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Property inspector vs home inspector

The differences between property inspectors and home inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a property inspector, becoming a home inspector takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a home inspector has an average salary of $51,264, which is higher than the $48,547 average annual salary of a property inspector.

The top three skills for a property inspector include property inspections, property management and digital photos. The most important skills for a home inspector are crawl spaces, pest control, and plumbing.

Property inspector vs home inspector overview

Property InspectorHome Inspector
Yearly salary$48,547$51,264
Hourly rate$23.34$24.65
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs22,80455,491
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4650
Years of experience126

What does a property inspector do?

If you own a home and in a relatively nice neighborhood, then it's likely that your place was inspected and approved by a property inspector. Also called Home Inspectors, these people are responsible for evaluating both old and new properties whether they adhere to local policies, permits, and regulations. They also inspect residential structures for defects, violations, and other factors that may affect one's home's safety and value. Before purchasing a home, buyers will generally require a Property Inspector's advice before closing a deal.

What does a home inspector do?

A home inspector is primarily in charge of performing inspections and assessments to identify problem areas and potential risks. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their line of work or company of employment, it usually includes studying and assessing the structural elements of houses such as its floors and ceilings, testing the alarm or fire detecting equipment, inspecting drainage and pipe systems, and checking appliances should there be any. Moreover, a home inspector produces detailed reports along with recommendations to help the clients in making decisions.

Property inspector vs home inspector salary

Property inspectors and home inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Property InspectorHome Inspector
Average salary$48,547$51,264
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $72,000Between $32,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between property inspector and home inspector education

There are a few differences between a property inspector and a home inspector in terms of educational background:

Property InspectorHome Inspector
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversitySan Diego State University

Property inspector vs home inspector demographics

Here are the differences between property inspectors' and home inspectors' demographics:

Property InspectorHome Inspector
Average age4650
Gender ratioMale, 66.8% Female, 33.2%Male, 85.7% Female, 14.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 3.4% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage12%5%

Differences between property inspector and home inspector duties and responsibilities

Property inspector example responsibilities.

  • Preform require repairs as needed.
  • Attend and pass HQS certification training.
  • Qualify FHA and HUD inspector following federal safe home standards.
  • Train and supervise new employees to perform (REO) inspections and investigations.
  • Order and inspect all work perform by contractors to insure proper completion within HUD guidelines.
  • Execute each inspection with the effort to increase the number of dwellings that complies with HQS.
  • Show more

Home inspector example responsibilities.

  • Lead site excavations, form structuring, and supervise concrete pours.
  • Perform weekly boiler inspections at several APS schools
  • Perform NDT MPI/ LPI inspections on MWD and LWD tools used in the oil and gas industry.
  • Drive company vehicle to preset locations to meet with roofing contractors for final inspections for issuance of final warranties.
  • Test materials to make sure they are in conformance with ASHTO and ASTM and the Maryland book of standards.
  • Read structural blueprints to verify pile placement, inspect piles according to ASTM standards and record the driving depth.
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Property inspector vs home inspector skills

Common property inspector skills
  • Property Inspections, 19%
  • Property Management, 6%
  • Digital Photos, 6%
  • Inspection Reports, 6%
  • GPS, 6%
  • HVAC, 5%
Common home inspector skills
  • Crawl Spaces, 17%
  • Pest Control, 14%
  • Plumbing, 12%
  • Inspection Reports, 8%
  • Inspection Services, 7%
  • Safety Issues, 6%

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