Iowa
States
How to become a
home inspector in Iowa
Last Updated: July 25, 2025
If you like helping people, have previous construction experience, or love exploring what makes buildings tick, you may enjoy working as a home inspector.
Of course, as with all careers, joining a community of Iowa home inspectors requires more than fascination. It also requires dedication, a desire to work hard, and a willingness to pursue constant learning. Actually, that learning begins right away: with learning to navigate Iowa’s home inspector requirements.
Iowa does not regulate inspectors through licensing, but they do have minimal requirements to practice as a home inspector in Iowa, so they are worth being familiar with.
In this guide, we’re sharing how to become a home inspector in Iowa by following state requirements. We also break down the Iowa home inspector insurance requirements so you can get your business covered.
What are the Iowa Home Inspector State Requirements?
While your state does not give out licenses for home inspectors, it still has Iowa home inspector state requirements that need to be met.
Here are the requirements that you must meet:
- You must be a member in good standing of a national home inspectors association, or you must be supervised by a person who fulfills that requirement–like the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI).
- Further that organization must require that you perform at least 100 home inspections to become a member.
- That organization must require you to pass a recognized or accredited examination, like the National Home Inspector Exam (NHIE) or their own examination.
Along the way of joining an organization or association, you’ll face decision after decision about which equipment to purchase, how to plan for future revenue and financial stability, which additional certifications to get, and more. Read our article to find out what to expect in your first year as an Iowa home inspector.
What are the Iowa home inspector insurance requirements?
Insurance can help protect you and your clients from many issues during your inspections. Because of this, the Iowa home inspector insurance requirements state that you must carry the following insurance for your business:
Professional Liability / Errors and Omissions (E&O)
Limits of $100,000 / $500,000 or more.
General Liability / Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability (GL)
Limits of $100,000 / $500,000 or more.
Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, often referred to as professional liability coverage for home inspectors, protects you when your clients accuse you of missing something during their inspection, like signs of water damage—or, at the very least, not mentioning it in your report. In other words, you’re protected when clients accuse you of not doing your job right. Obtaining E&O insurance is one of the most important steps on the road to become a home inspector in Iowa, as it can protect you from expensive and stressful lawsuits and claims.
General liability (GL) covers any property damage or bodily injury to others caused by your inspection. For example, whether you overflow the sink while testing it and cause water damage, or someone hurts themselves after following you up your ladder, you will be covered with general liability.
Pesticide Application
Another type of Iowa home inspector insurance requirement is regarding pest inspections, where you are required to carry at least $300,000 in GL coverage, which is covered by the general state requirements, so long as you have an endorsement to cover pest inspections. We’re happy to provide this coverage upon request!
These are some other types of insurance that many inspectors benefit from on a regular basis:
- Tail Coverage: You’re retiring and don’t want to worry about claims during your first years out of the inspection business.
- Equipment Coverage: Someone steals your drone out of your locked inspection vehicle.
- Workers’ Comp: Your employee slips and falls from a roof during her inspection. She needs x-rays and physical therapy. Read about Iowa’s workers’ compensation insurance requirements and policies here. If you hire employees, check if you fall under Iowa’s home inspector requirements for this benefit.
Why InspectorPro?
We understand home inspectors. Plus, we have over a decade of experience advocating for them. Handling and helping you prevent your claims is our area of expertise. We’ll even reward you for your own success in preventing claims. Explore what makes the InspectorPro team stand out.
Our program offers unique benefits catered to the home inspection industry. For example, through our pre-claims assistance program, if you report an incident or complaint before it becomes a claim, we’ll help you de-escalate that complaint at no cost to you. Furthermore, because your pre-inspection agreement plays a crucial role in your risk management, we’ve written our own state-specific pre-inspection agreements, available exclusively to our insured inspectors at no additional cost.
At the end of the day, our E&O and GL policies are built to serve your unique business needs, making it the best home inspector insurance for you. Insuring with anyone else simply isn't worth the risk.
Have questions?
Are you interested in learning more about how to become a home inspector in Iowa? Ready to discuss why your home inspection business needs insurance, even though Iowa doesn’t have home inspector insurance requirements? We’ll get you in touch with a member of the InspectorPro team. We look forward to serving you, and we’re excited to welcome you to the home inspection community in Iowa!