What do TREC’s three inspector license levels mean?
Texas licenses home inspectors at three levels, and the level tells you who is responsible for the work.
The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) issues an apprentice inspector license, a real estate inspector license and a professional real estate inspector license. Chapter 1102 of the Texas Occupations Code sets the same three levels and says no one can act as an inspector for a buyer or seller without the matching license.
- Apprentice inspector. The entry level. TREC and the Occupations Code both say an apprentice has to work under direct supervision. The Occupations Code and TREC Rule 535.226 both put the supervisor on site: the statute’s definition of direct supervision includes being physically present at the inspection, and the rule has the sponsor accompany the apprentice or arrange for a real estate inspector to go along. TREC’s real estate inspector page counts inspections done under direct supervision toward the next license.
- Real estate inspector. The middle level. TREC and the Occupations Code both say this inspector works under the indirect supervision of a professional inspector. The Occupations Code and TREC Rule 535.226 both make that professional inspector responsible for the real estate inspector’s work.
- Professional real estate inspector. The top level. TREC says a professional inspector doesn’t need to be sponsored by another license holder to perform an inspection.
To move up, TREC says a candidate needs experience and education at the level below and has to pass an exam. TREC also allows a substitute experience path for the two upper licenses.
Supervision tells you who is accountable for your report. If the person walking your New Braunfels house is an apprentice or a real estate inspector, ask who the sponsoring professional inspector is and how they’re involved in the report.
How do you check an inspector’s license before you book?
Look the inspector up on TREC’s license holder search, then make sure the name and number you see there are the ones on your report.
TREC’s inspector pages link to its License Holder Search, where you can search by name or license number. Do it before you book, not after the report arrives. You’re checking three things.
- The license level, so you know whether there’s a sponsor involved.
- That the license is current. TREC says all three inspector licenses must be renewed every two years, and the Occupations Code caps a license term at 24 months.
- The sponsor’s name, if the inspector isn’t a professional inspector.
The report itself gives you a second check. TREC Rule 535.222 says every inspection report must include the name and license number of each inspector who took part, plus the name and license number of any supervising real estate inspector or sponsoring professional inspector. The top of TREC’s Property Inspection Report form, REI 7-6, has those same blanks: name of inspector, name of sponsor if applicable and a TREC license number for each.
When the report comes in, match those lines to what you saw in the search. If they don’t match, ask why before your option period runs out.
What can’t a licensed inspector do in your deal?
A Texas inspector is supposed to be independent, and the law spells out a few things that would break that.
- No fee tied to the findings. Section 1102.302 of the Occupations Code says an inspector can’t accept a job if the employment or fee depends on reporting a specific, predetermined condition, and TREC Rule 535.220 says an inspector shall not inspect a property when any compensation or future referrals depend on the reported findings.
- No double role. Section 1102.303 says an inspector can’t act in the same transaction as both the inspector and a broker or sales agent. TREC’s FAQ applies that to someone licensed as both an agent and an inspector: it says inspecting a property their broker listed, or one where they were personally involved, would violate that section.
- No repairs on the side. Section 1102.304 says an inspector may not perform or agree to perform repairs or maintenance in connection with a real estate inspection under an earnest money contract, lease or exchange of real property.
Keep that last rule in mind when the report comes in. If an inspector offers to fix what they just wrote up, the law says they can’t take that job, so get any repair estimates from someone else.
What does a TREC inspection cover and leave to others?
A TREC inspection is a visual look at the house’s systems, and some questions belong to other licenses.
TREC Rule 535.227 describes a real estate inspection as a limited visual survey and basic performance evaluation of a building’s systems and components, using normal controls. It says the inspection isn’t meant to be an exploratory probe to find the cause or effect of deficiencies, and that it doesn’t require specialized equipment such as thermal imaging equipment or moisture meters. TREC’s online standards of practice carry the same text. The REI 7-6 form calls the inspection a visual survey and basic performance evaluation, and says the inspector inspects what is present, visible and accessible and isn’t required to move furnishings or stored items.
If an item comes back marked Deficient and you want to know more, get any further evaluation from a qualified professional before your option period ends. Our home inspection problems guide covers the kinds of items that tend to need that next step.
Termites are the clearest example of a separate license. TREC’s FAQ says anyone reporting on wood destroying insects in a home must be licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Structural Pest Control Service. The Department of Agriculture’s licensing page lists termite control, which covers inspecting for termites and other wood destroying organisms, as its own license category, and its official wood destroying insect report form is a separate document from TREC’s inspection report. Some inspectors hold both licenses, so ask. Our post on separate termite inspections walks through that choice.
What should you ask a New Braunfels inspector before you book?
Ask the questions that decide whether the report lands in time and covers the parts of the house you care about.
When will I get the report? TREC Rule 535.222 says that unless you agree otherwise in writing, the inspector must deliver the report within two days of receiving payment in full. If you pay in full before the inspection, the two days run from the end of the inspection, a clarification TREC described when it proposed the rule change. If your option period is short, pay attention to when you pay and when the inspection is scheduled.
Which optional systems will you inspect? The REI 7-6 form says inspectors aren’t required to inspect the systems in the optional section of TREC’s standards of practice, and the online standards list those optional systems, starting with lawn sprinklers. If the house has one of them, ask whether it’s included and what it costs. Our post on sprinkler systems covers what to ask about that one.
Do you carry insurance? Section 1102.1141 of the Occupations Code and TREC Rule 535.211 both require an inspector to maintain financial responsibility, such as professional liability insurance, while the license is active. TREC’s FAQ says inspectors file a TREC certificate of insurance when the license is issued and at each renewal. It’s fair to ask for a copy.
Who is your sponsor? If the inspector isn’t a professional inspector, get the sponsor’s name and compare it with the license search and the report header.
Once you’ve picked an inspector, line up the inspection early in your option period. If you’re still mapping the steps of the purchase, the buyer’s guide puts the inspection in order with the rest of the contract timeline.
