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Pennsylvania home inspection law
Pennsylvania licenses no home inspectors, and its Home Inspection Law requires a sale agreement's inspection clause to provide for an inspection by a full member of a national home inspection association, a licensed engineer or architect, or a person a full member supervises.
Pennsylvania's home inspection law, checked on
- Licensing
- No state license or registration applies. Chapter 75 of Title 68, the Home Inspection Law, sets the rules for every home inspector.
- What applies
- The sale agreement's home inspection clause must provide for the inspection to be done by a full member in good standing of a national home inspection association, by a licensed engineer or architect, or by a person supervised by a full member in good standing who signs the report.
- Association
- The law names no association. A qualifying association is not-for-profit, not a franchise, has members in more than ten states, and requires more than 100 inspections and a recognized exam for full membership. Its members keep a code of conduct and take continuing education.
- Insurance
- Errors and omissions insurance and general liability insurance, each of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $500,000 in the aggregate, with deductibles of no more than $2,500, kept for at least one year after your latest report. Violating this is a summary offense. For a first offense, the fine is up to $500, or up to three months' imprisonment, or both.
- Report
- A written report that describes the scope of the inspection and the material defects, and carries the statements the chapter requires. A repair cost estimate is barred unless the report names its source, states the estimate as a range, and says the parties should consider a contractor's estimate. Violating the report rules is fined up to $500.
- Conduct
- The law treats these as unfair or deceptive acts. Doing repairs for an added fee on a property you inspected in the preceding 12 months, except radon or wood-destroying insect remediation. Inspecting for a fee property in which you hold a financial interest, unless the buyer receives written disclosure and signs an acknowledgment before the inspection. Offering or delivering a commission, referral fee or kickback to the seller or an agent for the referral of business. Accepting an engagement whose fee depends on the report's conclusions, preset findings or the closing.
- Out-of-state applicants
- The chapter sets no route for an inspector from another state. The same association, engineer, architect and supervision tests apply to every inspector.