Job Task Analysis (JTA), Knowledge, and Skills of the Certified Professional Home Inspector

InterNACHI's Home Inspector Job Task Analysis is intended to list all of the tasks a home inspector who holds the Certified Professional Inspector CPI® credential and designation may perform and the knowledge and skills required to do these tasks. InterNACHI's Home Inspector Job Task Analysis (JTA) catalogs the key tasks an inspector performs to complete a given job and the knowledge and skills the inspector should possess to perform those tasks adequately. Knowledge is the practical understanding of a subject. A skill combines ability with acquired knowledge that allows an individual to complete a task to a high standard. Skills are learned and are aimed at achieving a goal.

Foundation of a Program

A job task analysis is a foundation for a valid credentialing program. It helps identify the core knowledge areas, critical work functions, and skills typically found across a representative sampling of current practitioners or job incumbent workers. Empirical results from a job analysis provide examinees and the public with a valid, reliable, fair, and realistic assessment that reflects the knowledge and skills required to perform a job competently.

Development of the JTA

In 2024, InterNACHI's Senior Psychometrician began the process of developing a psychometrically sound exam. InterNACHI® School implements effective written policies to continuously monitor and improve the examination. The policies include both soliciting and utilizing feedback from relevant constituencies (e.g. instructors, students, graduates, employers, and certification boards) and analyzing student outcomes, including student pass/fail rates. The policies focus on a comprehensive review of the exam according to national standards.

InterNACHI® School and JTA

The InterNACHI® School is the only tuition-free home inspector school accredited as a post-secondary education institution by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET), a national accrediting agency of the U.S. Department of Education. View USDE Accreditations.

The InterNACHI® School uses the JTA to develop and administrate curricula and course content for training and assessment (quizzes, assignments, tests, and exams) purposes. This analysis is also fundamental to the development, structure, and administration of the Home Inspector Certificate Program and the Home Inspector Exam.

InterNACHI® School uses the term "goal" is a broad definition of competence. We use "objective" to describe in general terms what a graduate will be able to do, and they are more broad than measurable performance outcomes. We define "measurable performance outcomes" as a detailed list of the knowledge and skills a student will attain.

For every InterNACHI® School course description page (syllabus), the knowledge and skills are listed under "You will learn the following." The knowledge and skills are mapped directly back to the InterNACHI Home Inspector Job Task Analysis (JTA), which lists all of the tasks an inspector may perform, as well as the knowledge and skills required to do these tasks.

DEFINITIONS

A home inspector is a certified professional who performs home inspections and writes home inspection reports. A home inspection is a non-invasive, visual examination of the readily accessible areas of a residential property, performed for a fee, which is designed to identify defects within specific systems and components that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector. The scope of work may be modified by the Client and Inspector prior to the inspection process.

The home inspection is based on the observations made on the date of the inspection and not a prediction of future conditions.
The home inspection will not reveal every issue that exists or ever could exist, but only those material defects observed on the date of the inspection.
A material defect is a condition of a system or component of a residential property that may have a significant, adverse impact on the value of the property or that poses an unreasonable risk to people. The fact that a system or component is near, at, or beyond the end of its normal useful life is not, in itself, a material defect.

A home inspection report shall identify, in written format, defects within specific systems and components defined by a Standards of Practice that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector. Inspection reports may include additional comments and recommendations.

Although a home inspection is a visual-only process, the inspection may include the use of normal operating controls and procedures. For example, the home inspector may use the normal operating control for a furnace, which is the thermostat. The home inspector may use the normal operating procedure for a window, which is to open and close it.

A component is a readily accessible and observed part of a system.

Defective or defective conditions refers to an inspected system or component that, based on the inspector’s opinion, was not operating as intended, designed, or built, and was materially defective, a safety hazard, or at the end of its expected service life. A defect must be corrected by a qualified person.

Materially defective refers to a specific issue with a component or system of a residential property that may have a significant, adverse impact on the property's value or that poses an unreasonable risk to people.

Operating means a component or system that, in the inspector’s opinion, is functioning (turning on, working, running) as intended, designed, or built without observed indications of failure or defective conditions that would prevent its normal use and performance.

Readily accessible means within reach and available for visual inspection without requiring moving personal property, dismantling, destructive measures, or any action involving risk to persons or property.

Readily visible or visible means to be observed using natural light or a flashlight.

JOB DESCRIPTION

A home inspector performs a standardized, non-diagnostic inspection of a residential property according to the Home Inspection Standards of Practice. A home inspection is a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a residential property, performed for a fee, which is designed to identify defects within specific systems and components that are both observed and deemed material by the inspector.

DOMAINS AND TASKS

DOMAIN 1: INSPECT

INSPECT (look at, visually recognize, name, locate, and examine with eyes and hands) readily accessible installed systems and components listed in the Home Inspection Standards of Practice using normal operating controls or procedures.

ROOF

Task 1: Inspect the roof-covering materials.
Task 2: Inspect the gutters.
Task 3: Inspect the downspouts.
Task 4: Inspect the vents.
Task 5: Inspect the flashing.
Task 6: Inspect the skylights.
Task 7: Inspect the chimney.
Task 8: Inspect the other roof penetrations.
Task 9: Inspect the general structure of the roof from the readily accessible panels, doors, and stairs.
Task 10: Inspect different types of roof-covering materials.
Task 11: Inspect observed indications of active roof leaks.

EXTERIOR

Task 1: Inspect the exterior wall-covering materials.
Task 2: Inspect the eaves, soffits, and fascia.
Task 3: Inspect a representative number of windows.
Task 4: Inspect all exterior doors.
Task 5: Inspect the flashing and trim.
Task 6: Inspect the adjacent walkways and driveways.
Task 7: Inspect the stairs, steps, stoops, stairways and ramps.
Task 8: Inspect the porches, patios, decks, balconies, and carports.
Task 9: Inspect the railings, guards, and handrails.
Task 10: Inspect the vegetation, surface drainage, retaining walls, and grading of the property, where they may adversely affect the structure due to moisture intrusion.
Task 11: Inspect the improper spacing between intermediate balusters, spindles, and rails.

BASEMENT, FOUNDATION, CRAWLSPACE, STRUCTURE

Task 1: Inspect the foundation.
Task 2: Inspect the basement.
Task 3: Inspect the crawlspace.
Task 4: Inspect the structural components.
Task 5: Inspect the type of foundation.
Task 6: Inspect the access to the under-floor space.
Task 7: Inspect the observed indications of wood in contact with or near soil.
Task 8: Inspect the observed indications of active water penetration.
Task 9: Inspect the observed indications of possible foundation movement, such as sheetrock cracks, brick cracks, out-of-square door frames, and unlevel floors.
Task 10: Inspect any observed cutting, notching, and boring of framing members that may, in the inspector's opinion, present a structural or safety concern.

HEATING

Task 1: Inspect the heating system using normal operating controls.
Task 2: Inspect the location of the thermostat for the heating system.
Task 3: Inspect the energy source.
Task 4: Inspect the heating method.
Task 5: Inspect any heating system that may not operate.
Task 6: Inspect the heating system that was deemed inaccessible.

COOLING

Task 1: Inspect the cooling system using normal operating controls.
Task 2: Inspect the location of the thermostat for the cooling system.
Task 3: Inspect the cooling method.
Task 4: Inspect any cooling system that may not operate.
Task 5: Inspect the cooling system that was deemed inaccessible.

PLUMBING

Task 1: Inspect the Main Water Supply Shut-Off Valve
Task 2: Inspect the Main Fuel Supply Shut-Off Valve
Task 3: Inspect the Water Heating Equipment, Including Energy Source, Venting Connections, TPR Valves, Watts 210 Valves, and Seismic Bracing
Task 4: Inspect the Interior Water Supply, Including All Fixtures and Faucets, by Running the Water
Task 5: Inspect All Toilets for Proper Operation by Flushing
Task 6: Inspect All Sinks, Tubs, and Showers for Functional Drainage
Task 7: Inspect the Drain, Waste, and Vent System
Task 8: Inspect the Drainage Sump Pumps with Accessible Floats
Task 9: Inspect the Public or Private Water Supply
Task 10: Inspect the Location of the Main Water Supply Shut-Off Valve
Task 11: Inspect the Location of the Main Fuel Supply Shut-Off Valve
Task 12: Inspect the Location of Any Observed Fuel-Storage System
Task 13: Inspect the Capacity of the Water Heating Equipment, If Labeled
Task 14: Inspect the Water Supply by Viewing the Functional Flow in Two Fixtures Operated Simultaneously
Task 15: Inspect the Installation of Hot and Cold Water Faucets
Task 16: Inspect Active Plumbing Water Leaks Observed During the Inspection
Task 17: Inspect Toilets That Were Damaged, Had Loose Connections, Were Leaking, or Had Tank Components That Did Not Operate

ELECTRICAL

Task 1: Inspect the service drop.
Task 2: Inspect the overhead service conductors and attachment point.
Task 3: Inspect the service head, gooseneck, and drip loops.
Task 4: Inspect the service mast, service conduit, and raceway.
Task 5: Inspect the electric meter and base.
Task 6: Inspect the service-entrance conductors.
Task 7: Inspect the main service disconnect.
Task 8: Inspect the panelboards and over-current protection devices.
Task 9: Inspect the service grounding and bonding.
Task 10: Inspect a representative number of switches, lighting fixtures, and receptacles.
Task 11: Inspect a representative number of receptacles observed and deemed to be arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI)-protected.
Task 12: Inspect all ground-fault circuit interrupter receptacles and circuit breakers observed and deemed to be GFCIs.
Task 13: Inspect the presence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Task 14: Inspect the main service disconnect's amperage rating, if labeled.
Task 15: Inspect the type of wiring observed.
Task 16: Inspect the integrity of the service-entrance conductors’ insulation.
Task 17: Inspect the integrity of the service-entrance conductors’ drip loop.
Task 18: Inspect the service-entrance conductors’ vertical clearances from grade and roofs.
Task 19: Inspect any unused circuit-breaker panel opening that was not filled.
Task 20: Inspect the presence of solid conductor aluminum branch-circuit wiring, if readily observable.
Task 21: Inspect an inspected receptacle in which power was not present.
Task 22: Inspect an inspected receptacle where the polarity was incorrect.
Task 23: Inspect an inspected receptacle where the cover was not in place.
Task 24: Inspect an inspected GFCI device that was not properly installed or did not operate properly.
Task 25: Inspect an inspected receptacle with evidence of arcing or excessive heat.
Task 26: Inspect an inspected receptacle that was not grounded.
Task 27: Inspect an inspected receptacle that was not secured to the wall.
Task 28: Inspect an absence of smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors.

FIREPLACE

Task 1: Inspect the readily accessible and observable portions of the fireplaces and chimneys.
Task 2: Inspect the lintels above the fireplace openings.
Task 3: Inspect the damper doors by opening and closing them, if readily accessible and manually operable.
Task 4: Inspect the cleanout doors and frames.
Task 5: Inspect the type of fireplace.
Task 6: Inspect the evidence of joint separation, damage, or deterioration of the hearth, hearth extension, or chambers.
Task 7: Inspect the manually operated dampers.
Task 8: Inspect the smoke detector in the same room as the fireplace.
Task 9: Inspect the carbon monoxide detector in the same room as the fireplace.
Task 10: Inspect cleanouts not made of metal, pre-cast cement, or other non-combustible material.

ATTIC, INSULATION, VENTILATION

Task 1: Inspect the insulation in unfinished spaces, including attics, crawlspaces, and foundation areas.
Task 2: Inspect the ventilation of unfinished spaces, including attics, crawlspaces, and foundation areas.
Task 3: Inspect the mechanical exhaust systems in the kitchen areas.
Task 4: Inspect the mechanical exhaust systems in the bathroom areas.
Task 5: Inspect the mechanical exhaust systems in the laundry areas.
Task 6: Inspect the type of insulation observed.
Task 7: Inspect the approximate average depth of insulation observed at the unfinished attic floor area or roof structure.
Task 8: Inspect the general absence of insulation or ventilation in unfinished spaces.

DOORS, WINDOWS, INTERIOR

Task 1: Inspect a representative number of doors and windows by opening and closing them.
Task 2: Inspect the floors, walls, and ceilings.
Task 3: Inspect the stairs, steps, landings, stairways, and ramps.
Task 4: Inspect the railings, guards, and handrails.
Task 5: Inspect the garage vehicle doors and the operation of garage vehicle door openers using normal operating controls.
Task 6: Inspect the garage vehicle door as manually operated or installed with a garage door opener.
Task 7: Inspect the improper spacing between intermediate balusters, spindles, and rails for steps, stairways, guards, and railings.
Task 8: Inspect the photo-electric safety sensors that may not operate properly.
Task 9: Inspect any window that was obviously fogged or displayed other evidence of broken seals.

DOMAIN 2: DESCRIBE

DESCRIBE (communicate with words), in written format, specific systems and components listed in the Home Inspection Standards of Practice that were both observed and deemed defective by the inspector.