Mississippi Home Inspector

A home inspection is required or recommended during the process of purchasing a home, and may be requested by either buyer or seller. The home inspector is an independent party who doesn’t work for the buyer or seller, and is trained and certified to carry out home inspections. Home inspectors check the roof, basement, heating and cooling systems, water heater, electrical, plumbing and other structural aspects of the property.

The purpose of home inspections is to uncover and report to prospective buyers and sellers any improper building practices, needs for extensive repairs, and fire and safety issues. While home inspectors don’t guarantee to discover every potential construction defect, their report also may include code or zoning violations, permit research, property measurements or surveys, conditions of title, proximity to environmental hazards, noise interference, soil or geological conditions, well water systems or water quality, underground sewer lines and/or waste disposal systems, and other structural details.

The home inspection report is not part of the real estate appraisal, but may be used by buyer and seller in negotiating final price. Nor is it a process for obtaining or rejecting city/county/state building code approvals.

Standards and procedures for home inspections are set by the American Society of Home Inspectors (www.ashi.org) and the National Association of Home Inspectors (www.nahi.org), with each state applying specific laws and licensing requirements.

Since 2001, home inspectors in Mississippi have been required to be licensed. Information about licensing is available via the Mississippi Home Inspector Board (www.mrec.state.ms.us/mhib). Mississippi Home Inspector Law also requires that licensed Mississippi home inspectors complete an additional 20 hours of approved continuing education every two years in order to qualify for a license renewal. This may include courses from the NAHI and online courses available through the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors.

Forms used by home inspectors in Mississippi conform to those provided by the national organizations: NAHI and ASHI.

To qualify for a Mississippi home inspection license, an applicant must be a high school graduate, at least 21 years old, and have successfully completed the state’s 60-hour home inspection course. Applicants must pass the NAHI exam. Fees and insurance requirements also apply. Out-of-state applicants must hold a valid certificate, registration or home inspector license in good standing issued by another state with similar requirements, and have passed an examination offered by either NAHI or the ASHI.

Further requirements must be met if a home inspector wants to perform inspections services on new construction in Mississippi, including certification by the Southern Building Code Congress or another national professional code organization.

Home inspections in Mississippi are regulated under Title 73, Professions and Vocations, of the Mississippi state code. That law establishes the Mississippi Home Inspector Regulatory Board, an adjunct of the Mississippi Real Estate Commission. The regulatory board is responsible for enforcing the code of conduct, license requirements and other particulars related to Mississippi home inspection.

For more information, contact a local Mississippi Home Inspector by clicking here Find Mississippi Home Inspector. Enter the propery information for a free quote and instant local inspector search. This should be your first step in buying or selling your home!