A home inspector walks a house for a buyer or seller and writes a report on its condition. Most states license home inspectors, with training hours, an exam and insurance. The work is mostly booked by buyers on contract deadlines, often on an agent's recommendation. Many inspectors come from construction trades.
- Most states license home inspectors. Check training, exam and insurance rules first.
- Errors and omissions insurance is often required, and always worth having.
- Your report is your product. Pick software that makes it clear.
- Take the fee when the buyer books.
1. Decide what you will offer
| Inspection | Who asks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer inspections | Buyers, agents | The core of the business |
| Pre-listing inspections | Sellers, agents | Fewer surprises at closing |
| 4-point and wind mitigation | Insurers, homeowners | State-specific forms |
| New construction phases | Buyers | Pre-drywall and final |
| Add-ons: radon, sewer scope, termite | Buyers | Each may need its own license |
Add-ons raise the ticket, but some, like radon and termite, have their own licensing in many states.
2. Check the license and permits
Most states license home inspectors, usually with pre-licensing training hours, a national or state exam and proof of insurance. Some states have no license at all. Ask your state's real estate or licensing board what applies, and whether your company name must appear on the license.
3. Register the business and set up taxes
The SBA lists the launch steps in this order: pick a location, choose a structure, choose a name, register, get federal and state tax ID numbers, apply for licenses and permits, open a business bank account, and get insurance. For a home inspection business working out of a truck, the location is usually your home address and the area you will serve.
- Structure. A sole proprietorship is the simplest. An LLC keeps the business separate on paper. Ask an accountant which fits your state and your plans.
- Tax ID. The IRS gives out an employer identification number (EIN) online, and says you never have to pay a fee for one. Websites that charge for an EIN are not the IRS.
- Self-employment tax. The IRS lists the self-employment tax rate as 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. Income tax comes on top, so set money aside from every job.
- Bank account. Open it before the first payment lands, so every dollar in and out is easy to find at tax time.
4. Pick a name customers can say and find
Your name goes on the truck, the invoices, the Google profile and the yard signs, so pick it once. The free home inspection name generator gives 36 ideas for your town and style, each with a domain idea, and lists the checks to run before you commit: your state's business name search, a federal trademark search and the domain itself.
5. Get insured before the first job
The SBA describes general liability insurance as cover for financial loss from bodily injury, property damage, medical expenses and defending lawsuits. It says businesses with employees are required to carry workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance, and some states ask for more.
Inspectors are sued over things they missed. Ask your agent about errors and omissions insurance, general liability for damage during the inspection, and commercial auto.
6. Gear up and add up your startup costs
No total here on purpose. What you spend depends on what you already own, new or used, and how much work you plan to take on. Price your own list with a local supplier, then put the numbers in the startup cost table of the free business plan generator, which adds them up for you.
- Flashlight, moisture meter and outlet tester
- Ladder that reaches roof edges and attic hatches
- Thermal camera and a drone, if you offer them
- Coveralls, respirator and knee pads for crawl spaces
- Tablet with report software
Training and the license are the first costs, then insurance and report software. Tools are modest unless you add thermal imaging or drone roof checks.
7. Set your prices
Build a fee table from your hours on site and on the report, by home size and age, with add-ons priced on their own. Our guide to pricing home inspections has a worked example, and the free home inspection cost calculator shows what buyers see.
8. Find your first customers
- Agents. They recommend inspectors whose reports are clear and calm.
- Buyers on deadline. Koira books by text in one reply.
- Reviews. Koira asks every buyer after the fee is paid.
- Your site. Koira builds it with your prices and booking.
9. Get paid and keep the customer
10. Grow past one truck
A second inspector lets you take two houses a day and a weekend schedule. Read how home inspectors run on Koira.
Sources
- SBA: Launch your business (the launch steps), checked October 8, 2026
- SBA: Get business insurance, checked October 8, 2026
- IRS: Get an employer identification number, checked October 8, 2026
- IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes), checked October 8, 2026
Last checked October 8, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state and city, so confirm with the agency named before you act.