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Does a home inspector need a licence in Virginia?

Yes. Since July 1, 2017, anyone paid to do a home inspection in Virginia must hold a home inspector license from DPOR's Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors, and a newly built house needs an inspector with the new residential structure (NRS) specialty. Look the inspector up on DPOR's License Lookup and read the written contract before the inspection starts.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Get the inspector's name and licence number

    Ask for the full name and licence number of the person who will actually inspect the house, not just the company name, because Virginia licenses the individual inspector.[1]

  2. Step 2: Look the licence up

    Search the name or number on DPOR's License Lookup and confirm the licence is current; closed disciplinary orders since April 1, 2002 show there too.[11]

  3. Step 3: Check for the NRS specialty on new homes

    If the house has never been sold or lived in, or you want inspections during construction, confirm the licence shows the NRS specialty.[4]

  4. Step 4: Ask for a sample report

    Ask for a sample report and the standards of practice the inspector works to, so you can see how findings are written up.[12]

  5. Step 5: Read the contract before you pay

    Check that it lists the licence number, the cost, every area and system to be inspected, the exclusions and the report delivery date.[7]

  6. Step 6: Add the tests you need

    Radon, lead paint, mold and wood-destroying insects can be excluded from a standard inspection, so ask for them in writing if you want them.[7]

  7. Step 7: Ask about referrals and conflicts

    Ask whether the inspector has any financial interest in contractors they recommend, and expect that disclosure in writing.[9]

  8. Step 8: Keep the paperwork

    Save the signed contract and the report; DPOR needs a written complaint within three years if something goes wrong.[11]

The short answer

Yes. Under the Code of Virginia, "It shall be unlawful for any individual who does not possess a license as a home inspector issued by the Board to perform a home inspection for compensation on a residential building."[1] According to DPOR, regulation of home inspections in Virginia moved from a voluntary certification program to mandatory licensure on July 1, 2017.[3] Before that, a "certified" inspector was optional; now an unlicensed paid home inspection is against the law.

The licence comes from the Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), and it belongs to the individual inspector, not to the company that sends them.

What counts as a home inspection

The licence covers a specific job. In Virginia law a home inspection is a written evaluation of the readily accessible components of a residential building, including heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical systems, structural components, the foundation, the roof, masonry, and exterior and interior components.[2] A residential building, for this purpose, is a structure with one to four dwelling units.[2]

A single-trade check is different. Someone who is only inspecting one component or system of a house, and does not hold a home inspector license, is not considered to be performing a home inspection.[4] A roofer looking at your shingles or an HVAC technician checking a heat pump is not doing a home inspection, and their report will not cover the rest of the house.

A folding wooden attic ladder pulled down from a ceiling hatch, with roof framing and sheathing visible through the opening
Photo: Scott Arneman, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

New construction needs the NRS specialty

Brand-new houses have an extra rule: an inspection of a new residential structure, including any inspection during construction, may only be done by a home inspector with the NRS specialty.[4] The law treats a home as new when it is a house whose first conveyance of title to a buyer has not happened, or whose buyer has not taken possession, whichever comes later.[1] To earn the specialty, a licensed inspector completes an 8-hour, Board-approved training module on the Virginia Residential Code.[3]

If you are buying from a builder and want phase inspections (before drywall, for example), ask for the NRS notation on the licence before you book.

What it takes to get the licence

A licensed inspector has met a set of minimums. They must pass the National Home Inspector Examination[6] and earn at least 15 qualifying points from education and experience, with at least five from each.[6] They must also carry general liability insurance with limits of at least $250,000 per occurrence.[5]

Those are floors. Experience with houses like yours (old farmhouses in the Valley, 1970s split-levels, crawl spaces, well and septic) still matters, so ask how many similar homes the inspector has done.

What the licence obliges an inspector to do

The regulations shape the whole engagement, which helps you judge whether an inspector is following them.

  • A signed contract first. By regulation, both you and the inspector must sign a written contract before work begins or payment is accepted.[7] It lists the inspector's license number, the cost, the areas and systems to be inspected, the exclusions and when you will get the report.[7] It also carries a statement that the inspection does not review compliance with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code or other codes,[7] and a disclosure that the report is based on visual observation of conditions at the time of the inspection and is not a warranty or any form of insurance.[7]
  • A report with set contents. The report must show the inspector's license number and expiration date, the start and finish times, and the weather at the time of the inspection.[8]
  • No conflicts of interest. A licensed inspector may not design or perform repairs on a house they inspected within 12 months after the inspection.[9] They may not inspect under an agreement where their pay or future referrals depend on what they find or on the sale going through,[9] or refer you to a contractor without disclosing in writing any financial interest they have in that contractor.[9]
  • No advice on the deal. The Board treats as misconduct advising a client whether to go ahead with a real estate transaction, giving an opinion of the home's value, and citing a violation of the Uniform Statewide Building Code in a report.[10]

An inspection is also not an appraisal. An appraisal estimates the home's value for the lender and does not replace a home inspection.[12]

If something goes wrong

Start with the inspector, in writing. If that fails, you can report a licensee to DPOR. A complaint must be in writing and received by DPOR within three years of the act that caused it.[11] Know the limits: DPOR and its boards cannot require a licensee to refund money or correct deficiencies,[11] although the board can discipline the licence.

Stop and call a pro if

  • The inspector cannot give you a licence number, the licence is expired, or the name on the licence is not the person coming to the house. Book a different licensed inspector.
  • The house is new construction and the inspector does not hold the NRS specialty.
  • The report flags a problem in one system, such as wiring, gas piping, the roof or a septic system. A home inspector reports; a licensed contractor in that trade diagnoses and repairs. Our guide to checking a contractor's licence in Virginia covers that step.

For what the visit costs and what changes the price, see how much a home inspection costs in Virginia, or browse more inspection answers and home inspection services.

Ready to book one? Describe the house and your timeline and licensed inspectors near you can quote.

Common questions

Can an unlicensed friend or contractor do my home inspection?
Not for pay. Virginia makes it unlawful for an unlicensed individual to do a home inspection for compensation. A contractor can look at one system, such as the roof or the furnace, but that is not a home inspection, and it will not give you the written evaluation of the whole house a licensed inspector must provide.
What is the NRS specialty?
It is a designation DPOR adds to a home inspector's license after the inspector completes approved training on the Virginia Residential Code. Only an inspector with the NRS specialty may inspect a newly built house, including phase inspections during construction.
Do licensed home inspectors check for building code violations?
No. The contract has to say that the inspection does not review compliance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code, and an inspector is not allowed to cite a code violation in the report.
Is a home inspector licensed by the same board as contractors?
No. Home inspectors are licensed by the Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors at DPOR.
Can my home inspector also do the repairs?
Not on a house they inspected, for 12 months after the inspection, unless they bought the house themselves. That rule keeps the inspector from finding work for their own business.

Sources

  1. [1] § 54.1-503. Licenses required, Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] § 54.1-500. Definitions, Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] Important Notice for Home Inspectors, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] 18VAC15-40-20. Necessity for licensure, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  5. [5] 18VAC15-40-30. General requirements for licensure, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  6. [6] 18VAC15-40-32. Qualifications for licensure, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  7. [7] 18VAC15-40-120. Home inspection contract, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  8. [8] 18VAC15-40-130. Home inspection report, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  9. [9] 18VAC15-40-140. Conflict of interest, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  10. [10] 18VAC15-40-155. Prohibited acts, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  11. [11] File a Complaint, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 27, 2026.
  12. [12] For Your Protection: Get a Home Inspection (HUD-92564-CN), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Administration. Checked October 27, 2026.

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