NACHI vs. ASHI – Which One?

If you are a new home inspector (or even a seasoned one), you have likely noticed the long-run debate among home inspectors – NACHI vs. ASHI.  Which one is best? Which one should I join? Which one has the most benefits? In this blog, we will explore the differences, benefits, and other info about both InterNACHI (their proper name) and ASHI.

Before we start, I just want to make it clear that we do not choose/prefer one over the other. We work with both organizations and enjoy working with them. We are not part of the “debate” over which one is better. Instead, we want to make some information clear so you can make an educated decision.

Why the Debate Over NACHI vs. ASHI?

This has been a long-standing issue in the home inspection industry. One home inspector put it humorously this way, “It is like kids arguing over whose dad is cooler or stronger”. In many ways, he says quite a bit in that statement. ASHI members have been around for many years, and they remember when ASHI was the only “big” home inspector association out there. Newer home inspectors don’t remember this time period and tend to fight for their space in the market any way they can.

The dynamics of the home inspectors have a contributing factor. The dynamics between the organizations do as well. We won’t go into much detail here (as I don’t think anyone really knows all the facts completely), but they have had some history together. But this is understandable – if you have two Goliaths… then they are naturally going to have an interchange or two at times.

And that is likely what it comes down to. If you are looking for a home inspection association to join, besides the smaller associations scattered throughout the country, you really only have two choices for the bigger associations. There used to be NAHI, but they have since gone and now their website redirects to ASHI’s website (at least as of the writing of this blog).

So let’s take a look at the organizations themselves, and analyze them. Let’s start with InterNACHI.

InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors)

InterNACHI (which most inspectors just call NACHI) holds the claim of being the largest home inspector association in the world. They have members in the U.S. (reportedly about 16,000), Canada, South Africa, and many other countries. It is pretty astounding that they have so many members – and they appear to grow every day.

InterNACHI was founded by Nick Gromicko, a former home inspector who owned a successful multi-inspector home inspection firm and was also a highly successful real estate agent. InterNACHI has always seemed to be very focused on training and education. They have an extremely extensive training program that is almost all online.

CLICK HERE TO HEAR OUR PODCAST WITH INTERNACHI OPERATIONS DIRECTOR BEN GROMICKO

In addition to that, they lay out their member benefits right on their website, and that is extensive as well. They have also developed what they call their “House of Horrors” training facilities. These are badly constructed buildings (badly constructed on purpose) to help home inspectors hone their skills, find and identify defects, and better report on them.

Some of the biggest advantages to home inspectors appear to be their training and certification programs. They have over 40 certifications that you can obtain and over 700 hours of education. This is especially beneficial if you are a new inspector because you get some pretty extensive training before you start pounding the pavement and inspecting, which can give you a definite advantage in your local market.

InterNACHI memberships cost $499 per year or $49 per month. Only in recent years did they increase their dues, and they don’t seem to make a habit of it. All in all, InterNACHI is a great organization that is run by people who really take care of their inspectors.

ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors)

ASHI has been around for a long time. In fact, they were established in 1976 by a group of inspectors who really cared about the industry. The ASHI Reporter (ASHI’s news forum) published an article about some of the founding members when the organization turned 40 a while back.

While 40 years for an organization may not seem very long, it really is when it comes to home inspections. Home inspections are a relatively new profession. Most people back in the ’70s and ’80s didn’t really hire an official “home inspector”, because it was very new. So the fact that a group of people got together and started it is pretty amazing.

ASHI’s Standards of Practice were considered trailblazing and were used as a basis for many State SOPs down the road. Many of the laws and SOPs that have helped protect home inspectors for many years were helped along by ASHI originally.

ASHI has a lot of advantages. First of all, to even be considered a full member, you have to know your stuff. Many home inspectors are never able to pass the full exam and never become full members. So when you have the full ASHI badge on, that means you really know your stuff.

They also have great chapters. I am always amazed at how close to each other everyone in those chapters is. If you find an ASHI chapter, they meet together at regular intervals (NACHI has chapters too, by the way). ASHI seems to really keep up with their chapters and helps their inspectors out a lot.

ASHI also has a benefits section for inspectors on its website. They have continuing education for their members as well. One of the programs I noticed recently is a drone inspection course.

ASHI is a great choice for home inspectors. ASHI membership cost is a $25 application fee and then $449 per year. ASHI is a great home inspector association for anyone looking to up their game.

So Which Home Inspector Association Should You Choose?

So which one should you choose? Either one would be a great choice for any home inspector. But let me ask a different question – why do you have to choose between either of them? Many home inspectors choose to be a member of both of them. It really doesn’t come down to “ASHI vs. NACHI”, it comes down to your choice as a home inspector.

Why not join both organizations for a year, and see which one you like better? You may find that you like them both equally. With their reasonable association fees and benefits, it really would not be the worse business decision you ever make. In fact, it could be the best.

Hopefully, this information helps you make the right decision. Please also feel free to visit our homepage for information on our home inspection scheduling software. Also, feel free to read What You Need to Start a Home Inspection Company and How to Market to Real Estate Agents.