of your license for free, or request a copy by mail, which costs $5.