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

1. 1Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. Qualifying education from a TREC-approved provider. The traditional route requires 134 hours: Property and Building Inspection Module I (40 hours), Module II (40 hours), Business Operations and Professional Responsibilities (10 hours), Texas Law (20 hours) and Texas Standards of Practice (24 hours); the first three (90 hours) are completed for the Real Estate Inspector license. The substitute route adds Analysis of Findings and Reporting (20 hours) for 154 hours of courses, plus the 40-hour Texas Practicum. Course fees are set by each provider; TREC lists approved providers on its website..
2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. National portion: the National Home Inspector Examination, which TREC has adopted and Pearson VUE delivers in Texas. 200 multiple-choice questions, 25 of them unscored, in 240 minutes; you pass by answering at least 128 scored questions correctly. No books or reference materials are allowed. An applicant who has already passed the national portion does not take it again..
3. 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Texas state portion at Pearson VUE: 30 questions, 25 of them scored, in 45 minutes, covering Texas Standards of Practice exclusions and reporting rules for structural, electrical and mechanical systems, the inspector licensing law (Chapter 1102, Occupations Code) and TREC's inspector rules. A Professional Inspector applicant must score at least 75 percent (19 of 25 correct). This portion is never waived..
4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($210). National portion, $210 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE when you book. TREC's own fee schedule lists a single $220 inspector exam fee, so confirm the price when you book..
5. 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($58). Texas state portion, $58 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE when you book. Exam fees are non-refundable unless you change or cancel at least 48 hours ahead..
6. 6Application fee. Pay the application fee ($120). Professional Inspector original application fee of $120, which includes TREC's evaluation of your education transcripts, plus a $4 Texas Online fee ($124 in total), paid in TREC's REALM portal. On the traditional route you will already have paid $60 plus $4 for the Apprentice Inspector license and $100 plus $4 for the Real Estate Inspector license..
7. 7Background check. Complete a background check ($37). Fingerprints for a Texas Department of Public Safety and FBI criminal history check, taken by IdentoGO by IDEMIA after you apply; prints on file for another agency or license are not accepted, and no license issues until the check is passed. TREC's fee schedule lists the fingerprint fee at $37, paid to IDEMIA, if you have not been fingerprinted for TREC before. An optional Fitness Determination before applying costs $50 plus a $4 Texas Online fee..
8. 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($100,000). Proof of financial responsibility before the license issues: professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance, or other insurance that covers violations of Chapter 1102, Subchapter G, with at least $100,000 per occurrence and a $100,000 annual aggregate. File TREC's Certificate of Insurance (REI_COI-2), signed by your insurance agent, or the Proof of Financial Responsibility form (REI-PFR-1) in the REALM portal, and tell TREC within 10 days if the policy is canceled or not renewed..
9. 9Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($100,000) (if applicable). Texas Occupations Code Section 1102.1141 also allows a bond or other security accepted by TREC instead of the policy. A bond must be at least $100,000, issued by a carrier admitted in Texas, continuous, and cancelable only after 90 days' written notice to TREC, and you must name an unaffiliated third party to handle claims. TREC's licensing pages describe only the insurance route, so ask TREC before relying on a bond..

Published fees on this path total $388, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.