Home Inspector Associations... ASHI vs NACHI

Every type of professional, no matter his or her field, likes to link up to others in their niche, swapping information, stories, and tips to help one another and also to commiserate. The same is true for home inspectors.

Being a part of a professional organization will offer many benefits including collegiality in the business, education, and licensure. In this competitive environment, joining a home inspector association can also help you get leads and ultimately more clients.

DECIDING WHICH HOME INSPECTOR ASSOCIATION TO JOIN

Sometimes in business it is nice to stand out. In the case of home inspection associations, it is better to investigate what other people in your area do and see if the same decision might benefit you. Certain parts of the country favor different associations, and if you don’t belong to the right one, you may not get as much trust.

Although home inspectors all do the same basic work on a daily basis, your company may have different goals from others. Maybe you need help with marketing, maybe you have the need to be certified, or maybe you need to understand a specific type of home inspection more clearly. Choosing an association whose goals align with your company’s goals will help you make the most of your money.

NACHI VS ASHI

Sometimes home inspectors want to get right to work. However, taking the time to accumulate certifications will not only make you more marketable but will also ultimately get you more business. The more training you have and the more home inspections you have experienced, the better prepared you will be to meet the challenges of your next job.

There are two major national associations that home inspectors should consider joining, and each offers different benefits and information to its members. The first is the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, which is generally known as NACHI, and the second is the American Society of Home Inspectors, otherwise known as ASHI.

Though they have similarities, these two major home inspector associations also have some key differences. The websites of NACHI and ASHI both do a great job of explaining the benefits, and you should study them carefully to join the association with the benefits you need. Whether you are looking for certifications, licensure, or a mentor to help you learn the ropes, choosing the right association for you takes some research and time.

NEWS ABOUT NACHI

Although many people drop the “international” from INTERNACHI, NACHI boasts members from around the globe, including over 25,000 members in the United States.

Founded in 1990 by Nick Gromicko,a home inspector and businessman, this organization has at its heart the education of its members.

The membership fee is $499 a year or $49 per month. In exchange for your membership fee, some of the impressive benefits of NACHI include:

• Access to 1400+ hours of approved online education.
• Access to 2,000+ practice questions to help you prep for your licensing exam.
• Access to over 45 certification programs to help you learn and grow as a home inspector.
• Exclusive access to private posts, images, legal documents, and home inspection checklists & other forms.
• Exclusive deals on major home inspection software.
• Access to the “House of Horrors,” a house created with a plethora of pitfalls for home inspectors to practice on.
• In addition to training and education, NACHI sends leads to its members, which is a great way to get new business.
• Members of NACHI can achieve the title of Certified Professional Inspector, or CPI, an extremely high level qualification.

ATTRIBUTES OF ASHI

ASHI was created in 1976 by a group of friends, who quickly created the requirements by which home inspectors are judged. Even as the safety of homes became more important 40 to 50 years ago, the head of ASHI found ways to incorporate the most important things into the standards of practice, which became the business standard.

ASHI works hard to make the industry better and raise the bar on everything related to home inspections.

The fee is a $25 application fee and then a yearly dues fee of $399. For this yearly fee, you are welcome to the following benefits of ASHI:

• Connect with a close knit group of home inspectors.
• ASHI provides training to new home inspectors and promotes camaraderie and mentorship.
• Members of ASHI need to prove themselves. They can move up the ranks from associate to inspector to certified inspector.
• ASHI helps you generate some leads by listing your company in the ASHI directory and on some other partner websites.
• Members of ASHI can get home inspection insurance at the discounted rate.

FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF THE HOME INSPECTOR ASSOCIATIONS

One excellent benefit of joining a home association is to keep up to date with all that is important in the home inspection process.

The associations take care of a lot of the busy work for you by streamlining information, keeping you on the cutting edge, and offering you training with anything new or important.

Consider the following elements carefully when you are trying to decide which association to join:

• State licenses: Licensing varies from state to state, and ASHI and NACHI will keep you informed about which state requires what license.
• Certification: ASHI and NACHI will help you to get certified in a wide variety of home inspection avenues. They keep up to date with the latest trends and will offer the training directly to their home inspector members.
• Insurance: Home inspectors need two types of insurance, and NACHI and ASHI can help you understand and acquire them. You need general liability as well as errors and omissions insurance to protect your business and your assets.

At the end of the day, the choice of which home inspector association to choose is very individualized. You need to access your area of the country, your needs, and your goals in order to pick the association that is right for you. Additionally, you need to study the websites of ASHI and NACHI to make sure that their goals align with your business goals. Once you have done your due diligence, you will be able to make an informed decision about which association you should belong to.