Code of Ethics
The Home Inspection Institute
Graduates and Affiliates will always act with the best interest of the client in mind. All affiliates will conduct their inspection businesses in such a manner as to reflect favorably upon the Home Inspection Institute and the Home Inspection field.
Any potential conflict of interest will be disclosed in writing to the client before any inspection work is done.
A graduate or affiliate may not derive benefit from any inspection other than the inspection fee and/or any future recommendation(s) by the client.
The graduates and affiliates will not offer any opinion or render a report about a condition other than that which is known to be factual to them. Graduates and Affiliates will render properly developed, unbiased, and objective opinions of condition and agree to follow, at a minimum, the Standards of Practice of the Institute, NAHI or ASHI. Reports are confidential and will not be released to any other party without the client's permission or by the due process of law.
Under no circumstances will graduates or affiliates offer to or do repairs on a property which they inspect.
All graduates and affiliates will use inspection contracts or agreements that, at a minimum, list what the inspector will and will not cover in the inspection, and a statement that the inspection is governed by the Code of Ethics fo the Home Inspection Institute, listing the Institute's toll free number. Graduates and Affiliates will provide any client, upon request, with a copy of the Institute's Code.
Affiliates will immediately report known violations by any affiliate to the Institute's office. Affiliates will cooperate with the Institute in all matters, including but no limited to the investigation or dismissal of an affiliate, who by their conduct prejudice their professional status, the home inspection field or the reputation
of the Home Inspection Institute.
Enforcement: The Code of Ethics of the Home Inspection Institute is enforced by the Standards & Ethics Committe of the Institure. In each state committee is appointed on an Ad Hoc Basis, as a complaint form is recieved. The Committee will be composed of two experienced inspectors from within the state (not necessarily members of the Institute) who have no personal knowledge of or aquaintance with the Inspector who is the subject of said complaint, the President of the Institute and one representative of the real estate community from within the region who is not a home inspector. In each incidence, these Standards & Ethics committee appointments are made in collaborative consultation with the Director of the Institute's cooperating educational partner or other designee within that region. Anyone may register a complaint against and graduate by calling toll free, 1-800-783-00912, and requesting a Standards & Ethics Input Form. A written response to each complaint form submitted will be forthcoming after a full investigation of the facts. Anonymous complaints will, of course, not be accepted.
Educational Requirement: Affiliates are required to complete at least 12 hours of approved continuing education annually to continue their affiliate status. Continuing education from associations advocating similar codes of ethics or other approved sources will be accepted. Continuing education hours must be related to homeinspection or aspects of residential construction.
