NACHI

There are no federally mandated guidelines for home inspections in real estate transactions. There are, however, several organizations that have set out to create a set of acceptable standards and practices for home inspectors. Membership in these organizations is voluntary, but is an important qualification for a legitimate home inspector.

One of these organizations is the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. This group, referred to as NACHI for short, is responsible for creating standards of practice and codes of ethics for home inspectors. NACHI's code of ethics is a strict set of guidelines for proper behavior and client/inspector interaction. NACHI insists that its members be honest, trustworthy, and totally straightforward with clients.

NACHI Standards of Practice

NACHI also creates standards of practices for home inspectors. Sections 2.1 through 2.10 of the NACHI Standards of Practice manual set forth inspection guidelines inspectors must comply with when inspecting a home's roof, exterior, basement, foundation, crawlspace and structure, heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, fireplace, attic and insulation, doors, window, and interior. Inspectors must pass a written test in order to be certified.

NACHI is also a good resource to use to locate an inspector in your area. NACHI maintains an extensive database of certified home inspectors in the USA and Canada. It also produces several important industry publications that are valuable sources of information for inspectors, as well as home buyers and sellers.