Please note that there are organizations other than CAHPI that have members licensed in BC. For instance the BC Institute of Property Inspectors (BCIPI - certified by ASTTBC) currently have 67 licensed inspectors practising throughout BC and many more on the way.

A licensed BCIPI Home inspector can be found at http://bcipi.asttbc.org/contact.php.

BCIPI members are required to obtain 20 credits of continuing education a year and this often translates to more than 20 hours as each credit can take up to 3-4 hours to earn.

New BCIPI Inspectors are also required to pass 3 mentored field inspections and 2 field inspection assessments before they are allowed to provide services to the public. This puts the BCIPI inspector in a class of their own as no other organization in BC has this stringent of a requirement. And before the provisional status of the Certified Home Inspector is removed, that inspector must pass 3 more field inspection assessments.

We invite the public to look at the standards of all three organizations that are now accredited by the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority of BC and decide which organization’s standards are truly the highest in British Columbia.

The requirements for new members of the various organizations can be viewed at the following links:

ASTTBC Accreditation of BCIPI Inspectors: http://bcipi.asttbc.org/about.html
CAHPI Membership Standards http://www.bcipi.org/CAHPI
National Certification Program Standards http://www.bcipi.org/NCP

Please see a summary comparison of the three organizations here:
www.bcipi.org/MatrixGraphic.pdf

Sean Wiens
SENWI House Inspections
Secretary/Treasurer - BCIPI

I have worked as a home inspector for 11+ years. We have inspected everything you can think of. I take the time to read and write many blogs and articles on home inspection. This has been a tuff year most home inspectors. We are growing only because many companies have gone under sad.
Thanks for the post a joy to read, well done!

Glad you like this post. I see you are US-based; what is the regulation scenario like for home and property inspectors in your neck of the woods? What did you relate to re: our post, it being Canadian focused?

Great post Don,

I like to call them back pocket home inspectors. The American Home Inspector Directory annual checks each member before renewing their memberships. They must meet their current States regulations and requirements.

It is good to see that British Columbia is enacting some regulation of the home inspection industry. All home inspector should be trained (certified) and licensed within the providence or state that they conduct business. Be sure that your home inspector is a member of a national association. As always, check references from past clients and real estate professionals that the home inspector has worked with in the past.

Purchasing a new home is very exciting time and we have to earn a lot of money while buying home so that we have to take help of home inspector.

Principal, interest, taxes and insurance are just the beginning. Whether your a first-time buyer or thinking about moving up, you should plan for extra costs that could add up to thousands each year. Give yourself the piece of mind and get a home inspection.

Telling clients to make sure their home inspector is a member of a national association is wrong. In BC, to be provincially licensed, a Home Inspector must be registered with one of three associations, and not all are National Associations. For example a licensed inspector may be registered with or certified with BCIPI, which is not a National Association. BCIPI's standards are as high as or higher than any other approved associations.

I am 23 years old and i want to buy my own property but i have no any experience so i want to hire property inspector.

There are many home inspectors which are licensed and certified and they have complete idea about the complete condition of homes. I have finalized a house near hermosa beach and am searching for a good Home Inspector.

No doubt about that, home inspectors should be licensed and regulated by the government. Hiring an amateur than a seasoned professional will make you feel for it sooner or later.

No doubt it is very important long process to find a inspector we do quality work, Especially to save unnecessary costs!

Don't matter how many diplomas you have , the important thing is to be legal and now in Canada there only grey zones for home inspections. We need some strong laws and government involvement...but, maybe, am asking to much!

Hi: A note about certification versus registered , A BCIPI inspector must be certified through assessments and also must attend training that is approved by the association at BCIT and Okanagan College. To date no CHI certified home inspectors have been sued ,not so with CHAPI and more so with CAHPI franchisees as they are interested in quantity not quality. CHAPI members are registered not certified!! Keep that in mind next time you chose a home inspector. Also BCIPI is the primary certification body for home inspectors In British Columbia no so CAHPI they register only. BCIPI has a vested interest in certifying and is not a for profit body as CAHPI is only interested in registration and is a for profit organization.

Dwight E Carroll AScT/ CHI

people can easily fall into the trap of fake property inspectors, A good legislation framework is essential to protect the home owners and buyers

don, how much does it usually cost to have a full house inspection?

In Ontario, the industry is self regulated, however home buyers should a) check references b) ensure that the inspector has general liability and E&O insurance and has a certification such as InterNACHI, which has a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

I am searching for Certified Home Inspector which can give me some old houses information.

Before buying a home, first thing to remember is that there is no point wasting time looking at all sorts of properties when you are not sure how much you can even afford. It’s really appreciable and general.

Interesting blog post! Even I have been looking for a qualified inspector and I have heard that must be a member of a well-respected association like American Society of Home Inspectors.