Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, WA Home Inspector (King of the House)

I am the program coordinator of the fundamentals of home inspection training program at Bellingham Technical College,

Frequently, in this economy and with people being injured on the job, I am asked by state and federal agencies that retrain workers about the physical demands of being a home inspector. As a result of interest in this topic, I have compiled the information below that I supply to potential students and government agencies.

Probably the heaviest thing an inspector carries around and lifts would be the ladder. These come in different weights, but if the ladder is long and going up to a high roof, there can be a real strain on the muscles used to get it up there and back down again. Speaking of roofs, an inspector in this state is expected to traverse most roofs. If a roof gets too steep, or if it is a slick surface or one that could be damaged, then it is likely that it will be viewed from the eaves.

The ladder also gets the inspector into an attic, which can be strenuous, and stressful, depending on how much poking around the inspector does.

Again, state law here in Washington mandates traversing an attic if it can be done safely and without damaging anything. This one, like the roof, is often a judgment call on the part of the inspector and has a lot to do with the agility of the inspector. Stepping through a ceiling is not good for the professional reputation.

Next, the inspector must be able to crawl. Crawl spaces can be tight and hot. So that part of the job leaves out people who are too big to get under there, afraid of what they might find, or are claustrophobic. This is another area that must be accessed if it is possible to do so.

The crawl space, due to it sometimes being a challenging and rigorous adventure, and the roof, because of the risks involved in getting up there, weed out some inspectors early in the program. The rest of the job, mainly, entails walking, getting a closer look at things in whatever position that takes, including laying down, kneeling, squatting.

There are risks associated with the job, mainly those involving heights and ladders, although there are also tripping hazards, falling through deck type hazards, electrical risks. As far as ladders, I have always admired the courage, but not the smarts, of the individual pictured in this photo that has seen it's way around the Internet many times over.

Anyone who would like more information on the state approved home inspector training program at Bellingham Technical College should call 360-752-8796.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith