Moving to Arizona as a home inspector: every state's rule

1. 1Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. 84 hours of classroom training, or an equivalent course, from a school licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education, accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, or accredited by an agency approved by the US Department of Education. The course must cover structural components, exterior, roofing, plumbing, heating, cooling, electrical, insulation and ventilation, interiors, fireplaces and solid fuel-burning devices, swimming pools and spas, and professional practice. The Board points applicants to those licensing and accrediting bodies rather than keeping its own list of schools, and it is up to you to confirm the school qualifies before enrolling. Course fees are set by the school..
2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. National Home Inspector Examination, written by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors and scheduled through PSI. The pass must fall within the two years before your application date. Closed book, 200 multiple-choice questions in four hours, with a scaled passing score of 500..
3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($225). Examination fee paid to PSI when you register, for each attempt. The Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors lists the fee as $225 per test in most states and asks candidates to confirm the current amount when registering. Exam fees are not refundable or transferable..
4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($145). Home Inspector application fee, paid in the Board's applicant portal. Not refundable once an application number is assigned. Credit card payments carry a state surcharge of 2.2 percent or $2.00, whichever is greater..
5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($100). Registration fee to register the certification for one year once the application is approved, for $245 in total with the application fee. An applicant whose family income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and who is applying for this certification in Arizona for the first time can ask the Board to waive the initial fee under A.R.S. 41-1080.01..
6. 6Background check. Complete a background check. A valid Arizona Department of Public Safety fingerprint clearance card, front and back, submitted with the application. Apply through the DPS Public Services Portal at psp.azdps.gov. No application is approved without a valid card. If DPS denies the card because of a past conviction, you can apply to the Arizona Board of Fingerprinting for a good cause exemption, so start early..
7. 7Other. After the administrative review, Board staff pick one of the 30 logged parallel inspections at random and ask for that home inspection report with the Board's Report Checklist Supplement. The report must meet the Arizona standards of practice and report on at least one immediate major repair. It may be sent to staff electronically..
8. 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($100,000). Financial assurance, filed within sixty days after certification and before any paid home inspection. The usual form is errors and omissions insurance for negligent acts committed in the course of a home inspection, at $200,000 in the aggregate and $100,000 per occurrence, with the inspector named on the policy. The application itself asks only for evidence that you can obtain financial assurance. Losing cover suspends the certification; if it is not replaced within ninety days the certification is revoked..
9. 9Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($25,000) (if applicable). Alternative to errors and omissions insurance: a $25,000 bond retroactive to the certification date, with the inspector named on it. The Board publishes required bond language..
10. 10Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility of at least $25,000 (if applicable). Second alternative to errors and omissions insurance: proof that minimum net assets have a value of at least $25,000. The Board does not publish a form for this option, so ask its financial assurance staff what evidence it accepts..

Published fees on this path total $470, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.