How to Become a Home Inspector in Michigan (2026)

Short answer: Michigan does not license home inspectors. As of September 2026 there is no state credential, board or exam, according to ASHI's and EBPHI's state regulation pages, and the Michigan Legislature's records show earlier licensing bills that never became law. Without a license, the path is yours to build: train with a school, join an association such as InterNACHI or ASHI, pass its exam or the NHIE, and buy insurance on your own.

No license does not mean no rules. Your contract, your report and your insurance carry the weight that a state board carries elsewhere. Michigan also has no statewide septic code, so local health departments run well and septic programs that shape how inspections work around the state. This page covers what Michigan does regulate, what it does not, and what serious new inspectors do instead.

Michigan home inspector requirements at a glance

As of September 2026.

Has Michigan tried to license home inspectors?

Yes, more than once, and the Legislature's own records show none of the bills we found passed. House Bill 6088 of 2008 would have added a home inspector article to the Occupational Code. Its House analysis describes a board, at least 60 hours of education, supervised participation in at least 200 inspections, an exam, and fees of $100 to apply, $200 for the exam and $100 a year for the license. The bill reached third reading in the House on June 12, 2008 and was postponed. House Bill 4162 of 2009 was introduced and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform, and its record ends there. Earlier, House Bills 4076 and 4077 of 2005 proposed licensing and fees; both were reported out of committee in June 2006 and got no further.

We found no home inspector licensing bill in the 2025 to 2026 session when we searched legislature.mi.gov in September 2026. If one is introduced, its bill page there is the place to follow it.

Step by step: starting as a home inspector in Michigan

1. Get trained. Pick a home inspection course with hands-on field work. With no state curriculum, the quality check is yours. Look for courses that cover every system in a standard of practice, plus report writing.
2. Choose a standard of practice and an association. InterNACHI's Certified Professional Inspector (CPI) requires passing its free online exam, courses on its code of ethics and standards of practice, and four mock inspection reports. ASHI's levels run from Associate (education modules) to ASHI Inspector (50 fee-paid inspections, and the NHIE in unlicensed states such as Michigan) to ASHI Certified Inspector (250 fee-paid inspections and the NHIE). Our InterNACHI vs ASHI comparison covers the differences.
3. Consider the NHIE. It is not required in Michigan, but EBPHI encourages inspectors in unregulated states to take it, and it becomes useful if you ever want a license in Ohio, Indiana or Wisconsin. See our NHIE guide.
4. Buy insurance. With no state minimum, you decide the limits. Price general liability and errors and omissions separately (see the cost table).
5. Write a solid pre-inspection agreement. Without a statute defining your scope, your agreement and your chosen standard of practice do that job. Read our home inspection agreement guide.
6. Set up the business. Register your business name and structure, and learn which local health department covers each county you plan to serve.

What it costs to get started in Michigan

The missing license fee is not a saving so much as a transfer: the money goes to training, an association and insurance instead. See our home inspector insurance guide for how to pick limits.

How long it takes

There is no state clock in Michigan. In practice the timeline is your training course, any association certification (InterNACHI's CPI steps, or ASHI's inspection counts for its higher levels), and the NHIE if you choose it. If you might ever license in a neighboring state, keep your inspection records from day one. Ohio's out-of-state routes, for example, count years of practice.

What home inspectors earn in Michigan

BLS does not publish pay for home inspectors alone. Its category SOC 47-4011, construction and building inspectors, also covers municipal building, electrical and plumbing inspectors.

Michigan's median for this occupation is about $3,650 below the national median. OEWS does not count self-employed workers, so the table does not describe an owner-operator's income. The home inspector salary guide covers fees and volume.

Keeping your credentials current

Michigan has no state renewal or CE. Your ongoing requirements come from whoever certifies you:

• InterNACHI: 24 hours of CE a year for certified members (none in the first year after certification), and a retake of the online exam every three years with a score of 80% or better.
• ASHI: 20 ASHI-approved CE hours a year at the ASHI Inspector level.
• Specialty credentials such as radon or pest certifications carry their own renewals.

Michigan specifics: wells, septic and disclosure

No statewide septic code, so local rules decide

Michigan State University reported in June 2026 that Michigan is the only state without a comprehensive statewide septic code, relying on county and local rules. EGLE confirms that onsite wastewater is handled by local health departments under the Public Health Code, with state oversight. Senate Bill 771 of 2026 would create a statewide code. As of its last recorded action on June 17, 2026, it was placed on third reading in the Senate. It is not law.

Some communities require a well and septic evaluation before a sale. The Health Department of Northwest Michigan, for example, says a Time-of-Transfer evaluation is required before selling property in Milton Township, Torch Lake Township, the Village of Elk Rapids and Elk Rapids Township, the property cannot legally be sold or transferred until the evaluation is completed with satisfactory results, and the evaluation is done by health department sanitarians. Other areas have different rules or none. Know which applies before you quote a rural job, and read our guides to well inspections and becoming a septic inspector if you want to add those services.

The seller disclosure form points buyers to inspections

Michigan's Seller Disclosure Act sets the form sellers use (MCL 565.957). It says the statement is "not a substitute for any inspections", and tells buyers they "SHOULD OBTAIN PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND INSPECTIONS OF THE PROPERTY", including indoor air and water quality. The form itself points buyers toward professional inspections, license or not.

Working across the state line

If you inspect near Toledo or cross into northern Indiana, you need that state's license. Ohio's out-of-state rules include a route for inspectors from unlicensed states: a private certification held at least two years with practice in at least two of the last five years, or at least three of the last five years of practice. Details are on our Ohio page. Indiana requires a 60-hour course and the NHIE, and Wisconsin a registration with two exams.

Local groups

ASHI lists its multi-state Great Lakes chapter for Michigan, and InterNACHI runs a Michigan chapter. With no state field-training requirement, a chapter is a good place to ask about ride-alongs and mentoring.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

• How to become a home inspector
• Home inspector license requirements by state
• How to become a home inspector in Ohio
• How to become a home inspector in Indiana
• How to become a home inspector in Wisconsin
• InterNACHI vs ASHI

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