Application Requirements

1. Citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien
2. Sponsored by a licensed professional inspector who is eligible to sponsor
3. At least 18 years of age
4. Satisfy the Commission’s requirements for honesty, integrity and trustworthiness (Background Investigation through DPS)
5. Must be sponsored by a licensed Professional Inspector who must provide indirect supervision for all inspections performed by the Real Estate Inspector

Education Requirements

• 10 hours in foundations
• 8 hours in framing
• 10 hours building enclosure
• 10 hours in roof systems
• 8 hours in plumbing systems
• 10 hours in electrical systems
• 10 hours in heating ventilation, and air conditioning systems
• 8 hours in appliances
• 4 hours in Texas Standards of Practice
• 4 hours in Texas Standard Report Form/Report Writing; and
• 8 hours in Texas Legal/Ethics AND one of the following (A or B):

1. Under Three Tier Progression

   Must have been actively licensed as an Apprentice for 3 months during the 12 month period prior to filing the inspector application AND must have completed 25 inspections while licensed as an Apprentice under the direct supervision of a qualified eligible licensed Professional Inspector. OR

2. Under the Education/Experience Alternative Method

   In addition to the 90 hours, must have completed an additional 30 hours in core inspection courses which must include 8 hours in Texas Standard Report Form/Report Writing and 6 hours in Texas Standards of Practice/Legal/Ethics Update; 16 additional hours in any core inspection subjects AND

   1. 60 hours in an approved interactive experience training module presented by a licensed professional inspector and submit a certificate of completion or
   2. 60 hours inspecting with a licensed Professional Inspector who is eligible to sponsor and provide a letter from the Professional Inspector certifying attendance; or
   3. 3 years of personal experience in a field directly related to home inspection, including but not limited to installing, servicing, repairing or maintaining the structural, mechanical and electrical systems found in improvements to real property. (Provide 2 affidavits from persons other than the applicant who has personal knowledge of the applicant’s work, detailing the time and nature of the applicant’s relevant experience). Each affidavit must be from a different source and include a contact telephone number and signature. OR
   4. In addition to the 90 hours, must have completed an additional 8 hours in Texas Standard Report Form/Report Writing and 6 hours in the Texas Standards of Practice/Legal/Ethics Update; AND has at least 2 years of experience as an active practicing licensed or registered architect, professional engineer, or engineer-in-training (and provide a license history documenting active practice under the license); and
   5. File the Real Estate Inspector License Application form

Fees

$89.00 Application Fee

$100.00 Recovery Fund paid to TREC after exam is passed

Examination

• An application is valid for 6 months from the date of receipt; if the exam is not passed within this time period, the application will terminate and the applicant will be required to meet current requirements to reapply.
• The exam is composed of two parts: National topics (200 questions) and Texas specific topics (25 questions). All questions are multiple choice.
• Applicants who have a current application open as of December 31, 2012 and who have taken and failed the inspector examination that was in effect prior to January 1, 2013 may choose to retake the pre-January 1, 2013 exam if they qualify for reexamination under that same application. The applicant must notify PSI when registering for reexamination and must notify the Commission in writing. Notification to the Commission may be sent by email to .
• TREC may waive the national part of the exam if an applicant maintains an active license in another state and has passed the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) developed by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors. The applicant must provide the Commission with a license history or documentation from the other state indicating that the NHIE was passed.
• The $230 exam fee is due each time the National and State parts of the exam are scheduled together OR when the National part is retaken.
• If an applicant fails one part of the exam and passes the other, the applicant is required to retest only the failed part. The $61.00 Texas exam fee is required if the applicant is retaking only the state part of the exam.
• An applicant who fails each part of the exam three times may not retake the exam or submit a new license application before six months after the date of the third failed exam.
• There is no required waiting time between exams, scheduling is subject to availability

  License examinations are administered by PSI, a testing service company. Once your application has been received, processed and accepted, you will receive notification that you may obtain a copy of the Candidate Information Brochure (CIB) to register for the exam. The CIB will provide instructions on how to schedule to take the examination and contains study material and instructions about licensing. A copy of the CIB can be downloaded from the PSI web site at http://psiexams.com. Please DO NOT attempt to register for the exam without first receiving notification from our office.

  Upon passing the exam you must provide proof of liability insurance or any other insurance that provides coverage for violations of Subchapter G of Chapter 1102, Texas Occupations Code ($100,000 per occurrence) before a license will be issued. Insurance information should be submitted to TREC by mail, email to or fax (512-936-3864) using the TREC Certificate of Insurance form.

Renewal Requirements for Real Estate Inspector

Reference: Complete Rules Governing Inspectors

Timely Renewal-

• Renewal Fee

  For a two year license term $70.00

• Insurance and Education Required for Renewal -

  To renew your license on ACTIVE status, you must provide proof of professional liability insurance or any other insurance that provides coverage for violations of Subchapter G of Chapter 1102, Texas Occupations Code by submitting a Certificate of Insurance form. Your insurance agent must complete the Certificate of Insurance and send it to TREC’s Licensing section by mail or fax (512-936-3864) at least 20 days prior to the expiration date of your license.

  For each 2-year license period the real estate inspector must complete 32 classroom hours of TREC approved continuing education real estate inspection courses, 6 hours of which must be in the Texas Standards of Practice/Legal/Ethics Update course. You must submit copies of course completion certificates to TREC ten (10) business days PRIOR TO renewing online.

  If you submit your renewal without the required proof of insurance or continuing education, you will be issued an inactive license until these requirements are met. An inactive license does not permit a person to perform inspections.

  See the list of Texas Real Estate Inspector Approved Courses.

  Renewal length: Two (2) years

Renewal After License Has Expired - (Up to two years)

Up to two years after license expiration, an individual can file another application for a license without having to re-take and pass the examination. However, additional education will be required.

For an ACTIVE license status you must provide proof of professional liability insurance or any other insurance that provides coverage for violations of Subchapter 6 of Chapter 1102, Texas Occupations Code by submitting a Certificate of Insurance form. This form should be mailed, emailed to or faxed to (512-936-3864) to TREC’s Licensing Department.

More Detailed Information

1. An application must be filed through the sponsorship of a Texas Professional Inspector who is qualified to sponsor applicants and who currently holds an ACTIVE license. The Sponsoring Professional Inspector should determine that the application is complete in all respects before it is filed. An application for a Real Estate Inspector license is considered the responsibility of the sponsoring professional inspector; all communications will be sent to the permanent mailing address provided with this application. The application is NOT TRANSFERABLE. A sponsoring professional inspector cannot be changed during the processing of an application. If an applicant desires a different sponsoring professional inspector, a new application and fees must be filed with the Commission.

2. To be eligible to file an application for a Real Estate Inspector License, an individual must be a citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien, 18 years of age or older.

3. The filing of an application authorizes an investigation of the applicant's background. Information revealed in an investigation may be cause for disapproval of an application even though other requirements for a license are met. If an investigation is necessary, it may not be conducted until the applicant has passed the examination.

4. The application fee must be submitted in the form of a single check, cashiers check or money order payable to the Texas Real Estate Commission. Cash will not be accepted. ALL FEES ARE NONREFUNDABLE and NONTRANSFERABLE. Fees not pertaining to this application should NOT accompany the application.

   SEE FEE SCHEDULE

5. Upon successful completion of the examination and final processing of the application, the applicant must pay the Real Estate Inspection Recovery Fund fee of $100 made payable to TREC. This fee exists to compensate persons who successfully sue a real estate inspector and then find inadequate attachable financial resources to satisfy the judgment. The fund does not and should not substitute for general liability insurance or errors and omissions insurance. DO NOT SUBMIT THIS FEE UNTIL THE COMMISSION REQUESTS IT.

6. State law prohibits the renewal of a license if a licensee has defaulted on a student loan guaranteed by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TG) unless the licensee has entered into a repayment agreement with TG. YOU SHOULD CONTACT TG BEFORE FILING THIS APPLICATION if you have defaulted on a student loan. An application or renewal may be rejected if this agency has received information from TG that the applicant has defaulted on a student loan.

   TG^TM
   P.O. Box 83100
   Round Rock, Texas 78683-3100
   Telephone: (800) 252-9743
   (in Austin, call 219-5700)

7. The time involved in processing an application depends on work volume. Inquiry as to the status of an application delays processing. Inquiry should not be made unless there is reason to believe that information submitted to the Commission has not been received.

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