Thinking about becoming a Georgia home inspector? Even in a market downturn, Georgia stands out as an area where the population is growing, along with the job market. Housing costs are below the national average, and so is the cost of living.
There's also the benefit of multiple thriving markets within the state. New home inspectors can choose from Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah.
Best of all, Georgia has no licensing or oversight process for home inspectors, meaning that you're legally a home inspector if you say you are. But of course, there's more to becoming a home inspector than that. Way more.
Starting a business is no joke, but if you follow our guide and stay focused, you can easily have a business ready to take clients in a month or less. Here are all the steps.
Wait, I thought you just wrote I didn't have to do this.
We did. But in a state where anyone can say they're a home inspector, having a proper certification is the most common way clients will vet you for quality. So don't consider this optional.
Most of these courses are broken into different sections of a home (roofing, foundation, framing, etc.). Each section will have its own exam at the end.
A few great organizations offer competitive prices and high quality instruction. They also include access to live instructors. Some of the best include:
You could also try finding an inspector who works nearby (farther the better) and apprentice under them. If you do, be up front with them about your goals, in case you end up being their competition.
2-4 weeks depending on your availability
Less than $1,000
Home inspectors use apps to do inspections and write reports. Some software can do considerably more than that, like automate your emails, scheduling, and payments.
Getting comfortable with your software early will allow you to do some practice inspections. As you begin to practice, you'll start building your own report templates and fine tune your process. It'll also help in your coursework.
You may notice that Spectora is one of these apps. We offer a premium platform that does everything from report writing to email automation. Do your research on sites like Capterra and find the best software that can power your business.
Learning software can take a week or less
$50 - $100 a month
Most home inspectors opt to have their sites professionally made. While there are plenty of services that offer DIY design and hosting, they often result in the kind of homemade look you're trying to avoid. Plus, self-hosting will involve security updates and other things that could slow you down when the work picks up.
Some inspection software companies will build home inspector websites, and even bundle them with their services (hint: we're one of them). This is a good step to start early, lead times to create a quality website could be a month or more.
As you build your site, you'll probably think about pricing your services. It may be tempting to come in cheap as a new inspector, but keep in mind that most experienced inspectors will charge $400 or more for an inspection. If you have a great report and fantastic customer service, you can charge premium prices.
8 Tips to Build a Killer Home Inspection Site
You can make your own site in a week. If you order a professional site, it could take 3 to 6 weeks
A DIY site can cost $200, plus another $100 for hosting. Custom sites may be $700 and up.
You don't need thousands of dollars worth of equipment, but there are some essential tools you'll need on the job. Here's a good list to get your started.
You should also research some technology tools for scheduling, payment processors, and email automation. Administrative tasks take up a good deal of time when they are done manually. Depending of the inspection software you use, some of these things might be included.
General Liability Insurance covers you for "slip and falls" on the job. It will also cover you for any property damage that happens because of your home inspection. Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance covers you if someone sues you for making a serious mistake or oversight during your inspection.
Both of these types are quite affordable (way cheaper than a lawsuit), and they can be further discounted if paid for upfront or bundled together. During the quote process, you'll be asked many questions about your business plan, including your projected revenue for the first year. It may be smart to save insurance until a little later when you have all of this fleshed out.
In most cases, you can get approved for a policy within 24 hours.
$700 - $1200 a year
You will never stop marketing and building out your pipeline. Real estate professionals are the most common source for leads, and they tend be plentiful and easy to find (they want to be found!) Of course, relationship building is harder, and it should be. We have a lot of great content on this below.
If you have your website, you can start making content to share with your network about you and your inspection reports. Lastly, don't sleep on social media. A lot of business gets done on there, particularly in the real estate world.
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Sample home inspector introduction letter to realtors
Most home inspectors are members of an association, there are two well-known national ones: InterNACHI and ASHI. States such as Georgia also have state associations like the Georgia Association of Home Inspectors. These offer benefits like training, networking, discounts on products, and a community of peers that you can ask questions.
Should you join a home inspector association?
Your biggest time investments will be training and building a website, which can each take up to a month. During that time, you can start networking and building the details of your business.
No, but inspectors should still have insurance, certifications, and quality software. Even unregulated, litigation from unhappy clients isn't unheard of.
No. Georgia doesn't require you to take any sort of state exam, but you do need to register your business with the state in order to pay taxes.