States

How to become a
home inspector in
South Carolina

We are incredibly excited that you have begun this journey to become a home inspector in South Carolina! In the middle of setting up your business, getting equipment, and everything else you need to take care of, have you ever wondered, “What are the South Carolina home inspector requirements?” Don’t worry–we have you covered!

Photo of South Carolina for home inspector requirements

The South Carolina Home Inspector Requirements

The governing body for the South Carolina home inspector license requirements is the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation. To become a home inspector in South Carolina, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Education requirement:
    • Show one year of experience under a supervising home inspector 

OR 

    • Complete an approved course for home inspectors.
  • Provide documentation of performing at least 50 home inspections.
  • Submit a national and state criminal history check, if you have committed a criminal offense.
  • Complete a state-approved exam.

You can document these requirements in the online application. Once you have finished the application and completed the exam you will be ready to inspect! For more information on the major requirements, read below.

Education

You are given two options for completing the South Carolina home inspector requirements: complete an approved course, or have one year of experience inspecting under a supervising home inspector. Either option will give you a great start to your inspecting career.

Option 1

The approved home inspector course is a well-rounded option, as you can get in-class and in-field education. The course will cover the systems you will inspect, reporting practices, as well as lessons on how to run your inspection business. With this course, take it as an opportunity to begin your journey to become a home inspector in South Carolina on the right foot. Aside from teaching you the necessary basics, these courses can help you network with other inspectors, meet experienced mentors, and ask any questions about marketing, inspecting, business setup, report writing, or any other necessary skill.

Option 2

To fulfill the second option of the education component for the South Carolina home inspector requirements, you must provide evidence that you have worked as a home inspector for at least 1 year under the supervision of a licensed home inspector. You will document these inspections in the “Work Experience” section of the online application.

This option is wonderful if you already have construction or general contracting experience and feel confident in your knowledge, but lack field experience. It can also be difficult to pull off without proper support from a licensed home inspector, so make sure that you are working with an inspector (or multiple inspectors) who are committed to helping you from the start to the finish your 1 year of home inspection experience. If you are able to make this option work, ask many questions, study on your own, and practice every aspect of inspecting until you are confident enough to do it on your own when you finish licensure.

Perform and document 50 inspections.

You must provide evidence that you have performed 50 inspections to become a home inspector in South Carolina. You can probably meet this requirement during the course of fulfilling your education requirement. Otherwise, plan to coordinate with an inspector to help you do this. Just know that you will need to document the 50 inspections in the “Work Experience” section of the online application, which means you need a summary report of each inspection, including its address. You can also mail in the documentation, if that is preferable for you.

Background Check (for those who have committed a criminal offense)

If you have committed a criminal offense, you are required to complete a national and state criminal background check. It is important to note that you will not automatically be rejected just because of a criminal offense–it will be reviewed before any decision is made.

Pass a state-approved exam.

Once you have completed the other requirements and submitted the application, the next step to fulfilling the South Carolina home inspector requirements is to pass the state-approved home inspection exam. Most inspectors fulfill this by taking the National Home Inspector Exam (NHIE). The NHIE is a 200 question exam that covers various parts of home inspections, including aspects specific to your state.

To prepare for this exam, review the materials from your home inspector course, and also consider using study materials from the exam providers themselves (found on their website). Also, ask other inspectors in your state about what parts of the exam they wish they had studied for more thoroughly. Doing all of this will keep you on track for passing the exam with flying colors!

Congratulations from InspectorPro

We are incredibly excited for your new journey into the world of home inspecting! We are always happy to help you however we can along the way. Reach out if you have questions, need help, or want to protect your business with the best coverage available. We at InspectorPro are grateful to serve you.