BEWARE!

It is difficult to know who is a qualified inspector and who carries the mandatory errors and omissions (malpractice) insurance. All "inspectors" claim to be qualified and insured, but many if not most are not truthful. The simplest solution is to: 

1. insist on seeing a certificate of insurance, which the legitimate inspector's insurance company has sent directly to your real estate broker's office;
2. use (for a home inspection) only a full member of ASHI which you can confirm at ASHI.com; 
3. for any specialized inspection, check with the appropriate certifying Pennsylvania department, as to the inspector's qualifications. 

For lead hazard call the Depatment of Labor and Industry (800.932.0665) and ask whether the inspector is a licensed Lead Hazard Risk Assessor.  For radon call the Department of Environmental Protection (800.23RADON) to determine whether the inspector is licensed to do radon testing. Termite (wood infestation) is governed by the Department of Agriculture (717.787.4737).

To understand why this is necessary, you may wish to read on.


On Dec. 20, 2001 a new law, the Pennsylvania Home Inspection Law went into effect. This is a poorly written law and actually made the situation worse. Gov. Ridge did not want to set up another bureaucracy to oversee home inspectors, so the legislature passed a "self-enforcing" (actually, not enforced) trade practice act instead of a full licensing act which could have been enforced. The law requires home inspectors to be full members of a "national association" which has certain requirements, including passing a national exam, completing a number of fee-paid inspections in accordance with set standards of practice, and attending continuing education classes.

Pennsylvania made no investigation or determination as to what constitutes a legitimate "national organization". Informed realtors have known that there were at most only two legitimate organizations of inspectors, ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) and NAHI National Association of Home Inspectors. ASHI is the oldest (25 years), was the first to develop a national test administered by a third party, and in short has the strictest requirements to be a full member. Generally, NAHI has gradually adopted similar requirements to ASHI, except NAHI only required 100 fee-paid inspections completed in accordance with its standards instead of the 250 which ASHI required to be a full member.

The statute created greater confusion because now there are many organizations which claim to meet the requirements. In fact they do not, but there is no enforcement to check the validity of their claims; only lawsuits after the fact. One organization has a name deceptively similar to ASHI and NAHI. It has a web page and makes the most outrageous claims that it meets or even exceeds ASHI standards, when in fact the only requirement to be a member is payment of dues. This organization is actually a for-profit diploma mill. Thus, there is no distinction between dues payers, candidates and members on its web page. If its web page invites you to join and become a member yourself upon payment of dues only, then it becomes easy to determine the real purpose of the organization. 

Call or email for more information or if you have questions.