A brief summary of the process:

It is unlawful for a person to perform home inspections in Massachusetts without a license.

To obtain an Associate License, an applicant must first perform at least 25 fee paid inspections accompanied by a licensed home inspector and pass the National Home Inspector's Exam prepared by the American Society of Home Inspectors (www.ashi.com) and 75 hours of education in plumbing, electric, structure, report writing, ethics, etc. He or she must be sponsored by a licensed home inspector and be covered by state mandated Errors and Omissions Insurance.

The second step involves performing at least 100 additional inspections over a minimum of 1 year. They can then apply for a full license. He or she must be sponsored by a licensed home inspector and be covered by state mandated Errors and Omissions Insurance.