If you are home buyer looking for a home inspector its crucial that you have someone upon whose expertise you can rely. This is the person who is going to inspect your potential new home and determine if the foundation is sound, if the roof is in good shape, if the electrical system is in good working order and if the heating and air conditioning systems are safe.

One way to tell if your home inspector is reliable, knowledgeable, experienced and reputable is to look for someone certified, with an affiliation with a recognized home inspector association. One such is the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors NACHI.

A home inspector who is licensed only indicates that she or he has fulfilled the minimum requirements to conduct home inspections. In many states there is no licensing requirement for home inspectors. NACHI has strict membership requirements and prides itself on the fact that fewer than half of the home inspector NACHI applicants are accepted. The others either dont pass the organizations rigorous certified home inspector exam or in other ways dont fulfil the requirements for membership.

Home inspectors who belong to NACHI have passed the online home inspector exam each year with a score of at least 80 out of 100. They must also pass an online course called Ethics Obstacles Course. They must take and pass an online quiz on home inspector standards of practice and sign an affidavit that they will behave honourably in their practice of their professional.

No home inspector can become a NACHI member without a commitment to adhere to the NACHI standards of home inspection practice and promise to abide by the associations code of ethics. 24 hours each year must be spent in continuing education in home inspection to maintain NACHI membership.

Should a new home inspector wish to join NACHI one who has not conducted an actual live home inspection she or he must submit four mock home inspections for the perusal of the organizations review committee before they are allowed to perform their first real home inspection for a client.

Within 10 days of being accepted a NACHI member, the home inspector must log onto the organizations message board, and within 30 days he or she must complete the two free online courses on standards of practice and home structure. Within the first 45 days the home inspector must complete the comprehensive electrical course found on the NACHI site, and must take and pass each course quiz. By the end of 60 days the new member has to have taken the free roofing course and passed the online quiz about it. A free membership photo ID must be in her or his possession within three months of membership initiation, and each year the member has to take the online inspector examination again and earn a passing grade.

Eight hours of advanced level coursework on home inspector practice standards must be completed within two years of joining NACHI, and each member must attend a minimum of one educational seminar or NACHI chapter meeting every two years.