What Are Home Inspectors Not Allowed to Do?

Short answer: Most of what home inspectors "cannot" do is really what they are not required to do: standards of practice such as InterNACHI's and ASHI's exclude things like walking unsafe roofs, moving belongings, judging code compliance and estimating repair costs. The true prohibitions come from ethics codes and state law: repairing what you inspected (InterNACHI, ASHI and Texas set 12 months or one year, Florida sets no time limit), inspecting a property you have a financial interest in, paying agents for referrals, taking fees that depend on the findings, and sharing the report without the client's consent.

The question sounds simple, and the answers online mix up two different kinds of rule. One kind sets the scope of a home inspection. The other kind sets the conduct of the inspector. Confusing them leads to inspectors refusing work they could legally do, and, worse, doing work they are barred from.

This guide separates the two, quotes the rule that says each thing, and notes where the major standards and two state laws disagree. State facts are as of September 2026.

"Not required" is not the same as "not allowed"

Standards of practice are mostly lists of exclusions. The InterNACHI Standards of Practice (last revised October 2022) and the ASHI Standard of Practice both say, over and over, "the inspector is not required to." That sets the minimum. It does not ban anything.

ASHI says so directly. Section 2.3 states the standard is not intended to limit the inspector from including other services or systems, from "designing or specifying repairs, provided the inspector is appropriately qualified and willing to do so," or from excluding items if the client agrees. The Texas standards of practice say the same thing in their own words: they "do not prohibit an inspector from providing a higher level of inspection performance," but an inspector who goes beyond the scope "must possess the competency required to do so."

So there are three categories:

One caveat on ASHI. Members voted on a revised Standard of Practice in a vote that closed on January 8, 2026. As of September 2026, ASHI says the current standard stays in force until an implementation date is announced. The ASHI quotes here are from the current version.

What home inspectors are not allowed to do

These are the conduct rules. They apply to association members under the ethics codes, and to licensees in states that write them into law. Texas and Florida are shown because both put the rules in statute or rule, and they differ in useful ways.

Two more from the ethics codes that inspectors forget. ASHI says an inspector may not be paid by more than one party for an inspection "unless agreed to by the client(s)" (1.4). And InterNACHI's code requires you to follow the law where you work: the member "shall comply with all government rules and licensing requirements of the jurisdiction" (1.10).

Referral payments deserve their own reading. Our guide to how home inspectors get agent referrals covers how to build agent relationships without paying for them.

Repairing what you inspected: where the rules differ

This is the prohibition inspectors ask about most, because many come from the trades. The rules share a purpose, keeping inspectors from creating work for themselves, but they are not the same rule.

• InterNACHI bars performing or offering, "for an additional fee, any repairs or associated services to the structure" you or your company inspected, for 12 months. It adds that the rule does not cover "components and/or systems that are not included in the InterNACHI Home Inspection Standards of Practice."
• ASHI bars repairing, replacing or upgrading, "for compensation, systems or components covered by ASHI Standards of Practice, for one year after the inspection."
• Texas bars accepting employment to "repair, replace, maintain or upgrade" covered systems or components on a property you inspected under a real estate contract, lease or exchange, within 12 months of the inspection. Note the word "maintain."
• Florida bars performing or offering "any repairs to a home on which the inspector or the inspector's company has prepared a home inspection report." The statute states no time limit. The only exception is a home warranty company that is affiliated with or retains the inspector to do repairs under a warranty claim. A violation is a first-degree misdemeanor.

The practical rule: if you also run a trade business, do not quote repair work on a property your company inspected, and in Florida, treat that as permanent. Check your own state's law, since many licensing states have a version of this rule.

Work that needs a separate license

A home inspector license, or no license at all in an unlicensed state, does not authorize every service that happens at a property. Common examples:

Termite and wood-destroying insect reports. In Texas, TREC's guidance says "any person who reports on wood destroying insects in a home must be licensed by the state as a wood destroying insect inspector," a license issued by the Texas Department of Agriculture's Structural Pest Control Service. Under the TREC inspector license alone, inspectors "MAY NOT comment on whether termite infestations exist." They can report visible damage as a deficiency, but not attribute it to insects. See WDO vs WDI inspections.

Radon testing. EPA sends consumers to state radon programs, and states receiving EPA radon grants list only providers credentialed through a state process (such as a state license) or one of two national proficiency programs, NRPP and NRSB. Check your state radon office before you sell radon testing.

Mold assessment. Texas licenses mold assessment technicians and consultants through TDLR. Florida licenses mold assessors separately from home inspectors. See how to become a mold inspector.

Drones. Flying for your business requires an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107. See drone roof inspections.

Engineering, architecture and surveying. InterNACHI says the inspector is not required to "offer or perform any engineering services." ASHI says the inspector is not required to offer or perform architectural, engineering, contracting or surveying services, or acts "contrary to law or to government regulations." Those are practiced under their own licensing laws, so the "not required" in the standard sits on top of a real legal limit.

Using the title. In Florida it is a misdemeanor to use the title "home inspector," "licensed home inspector" or similar without complying with the state's licensing law. Other licensing states have their own rules; see home inspector license requirements.

What the standards say you do not have to do

Now the scope side. This is where "what home inspectors don't have to do" gets answered, and it is what belongs in your agreement and your report.

Read across the rows and the patterns show. Most exclusions match. A few do not, and those are where inspectors who move between standards, or states, get caught.

Where the standards disagree

The electrical panel. InterNACHI does not require you to remove the panel cover. ASHI requires you to inspect the panel's interior components. An ASHI member who skips the dead front has not met the standard.

Attics and crawlspaces. InterNACHI and ASHI both let you stay out of spaces that are unsafe or not readily accessible, and ASHI sets a size threshold for crawlspaces. Texas starts from the other end: the general requirements say you visually inspect "from the interior of the attic and crawl spaces," and you may depart only under the departure provision, for example when conditions prevent inspection or are hazardous. If you do depart, the report has to say so.

End of service life. InterNACHI says an item near or past its normal useful life is not, in itself, a material defect. ASHI requires you to report systems and components "near the end of their service lives," while not requiring you to predict remaining life.

The report itself. InterNACHI and ASHI let you choose the report format. Texas requires the standard inspection report form. See our guide to the TREC inspection report.

The InterNACHI and ASHI standards also differ in wider ways, covered in InterNACHI vs ASHI.

Doing more than the standard asks

Nothing above stops you from offering more. Many inspectors walk every safe roof, carry a moisture meter the standard does not require, or add services like radon or sewer scopes. InterNACHI says the scope "may be modified by the Client and Inspector prior to the inspection process."

Three conditions make it safe:

1. Competency. Texas makes it explicit: going beyond the standards requires the competency to do so. The other standards assume it.
2. Insurance. Many E&O policies exclude ancillary services unless you add an endorsement. See home inspector insurance.
3. Writing. Put the added scope, and the exclusions you keep, in the home inspection agreement, signed before you start.

Put the limits in the report, not just the agreement

A client who never read the standard will read the report, so say there what you did not inspect. ASHI requires the report to list systems and components that were present but not inspected, "and the reason(s) why." TREC's departure provision works the same way.

That is easiest when the report structure makes it routine. In Binsr, templates support line item statuses including the classic Inspected, Not Inspected, Not Present and Deficient set, so "not inspected, and why" is a status and a comment rather than something you remember to type. Agreements can be signed in Binsr before the inspection, with an IP and timestamp audit trail.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

• InterNACHI vs ASHI
• The home inspection agreement
• Can you sue a home inspector?
• Home inspector insurance
• Home inspector tools
• Home inspector license requirements

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