A career as a home and building inspector in Washington has several perks, including the opportunity to earn an impressive yearly income with room to scale and earn even higher with time.
For anyone looking to start a successful career as a home and building inspector in Washington, the guide below contains everything you need to know to start your journey the right way.
After examining the individual steps in the process, we shed some light on the best destinations to receive approved training within the state. Those curious about the potential salary will also discover the possible annual average salaries for home and building inspectors in Washington based on a handful of determining criteria.
How to Become a Home and Building Inspector in Washington
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to become a home and building inspector in Washington.
Step 1: Prerequisites
The state of Washington does not set a prerequisite for becoming a home and building inspector. However, it is common for inspection firms and training programs to ask for a high school diploma or GED and a clean background.
Step 2: Training Programs
Individuals interested in becoming home and building inspectors in Washington must complete a home inspector classroom course and field training.
Classroom Training
According to the Washington State Department of Licensing, all training programs for home and building inspectors must include 120 hours of training instruction. It is only after graduating from such a program that an individual can proceed to acquire their state license.
Field Training
After the classroom part of their training has been completed, the next step for candidates is to complete field training for real-world experience. To do so, they must attend 40 hours of field training supervised by a licensed home inspector in the state.
The 40 field training hours must include 5 inspections and detailed reports on these inspections.
Step 4: Home Inspector Examinations
From here, candidates can take the home inspector examinations, which, in Washington, include two different exams — the Washington Home Inspector Examination and the National Home Inspectors Examination.
Step 5: Employment
After all the above requirements have been met, the next step is seeking employment in relevant companies. This can be multi-inspector firms or government agencies. Candidates may also proceed to establish their own LLC or sole proprietorship.
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Licensure & Certification Requirements
To acquire a Washington state home inspector license, candidates must go through all the above steps and send in an online application using the SecureAccess Washington software.
This is the platform through which they will apply for the state licensing examination.
Additionally, candidates must submit a home inspector license application document, copies of their state and national licensing exam reports, and a $720 licensing fee before officially receiving their state license.
Those who want to avoid using the SecureAccess Washington portal for online applications may mail their required documents and application forms.
Top Home and Building Inspector Schools in Washington
The following are the most prominent home and building inspector schools in Washington.
Washington School of Home Inspection
The Washington School of Home Inspection offers a 2-week training program to teach future home inspectors everything they need to know to get their careers up and running.
It includes 120 hours of classroom training and 40 hours of field training.
SGA Inspection Inc.
A partner school of InterNACHI, SGA Inspection boasts a top-class training program, including all required classroom and field training hours to become full-fledged home inspectors in Washington.
Notable Mentions
Other notable approved home inspection training schools in Washington include Nonprofit Home Inspections, School of Professional Home Inspections, and Top Notch Home Inspections.
Explore home and building inspector schools by city:
Salary & Career Outlook
According to a survey of home and building inspectors in the state carried out by Indeed, home and building inspectors in Washington who are among the highest-paid in the state take home an annual average salary of $246,114, and those who are among the lowest-paid take home an annual average salary of $76,188.
In the middle are the average earners in the state, who make annual salaries of around $136,916. With more experience, a home and building inspector in Washington can move from the bottom or midpoint to being among the top earners in the state.
As for exact locations within the state, Vancouver is the city where home and building inspectors in Washington earn the most. Professionals here take home an annual average salary of $137,212. Federal Way and Seattle follow with annual average salaries of $137,211 and $136,923, respectively.
Spokane and Tacoma are among the top five highest-paying cities for home and building inspectors in Washington, with annual average salaries of $136,762 and $124,475, respectively.
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