Chapter 146 of the Massachusetts Licensure Law,
enacted in 1999, establishes certain
requirements for licensure of both Associate and
Licensed Home Inspectors and establishes the
Board of Registration of Home Inspectors.
The Board is mandated to:
Establish the licensing requirements and to
set forth the standards of professional and
ethical conduct.
Establish the standards and requirements for
Continuing Education (CE).
Approve and conduct licensing examinations.
Issue licenses to qualified applicants.
Establish disciplinary action or penalties for
non-compliance with Home Inspection code of
ethics or inspection standards.
A licensed Associate Home Inspector must meet
all of the following requirements:
You must have a high school diploma, or its
equivalent (GED).
You must have performed not less than 25 home
inspections under the scrutiny of a
Massachusetts Licensed Home Inspector.
You must have a specified supervisor who is a
licensed inspector in good standing with the
state.
You must have passed the NHIE, the National
Home Inspection Examination
You must carry Errors and Omissions Insurance
in the amount of at least $250,000.00 and cannot
attempt to limit your liability for errors or
omissions by including language or a clause
within the inspection contract.
You must also pay the appropriate fee.
Additionally you must meet the educational
requirements set forth by the Board. 75 hours of
education is necessary and must include the
following:
o Six (6) hours of education specific to the
inspection of roofing
o Six (6) hours of education specific to the
inspection of masonry systems
o Six (6) hours of education specific to the
inspection of exterior cladding systems
o Nine (9) hours of education specific to the
inspection of electrical systems
o Nine (9) hours of education specific to the
inspection of structural systems
o Nine (9) hours of education specific to the
inspection of plumbing systems
o Nine (9) hours of education specific to the
inspection of HVAC systems
o Six (6) hours of instruction on Report Writing
o Six (6) hours of instruction dedicated to the
266 CMR regulations, to include the standards of
practice
o Three (3) hours of education on Professional
Ethics and
o Three (3) hours of instruction on Contract Law
This will leave three (3) hours to complete the
mandated 75. The trainee can select any three
(3) additional hours on open Training Credits.
Once you are a licensed Associate Home
Inspector, you can set your sites on becoming a
Licensed Home Inspector. This requires an
additional 100 home inspections and that you be
under the direction of a Massachusetts Licensed
Home Inspector for a period of one year. You
must then apply for the Home Inspector License.
Massachusetts requires 12 hours of CE per
licensing period, none of which can be
correspondence or online courses.
Massachusetts also has a reciprocity agreement
with the state of Connecticut, which means that
in the event you hold a license with the state
of Connecticut, you will be granted a license
with the state of Massachusetts.
For more information you can write to The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of
Professional Licensure, Attn: Board of Home
Inspectors, 239 Causeway Street, Boston, MA
02114.
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