.png?width=250&height=48&name=spectora_full_logo_white%20(3).png "spectora_full_logo_white (3)"){kind=logo}
How to Become a Home Inspector in Texas
Spectora
12/20/21 2:55 PM
The real estate market is thriving in the Lonestar state. We have a full guide on how to become a home inspector in Texas.
You've probably heard people talking about how hot the Texas real estate market is. They're not wrong. Prior to COVID-19, Texas enjoyed a record six straight years of real record-breaking real estate sales.
COVID proved to just be a speed bump in the market, and new data is showing that Lone Star cities like Frisco, Austin, McKinney, Denton, and Allen are some of the best real estate markets in the nation. Even in 2022 as the overall U.S. real estate market slows, Texas stays strong.
But unlike other states, there's a highly detailed process to become a home inspector in Texas. This process is set by the Texas Real Estate Commission, or TREC. They ensure that home inspectors in Texas have a long training and apprenticeship before they can own their own business.
Here's a full guide to get you started. And if you want to check out license requirements in other states, we have a state-by-state breakdown here.
First things first, there are actually three home inspector license types in Texas. For the most part, you need to start with one and "upgrade" to the next two over time. Here are the broad strokes on the license types:
There's no waiting period to become an apprentice. Once you submit your application, it's really just a matter of TREC's time to process and mail your license.
Unlike an apprentice, a real estate inspector can work under the indirect supervision of a professional home inspector. This means that you can do solo inspections, but you cannot do it under your own business yet.
You can still get your real estate inspector license without ever being a licensed apprentice, but you have to take and whooping 64 extra hours of courses, which you can find here.
The fastest it could be done is three months, assuming TREC's processing time was lightning quick and you could take all your coursework in that time. Plan for a little longer.
The highest level of home inspector license in Texas, these people can own their own home inspection business, hire other inspectors, and sponsor new inspectors. Basically, they can do it all.
Just as before, it's still possible but requires lots of extra coursework, you have to take 60 extra hours of courses, which you can find here.
The fastest it could be done is one year from the time you get your Real Estate Inspector license. But again, TREC's processing time and the availability of courses may extend that.
Yes. According to TREC's website, you may receive credit for two, 40-hour "Property and Building Inspection" courses if you have 3 years of personal experience in a field directly related to home inspection and provide two affidavits from persons who have personal knowledge of your experience.
That's 80 hours that you can knock off your 174 hours of coursework. That's nearly half, so it would be a significant time saver.
Believe it or not, you actually can. TREC does not advertise this, but there's no rule that says you must be either an apprentice or real estate inspector before applying for a Professional Real Estate Inspector's license. If you wanted to go that route, here are the steps: