(1) An individual who intends to work as a home inspector shall document one of the following:

(a) the individual has passed the National Home Inspector Examination offered by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors;

(b) the individual has passed the examination offered by an organization recognized by the department; or

(c) the individual has successfully completed a comprehensive educational program for home inspectors approved by the department.

(2) Any organization wishing to be approved by the department for the purposes of offering an examination under (1)(b) must apply to the department for approval of its examination. The organization must demonstrate that its examination is psychometrically valid, and covers at least the following topics:

(a) roofing;

(b) exterior;

(c) interior;

(d) structural;

(e) electrical;

(f) plumbing;

(g) heating and cooling (HVAC);

(h) insulation;

(i) fireplace and chimney; and

(j) ethical business practices, professional standards, and reports.

(3) Any organization wishing to be approved by the department for the purposes of offering a comprehensive educational program for home inspectors consisting of at least 40 hours of instruction under (1)(c) must apply to the department for recognition. The organization must demonstrate that its educational program is comprehensive and covers at least the following topics:

(a) roofing;

(b) exterior;

(c) interior;

(d) structural;

(e) electrical;

(f) plumbing;

(g) heating and cooling (HVAC);

(h) insulation;

(i) fireplace and chimney; and

(j) ethical business practices, professional standards, and reports.

(4) Any organization wishing to be approved by the department for the purposes of offering a comprehensive educational program for home inspectors under (1)(c) must also demonstrate that it conducts a valid assessment of students' knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught in order to demonstrate successful completion. The organization shall describe in detail how the assessment is made, and the criteria by which a student is deemed to have successfully completed the educational program.

(5) A list of organizations approved by the department to offer home inspector examinations is available by contacting the department's home inspection program, and can also be found at the department's web site: http://www.mtcontractor.com.

(6) A list of formal home inspection educational programs approved by the department is available by contacting the department's home inspection program, and can also be found at the department's web site: http://www.mtcontractor.com.