Begin a school course to become a licensed home inspector in Illinois. Training in this field includes online school learning of all subjects needed, practice exams and a home inspection certificate issued.

Search and read the information for people looking to become a Home Inspector in Illinois. A career in this very rewarding field can be flexible and satisfying. Training includes: Interiors, Exteriors, Electrical, Insulation & Ventilation, Structural, Plumbing, Roofing Systems, HVAC, and Garages.

Reference Books:

Become a Home Inspector - This is a concise guide to starting up and operating a successful Home Inspection business without spending a lot of money. Many Home Inspectors are now earning $500 to $800 per day, and a pro shows how you can, too. This book focuses on a no-nonsense approach to the home inspection business without spending a lot of money on unnecessary equipment, training, or a lifetime of franchise fees.

Operating Systems Home Inspection from A to Z - DVD - Real Estate Home Inspector - Our 5-star rated DVDs have over two hours of video and as an added bonus you also get the 80 page HIB DVD Companion Guide e-Book! Don't let your dream house be a nightmare in disguise! Everything you need to know about Real Estate - from Asbestos to Zoning. This is definitely the best home inspection DVD series on the market. Shows the precise steps to follow to inspect all of the OPERATING SYSTEMS and the INTERIOR and EXTERIOR in a home.

Illinois Real Estate : Principles and Practices - Prepare for the Illinois Real Estate License Exam. Readable, integrated and user-friendly, this Illinois-specific text meets all requirements for pre-licensing. The comprehensive treatment provides appropriate information and guidance for passing the state-licensing exam.

Illinois: A History - The epic struggle between traditional, agrarian society and modern industrial capitalism was played out on the national stage as the War between the States. The same struggle between traditional and modern values split Illinois between "Egypt"--the southern region populated by yeoman farmers who came to Illinois from Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, and other southern states--and the Yankee-dominated, urban north. Richard J. Jensen treats Illinois as a microcosm of the nation, arguing that its history exhibits basic conflicts that had much to do with shaping American society in general. Northern reformers in Illinois were intent on remaking the state in their image: middle-class, egalitarian, urban, and progressive. These values clashed with the patriarchal supremacy and intense loyalty to kin and ken by which the people of southern Illinois, and the South, organized their lives.

featured article:

Professional Home Inspector: More Notes On Becoming A Professional Home Inspector

Prior construction experience is a great asset - either in renovation, construction, or trade-related experience such as electrician, plumber etc. - or as a quantity surveyor, construction estimator, trades coordinator, or as a professional architect or engineer.

An architect or an engineer is not automatically a good home inspector. These are disciplines that deal with very specialized and specific areas of buildings, whereas professional home inspectors are generalists, observing and understanding all the components in a building - and the relationships between different components and component systems.

The general categories are:

* electrical

* plumbing

* foundations, basements and structures

* insects, vermin and decay

* central heating systems, including heat loss/gain

* space heating, including fireplaces, wood stoves & chimneys

* central air conditioning

* roofing systems

* exteriors, including landscaping

* interiors, including insulation and ventilation

* environmental and safety issues

With or without prior experience, the prospective home inspector usually starts by reading about, and getting involved with the parts of the house he or she is not already familiar with.

There have been until recently, only a few private (and very expensive) schools of home inspection, and the content is frequently lacking. One way to start preliminary evaluation of a career in home inspection might be with a correspondence course.

Larger inspection companies will generally teach prospective inspectors how to inspect a house, but they won’t teach you "about" the house; you'll have to learn that yourself.

Community Colleges offer a wide range of evening classes in trade-related topics, and recently some colleges have started to offer courses in the field of home inspection.

The Ontario Association of Home Inspectors (OAHI) has developed some training programs, primarily in the area of defect recognition, and groups such as Wood Energy Technology Transfer (WETT Inc.) offer wood energy technical training.

Most associations provide prior learning assessments, to help applicants determine which courses of study may be required, prior to attaining applicant or candidate status. In addition to any courses of study and possibly company training and/or apprenticeship, a number of fee-paid inspections, a review of the inspector's reporting methods and formal examinations, generally must be completed before applying for full membership in a professional association.

There may be a requirement to write a preliminary exam, before one can be covered by association-sponsored insurance programs during training or appreticeship.

Some knowledge of the following will also be beneficial:

* real estate and real estate law as is pertains to the transaction

* wells, septic systems, municipal water and sewer systems, general infrastructure

* inter-personal communications, correspondence and report writing

* computerized applications, basic telecommunications

Home inspectors, whether working independently or dispatched by a larger company, require some form of telephone service, record keeping and follow-up service in conjuction with performing inspections. Inspectors usually have their own vehicles, and purchase their own tools, test equipment, cell phones, pagers etc. Personal liability insurance, errors and ommisions insurance, and disabilty/income security are usually the responsibilty of the individual.

IMPORTANT:

1. A conscientious effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this material. Electrospec Home Inspections will not assume liability for its use. Date of latest modification is noted at bottom of page. 2. Professional Association requirements may change from time to time. Check with each professional organization before making specific plans. 3. Information contained on these pages is not intended to solicit services, affiliations or applications for employment, or to offer any training or apprenticeship.

Copyright Gil Strachan - All rights reserved.

Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. Visit http://www.allaroundthehouse.com to learn more about home inspections.

"The Home Reference Book" You can probably find a home inspection for a little less than what we ask, but you probably won't find the Home Reference Book. A $60 value, this solutions-oriented reference tool comes free with every inspection we perform. It's the first tool you should have around the house!

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