Start a Home Inspection Business

If you've got a background in construction, engineering, or home repair, you might want to consider starting your very own home inspection service. This is still a very in-demand service since just about everyone who buys a house will need a home inspector at some point before the final papers are signed. Even with the downturn in the economy, it's still possible to make a decent living in this niche business.

It's a home inspector's responsibility to report on all aspects of electrical, plumbing, cooling/heating, foundation, and roofing problems - to name a few. Most home inspections take a couple hours and the customer is given a written, itemized report at the end of it.

Along with your experience, it's always a good idea to take an official home inspector course. This will prepare you for things that you're going to see in the field but perhaps have not experienced in your career. Essentially, in order to be a good home inspector, you need to be able to spot defects. You need to know how something "should" look when everything is normal.

Another reason to combine experience with classroom training is to become certified through the American Society of Home Inspectors. This will give you a distinct advantage over those home inspectors who are not certified.

You want to make sure that you have extensive experience and knowledge considering you're going to be responsible for identifying defects in the home and reporting them to the potential buyer. In the event that anyone gets injured or the buyer is damaged financially due to your negligence, you can be sued.

Unless you're going to be working for someone else or starting your own franchise, getting a foothold in this business is going to be tough. This is one industry where your reputation is everything. You've got to make a name for yourself and earn the trust of people who are going to recommend your services. In fact, most of your work is going to come from referrals from real estate brokers.

Once you get some steady profits coming in, be sure to take out a yellow pages ad. Other than direct referrals, this is where most people will look for a home inspector.

Although this business isn't for everyone, if you have the education and experience, you can be making several hundred dollars per hour after you've established your business and you've got a few years of experience.