| Prior construction experience is a great asset - | | | | decay* central heating systems, including heat loss |
| either in renovation, construction, or trade-related | | | | gain* space heating, including fireplaces, wood |
| experience such as electrician, plumber etc. - or as | | | | stoves & chimneys* central air conditioning* |
| a quantity surveyor, construction estimator, | | | | roofing systems* exteriors, including landscaping* |
| trades coordinator, or as a professional architect | | | | interiors, including insulation and ventilation* |
| or engineer.An architect or an engineer is not | | | | environmental and safety issuesWith or without |
| automatically a good home inspector. These are | | | | prior experience, the prospective home inspector |
| disciplines that deal with very specialized and | | | | usually starts by reading about, and getting |
| specific areas of buildings, whereas professional | | | | involved with the parts of the house he or she is |
| home inspectors are generalists, observing and | | | | not already familiar with.There have been until |
| understanding all the components in a building - | | | | recently, only a few private (and very expensive) |
| and the relationships between different | | | | schools of home inspection, and the content is |
| components and component systems.The general | | | | frequently lacking. One way to start preliminary |
| categories are:* electrical* plumbing* foundations, | | | | evaluation of a career in home inspection might be |
| basements and structures* insects, vermin and | | | | with a correspondence course. |