Finding Your Home Inspection Certification: A Guide to Choosing the Best Fit for You

If you’re new, get your state license first (if your state has one), then pick between two real certifications: InterNACHI’s Certified Professional Inspector (CPI), which you can earn before your first paid job, or ASHI’s Certified Inspector (ACI), which takes 250 paid inspections to reach. Most new inspectors start with InterNACHI or ASHI’s entry levels and work toward ACI later if they want it. The third name you’ll see in older guides, NAHI, no longer exists as an independent group.

01License first, certification second

A license and a certification are different things. A license comes from your state and is what makes it legal to charge for inspections there. About 34 states require one. A certification comes from a trade association and is voluntary. It tells clients and agents you meet that group’s standards, but it doesn’t replace a state license.

So the order is: check your state’s licensing board, meet its education, field and exam requirements, then add a certification for credibility, continuing education and a directory listing. In a state with no license, a certification is the main credential buyers can check.

02ASHI: the long road to ACI

The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) started in 1976 and is the oldest home inspector association in North America. Membership comes in three levels.

• Associate. The entry level. You apply, pass a background check, and complete ASHI’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics modules. After your first full year you start earning 20 ASHI-approved continuing education credits a year.
• ASHI Inspector. You need a state license or a passing NHIE score, at least 50 fee-paid inspections, and five reports that pass ASHI’s report verification.
• ASHI Certified Inspector (ACI). You need a passing NHIE score, at least 250 fee-paid inspections that meet ASHI’s standards, and report verification. The certification application fee is $449, on top of membership dues.

The ACI credential is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). ASHI listed 1,758 ACIs as of December 2025. At 250 inspections, a new inspector doing five a week needs about a year to qualify.

03InterNACHI: the CPI you can earn now

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), founded in 1994, is the larger association by membership. Its Certified Professional Inspector (CPI) credential has six steps:

1. Pass InterNACHI’s online inspector exam (free and open to anyone).
2. Join InterNACHI.
3. Complete the online Code of Ethics course.
4. Complete the online Standards of Practice course.
5. Submit four mock inspection reports for review, if you haven’t done fee-paid inspections yet.
6. Sign the enrollment agreement.

To keep the CPI, you complete 24 hours of continuing education a year, finish a set of 12 required courses within your first 12 months, and retake the online exam every three years with a score of 80% or better. The certification ends if your membership lapses.

Dues are $49 a month or $499 a year. Members get free access to InterNACHI’s online courses, including its 549-hour Home Inspector Certificate Program, which makes continuing education cheap.

04What happened to NAHI

The National Association of Home Inspectors was once the third big association. It dissolved in late 2016, and InterNACHI’s founder later took control of its name and trademarks. NAHI now runs as a division of InterNACHI, and InterNACHI CPIs are recognized as NAHI members. There’s no separate NAHI certification worth chasing. If a course or article still sells NAHI as an independent option, its information is out of date.

05ASHI or InterNACHI: how to choose

Use where you are right now to decide:

• Brand new, no paid inspections yet: InterNACHI’s CPI is the one you can finish before your first client. ASHI Associate gets you in the door at ASHI, but not the ACI credential.
• A few years in, with 250-plus inspections: ACI is worth a look. It’s harder to get, NCCA-accredited, and shows real field volume.
• Cost-conscious: compare the full yearly cost, not just the join fee. InterNACHI’s dues include its online courses. With ASHI, add the $449 ACI application to membership dues and the cost of approved CE credits.
• Local network: ASHI has local chapters with meetings and in-person CE. If agents in your area know the chapter, that membership pays off in referrals.

Plenty of inspectors belong to both. That’s fine, as long as you can keep up with two sets of continuing education.

06The NHIE fits in both paths

Many licensing states use the National Home Inspector Examination, and ASHI requires it for the Inspector level (unless you hold a state license) and for ACI. It’s 200 multiple-choice questions in four hours, and the fee is $225 per attempt. If your state requires it, your license exam also counts toward ASHI.

07Your next steps

1. Look up your state licensing board and finish whatever it requires. Our guide to home inspection courses covers schools and prices.
2. If you have no paid inspections yet, take InterNACHI’s free online exam to see where you stand.
3. Pick one association to start. Put its logo and directory listing on your website and agreements.
4. Track your fee-paid inspections from day one, so you can apply for ACI when you hit 250 if you want it.
5. Set up a continuing education log now. Both associations and most licensing states will ask for one.

Related: How Does a Home Inspection Help Buyers? Unlocking the Mysteries of Home Inspections