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It seems that everybody wants to be able to learn to do anything and everything Online or by a video today. If it cannot be taught on the web, or on a DVD in the privacy of the home, then it is too much trouble. I am coordinator of a state accredited, college level, home inspection training program in Washington state. We have had students from all walks of life -- individuals who sold insurance or livestock, worked as chiropractors or those who were from the trades such as licensed plumbers, electricians or former builders. The point is, the experience levels vary. Just for the record, because so much of inspection involves marketing, all bets are off as to which of these individuals will -- ultimately -- be the most successful in the field.
This college level training approach seems extensive, prohibitive as far as the time involved in the view of some people, but I can tell you from experience that even such a program only takes students to an entry level position in the profession. This is not a simple field as there is always something to learn or something changes so you have to learn it again. Merely keeping track of all the multitudes of furnaces and heat sources out there is a chore in and of itself -- equipment recalls, consumer warnings, etc.
This college level program is listed by the state as a fast-track program. It is intense but it does get the job done in four weeks, 40 hours per week. The students are in class, or on field inspections, the wh
le time. They take some rigorous tests as well. The inspectors in training are taught how to conduct structural pest inspections -- which is a mandatory duty in Washington. Students need a broad base of knowledge, and have to be studious, if they are to effectively work in the field without a high risk of law suits or providing incomplete or incorrect information to clients. Students realize the financial risks just as soon as they pay their first errors and omissions insurance premiums. Those areas home inspectors need a firm grasp on include structure, exteriors, roofs, interior, attics, roof systems, electrical, plumbing, furnaces, air conditioners, wood stoves, appliances, the wood destroying organisms, etc. It is an awful lot to learn, even in four weeks.
Having established that there is a lot to learn, I will meander back to the original point. People want this training Online or on a DVD. Although the college and I have discussed putting some basic information Online, to abbreviate this training down to a three week in-class session, anything beyond that drastically decreases the quality of the instruction. In the time currently spent, students see and feel different sidings and roofing materials, they explore electric panels and any number of other complex systems. Then, on five supervised field inspections, they go into every area of a home that would normally be inspected: Crawl spaces, attics, under decks, on roofs, in electric panels. It is my view, based on watching students progress and then work in the field, that no Online, armchair training, can do a satisfactory job of preparing a student to work in this dangerous, litigious and complex field. I have worked with, or tutored, a few inspectors whose full education came from videos. They could recognize the photos, but had a hard time identifying the things they should know instantly, when they were under the stress of working in the field.
My view is, realistically, that there is a place for virtual training in the inspection field. Perhaps it makes sense for teaching marketing, laws, standards of practice, code of ethics, that kind of thing, but the real field work needs to stay that way -- learned out in the field and hands-on in the classroom!
Steven L. Smith, owner of King of the House, Inc home inspection is a licensed structural pest inspector and a certified home inspector in Bellingham WA. Smith is the program coordinator for the college level home inspection training program at Bellingham Technical College.