Residential Home Inspection
-Certificate of Completion
-Program Length: Approx. 4 weeks

Overview
If you’d like a fast-track option to a career with a home inspection company—or to your own professional home inspection business—then you should consider this course.

As of September 1, 2009, Washington State requires all home inspectors in the state to be licensed. BTC’s Fundamentals of Home Inspection course was the first to receive approval from the Department of Licensing. This intensive, full-time course combines classroom instruction with hands-on lab and inspection work.

Home inspectors examine and report on a home’s systems and structure—from the roof to the basement. Typically, inspectors work for real-estate purchasers, but they are also hired by firms specializing in architectural, engineering, and related services. Many BTC graduates start their own businesses.

Requirements for the licensing of home inspectors in Washington State began September 1, 2009. Governor Gregoire signed Senate Bill 6606 into law requiring that all home inspectors be licensed in Washington. In April, 2009 BTC was the first to receive approval from the Washington State Department of Licensing for our prelicense "Fundamentals of Home Inspection" course.

Bellingham Technical College provides a high quality, fast-track training program designed to prepare students to begin their own professional home inspection business or seek employment with a home inspection company.

Participants will take both the 12 credit "Fundamentals of Home Inspection" course which is an intensive 3-week full-time Home Inspection Training Program and a final week of field instruction in the 3 credit "Field Training" course. This last week includes hands-on training and students who complete both courses successfully will qualify to sit for the state home inspector licensing exams. Coursework will primarily follow the renowned Carson Dunlop and Associates textbooks and in-depth presentations. Hands on study and a combination of technical labs and field inspections will supplement classroom instruction

If you enjoy the challenge of working with homes of all ages, sizes, and conditions, this is the program for you!

This four-week course is offered several times during the year. Check our website or quarterly schedule for course start dates. To enroll in this part-time program’s evening classes, only an admissions application is required.
http://www.btc.ctc.edu/DegreesCertificates/indexDegreesCertificates.asp

Objective
Preparation for professional careers as a residential home inspector.

Courses
RHI 111 Fund of Home Inspection
RHI 112 Home Insp Field Training

Career Options
Most home inspectors are self employed and work on their own. A percentage of inspectors work for architectural and engineering services firms, conducting inspections for a fee or on a contract basis. Many home inspectors work on behalf of potential real estate purchasers.

As the population grows and the volume of real estate transactions increases, greater emphasis on home inspections should result in strong demand for home inspectors. In addition, there should be job opportunities for inspectors in firms specializing in architectural, engineering, and related services as governments—particularly Federal and State—contract out inspection work, and as private inspection services grow. Most graduates of the RHI program go into business on their own.