Montana
States
How to become a
home inspector in Montana
If you are looking into becoming a home inspector, you’ll want to check out the Montana home inspector requirements to be licensed. We are happy to help you make this exciting transition into home inspecting, but it can be difficult to parse through the different requirements and expectations. The difficulty is only increased with all the other steps and preparations you have to make that have nothing to do with getting licensed!
We looked through the requirements set by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (MDLI) so that you don’t have to.
Montana Home Inspector License Requirements
There are no age or education requirements to become a home inspector in Montana, but there are education and insurance requirements, as well as a requirement to become a member of a national home inspection association or organization. Once you have accomplished each of the requirements below, just submit your application to the MDLI and pay the $80 application fee.
Education
To fulfill the education requirement, you must complete one of two options and provide proof along with your application:
- Successfully complete 40 hours of comprehensive home inspection instruction (approved list on their website).
- Pass the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE).
Insurance Requirements
The Montana home inspector insurance requirements require you to carry both errors and omissions insurance and general liability insurance.
The required limits are:
Professional Liability / Errors and Omissions (E&O)
Limits of $100,000 (per occurrence)/ $100,000 (aggregate) or more.
General Liability / Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability
Limits of $100,000 (per occurrence)/ $100,000 (aggregate) or more.
Apply for E&O and GL Insurance
Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance for home inspectors, also known as professional liability for home inspectors, protects you when your clients accuse you of missing something during their inspection—or, at the very least, leaving it out of 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 Montana, or anywhere for that matter.
General liability covers any property damage or bodily injury to others caused by your inspection. For example, whether you leave a running faucet on and cause water damage, or someone hurts themselves after following you up your ladder (which we do not recommend), you will be covered with general liability.
Insurance limits represent the total dollar amount your insurance company can pay toward your covered claims in a given policy period. You have two limits: your occurrence limit, which is the maximum amount the insurance company will pay per claim, and your aggregate limit, which is the maximum amount the insurance company will pay during the policy period.
Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation (WC) requirements come from the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. (See Montana Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Disease Laws and Administrative Rules.) The Montana home inspector requirements state that you must carry WC, or have an independent exemption certificate (ICEC).
Join an Association
The final requirement to become a home inspector in Montana is to provide proof of membership for an approved national home inspector association. The current list includes:
- American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)
- International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI)
- North American Association of Home Inspectors (NAAHI)
If your association is not included on this list, you may contact MDLI for approval of an alternate association.
How to Renew
After you have become a home inspector in Montana, you must renew your license every two years. In order to renew, you need to provide proof of having completed 40 hours of continuing education courses, and also provide evidence that your insurance and association membership are still in effect.
Once again, congratulations on beginning your journey as a home inspector! We at InspectorPro are behind you one-hundred percent, and we hope you will reach out to us for any help or insurance needs you have.