6 Best Home Inspector Training Schools for 2022

Home inspector training requirements vary by state―and some don’t require prelicensing education at all. But the courses provided by the best home inspector training schools make it easier for you to achieve success as a professional home inspector. We compared dozens of options and identified the six best programs—including the overall best home inspector training school—based on cost, course availability and format, customer support, and student reviews.

• American Home Inspectors Training (AHIT): Overall best home inspection training program, and best for comprehensive online or in-person learning
• Inspection Certification Associates (ICA): Best for learners who prefer instructor-led courses
• International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI): Largest library of professional and business development resources
• Kaplan: Best home inspector training school for those who prefer self-directed study
• ATI Training – Home Inspection Institute: Best home inspection training for solopreneurs
• Professional Home Inspection Institute (PHII): Best low-cost home inspection training program

Best Home Inspector Training Schools at a Glance

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If you’re not sure where to start with your home inspector training, take our quiz for a quick glance at which school is right for you. Then, read through the descriptions below to learn more about each provider.

American Home Inspectors Training: Most Comprehensive Online Program

The American Home Inspectors Training (AHIT) licensing course offers remarkably comprehensive education and support at an affordable cost. While the course is completely online, students also receive hard copies of textbooks and additional resources. Among these are even basic tools like an inspection mirror, two-prong tester, ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) receptacle tester, and a paper inspection report. You can also choose to participate in live, in-classroom training or field training at more than 80 locations in over 30 states.

Online exercises and supplemental tutorials assist by reinforcing course concepts with real-life scenarios, narration, and interactive presentations to increase comprehension. There is also unlimited support from professional home instructors via phone and email for when you have a real-world question. In addition, AHIT provides a marketing and operational manual to help you establish your business and set it up for success.

You won’t find a home inspector training program with better reviews—AHIT received the highest possible rating of 5 out of 5 from its customers. The only thing missing from the program is classroom or field training experience. If you need (or want) field training to become a home inspector in your state, try the ATI Home Inspection Institute.

AHIT Pricing

• Home Inspection course: $695
• Individual Certification courses: $75 to $999
• Professional Development courses and subscriptions: $35 to $400
• A Practical Guide to Home Inspection E-book: $185

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Inspection Certification Associates: Best Instructor-led Classes

Inspection Certification Associates (ICA)’s courses are approved for home inspection licensure in 45 states, making it one of the most approved home inspector training courses in the U.S. It’s the best choice if you want to learn directly from an instructor, whether it’s in a physical classroom or online. Decide on livestream online, self-paced, or on-demand online course formats in addition to traditional in-person classroom courses.

In addition to your chosen course, you’ll also receive 14 bonus classes covering information like commercial property inspections, radon inspections, and wood-destroying organisms. Additionally, there are individual classes on professional development topics such as marketing for home inspectors. The add-on courses are a great resource for aspiring home inspectors who want to jump-start a career after finishing their education.

Although all classes from ICA are taught by instructors, students are unable to ask questions during class. When you have questions, you need to use the live chat features or call an instructor. Students gave ICA extremely high ratings and only had minor complaints about the voice of the instructor and the lack of material covering finances. But if you want even more resources, we recommend becoming a member of InterNACHI.

ICA Pricing

Prelicensing:

• Online course: $695
• Classroom courses: $1,295 to $2,295

Continued Education:

• Florida:
  • 14-hour renewal package: $95
  • Five-hour renewal package: $50
  • Individual courses: $10 per hour
• Illinois:
  • 13-hour renewal bundle: $99
  • Five-hour course: $45
  • Four-hour course: $36
• North Carolina online continuing education (CE):
  • 12-hour elective package: $299
  • Live mandatory four-hour package: $139
  • Individual courses: $20 per hour
• North Carolina classroom CE:
  • Eight-hour elective plus four-hour mandatory package: $299

Visit ICA

International Association of Certified Home Inspectors: Best Resource Library

Membership in InterNACHI, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, comes with many benefits, like mugs, decals, logos, a Zoom background, a Facebook group, and even a directory listing on their home inspector search engine. Best of all, you get instant access to InterNACHI’s extensive library of thousands of home inspection training courses. You can search and filter courses to find approved education in your state or for specific topics like plumbing, home energy, structure, or air quality.

One truly unique resource is InterNACHI’s “House of Horrors,” a house built with purposeful defects for hands-on home inspection training. InterNACHI has houses like these in Colorado, Florida, and Pennsylvania that are open at a limited capacity. This training option is beneficial for individuals who learn best through interactive, practical training.

Since InterNACHI is an association (as opposed to a home inspector training school), there are no classroom courses or instructors you can call with questions. However, there is a message board, and InterNACHI holds in-person events where you can network and learn from experienced professionals. Plus, they’re the only home inspector training resource accredited by ACCET, the accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you prefer a school that provides you with access to instructors, check out AHIT.

InterNACHI Pricing

• InterNACHI membership: $49 per month or $499 per year

Visit InterNACHI

Kaplan: Best Self-directed Courses

As a well-known, reputable online education provider in the real estate industry, you can be confident that Kaplan’s home inspector training classes are extremely in-depth and easy to follow. They offer the highest number of self-paced course formats―you can order a textbook and study at home, learn online, or access on-demand videos to complete your required hours.

Kaplan’s Career Toolbox has a slew of information for new and experienced home inspectors. It includes articles and videos with advice, tips, and tricks about rules and safety, understanding your market, and specific inspection points. Kaplan also provides a unique professional development course outlining the exact steps needed to establish a successful home inspection business.

Similar to the other online home inspector training programs, Kaplan is only missing the option of in-person classes with hands-on instruction. The lack of instructor support could be difficult for some learners, so for in-person classroom courses and unlimited instructor support, try Inspection Certification Associates.

Kaplan Pricing

• Principles of Home Inspection: Systems and Standards Online Course: $799
• Principles of Home Inspection: Systems and Standards Textbook: $179
• How to Start a Home Inspection Business OnDemand Course: $245

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ATI Training – Home Inspection Institute: Best Home Inspector Training for Solopreneurs

ATI Training offers both online and live, in-person home inspection training courses. It’s the only school to offer financing options for all aspiring home inspectors as well as discounts for firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, police officers, and members of the military. The courses are flexible for busy individuals and include access to online courses and resources 24/7.

ATI Training offers professional resources to help solopreneurs better understand their insurance options as well as tools like website hosting and marketing support. A free marketing package is available to start your business, which includes a website, logos, business cards, lead generation, reporting software, and more to get your career off the ground right away.

If you’re planning on starting a home inspection business, ATI Training is an ideal, all-in-one solution for you with a balance of online courses and field training. However, pricing for field training and classroom courses isn’t published online, which may indicate they are costly. If you want to check out a different classroom option, try Inspection Certification Associates.

ATI Training Pricing

• Online Home Inspector Course: $695

Visit ATI Training – Home Inspection Institute

Professional Home Inspection Institute: Best Low-cost Training Option

The home inspection training course from Professional Home Inspection Institute (PHII) is the most affordable on our list and is approved for licensure in 40 states. Students receive a 30-day money-back guarantee, lifetime access, and instructor support that is available 12 hours per day, six days per week. All these factors combined mean you’ll get access to valuable knowledge from seasoned professionals to advance your career.

The self-paced courses from PHII can be completed within one to two weeks, but you can take as much time as you need to complete them as you will have lifetime access to the materials and support. This is especially beneficial to reinforce your home inspector knowledge, study for relevant exams, and refer back to training resources throughout your career.

PHII also offers hundreds of individual add-on courses, ranging from mold training to weatherization contractor courses. Even experienced home inspectors can benefit from the add-on courses for years throughout their careers. In reviews, some PHII students stated that the course material was simple to understand, but it was difficult at times to stay engaged. For more engaging online home inspector training, check out Kaplan.

PHII Pricing

• Home Inspection Online Licensing Course: $595 (90 to 120 hours)
• Home Inspection Classroom Training: Starts at $1,995
• Advanced Home Inspection: $395
• Defect Recognition: $199
• Environmental Hazards: $199
• Simple Home Construction: $199
• House Framing Methods: $299
• Manufactured Homes: $299
• Marketing and Business: $199
• Mold Basics: $199
• Pool and Spa Inspection: $199
• Structural Pest Inspection: $299
• Wind Mitigation: $89
• Radon Testing: $299
• Mold Inspection: $249
• Infrared Surveys: $499 to $1,295

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How We Evaluated the Best Home Inspector Training Schools

Since being a home inspector is an active, hands-on job that usually also requires business knowledge, the best training programs combine real-world examples with access to industry experts and resources you need to succeed. We looked for state-approved and accredited programs that provide videos of actual home inspections or recorded in-field demonstrations. We also looked for online courses that provide comprehensive resources on building mechanics and other aspects of residential property inspection.

Based on the criteria above, we recommend American Home Inspectors Training (AHIT) as the best overall option for home inspection training. Not only does their platform offer a range of course types and lifetime support to students, but it also received the highest possible customer review rating―5 out of 5.

Visit AHIT

We evaluated each home inspector training program based on the following:

The real estate industry offers many different types of career opportunities, including real estate sales as a realtor, agent, or broker. To find out more, start with our article explaining how to become a real estate agent and learn about the best accredited real estate schools.