Washington-approved live training
Real Washington Inspectors. Real Home Inspection Training.
SOPHI graduates have become licensed, practicing inspectors throughout Washington. Learn live with Suzanne and JJ Greive, either online or in the Burien classroom. These local instructors wrote the curriculum, know Washington’s standards, and teach the judgment behind the checklist.
Live online or in Burien
Supervised field training available
National + Washington exam preparation
Local instructors and support
Hundredsof students taught
25 yearsJJ’s construction experience
Thousandsof inspections completed
Liveonline and Burien attendance
Washington license roadmap
From first class to Washington home inspector license
Washington requires approved education, supervised field work, the national and state examination, and a license application. SOPHI helps students move through that sequence.
Complete approved education
Finish a Washington State Home Inspectors Board-approved 120-hour Fundamentals of Home Inspection course.
Train on actual inspections
Complete 40 hours of field training and at least five complete inspections under a qualified licensed inspector.
Finish five reports
Prepare one report for each training inspection and have the work reviewed and certified.
Apply for exam approval
Submit your course certificate and field-training log, then wait for authorization to schedule.
Pass both exam portions
Pass the national and Washington portions of the Home Inspector Examination.
Apply for the license
Submit the passing report and current application to Washington DOL.
Washington classroom tuition
Invest in live instruction and a local professional network.
Tuition includes live instruction, course materials, quizzes, the SOPHI Student Dashboard, exam preparation, and instructor support. Field training, state fees, tools, insurance, and travel are separate.
Washington Career Bridge lists SOPHI as an Eligible Training Provider. Funding eligibility depends on the student and program.
Current Fundamentals tuition
$2,495
Call to confirm the current class, payment options, and separate field-training details.
Approved Washington prelicensing education
Learn Washington’s complete Fundamentals curriculum live.
SOPHI’s state-approved Fundamentals of Home Inspection course covers building systems, inspection methods, Washington law and Standards of Practice, ethics, report writing, business fundamentals, and both examination portions.
The Student Dashboard, quizzes, study resources, and practice questions support the live instruction.
Live online means live: For five years, online students have joined the Burien classroom in real time to ask questions and participate. This is not a self-paced or prerecorded course. Field training takes place at inspection sites.
A Washington school with Washington experience
Washington experience in every lesson.
Suzanne and JJ Greive co-authored the curriculum and have taught hundreds of students, including licensed inspectors working across Washington.
Suzanne Greive
Curriculum co-author with home-inspection experience and 10 years in commercial real estate.
JJ Greive
Washington licensed home inspector, experienced builder, and curriculum co-author.
Required Washington field training
Five complete inspections turn classroom knowledge into a repeatable process.
SOPHI’s separate field-training program lets students apply classroom knowledge to real homes under experienced inspectors.
Inspect real homesFollow the complete inspection process at actual sites.
Practice Washington’s scopeApply the Standards of Practice under supervision.
Improve every reportReceive feedback on clear, supportable reporting.
Local inspection context
Washington houses change with the rain shadow, elevation, age, and exposure.
SOPHI connects the required curriculum to conditions found from Puget Sound and the coast to the Cascades and eastern Washington.
Puget Sound and coastal moisture
Study drainage, grading, flashing, siding, crawlspaces, attics, ventilation, and visible moisture conditions.
Older homes and alterations
Recognize older wiring, plumbing transitions, additions, remodels, masonry, and seismic upgrades.
Mountains and eastern Washington
Relate snow, freeze-thaw cycles, temperature swings, soils, irrigation, wind, and wildfire exposure to the same disciplined process.
Official Washington resources
Go directly to the agencies that control the license.
Washington Home Inspector Candidate Handbook
We show this handbook in class because it brings the licensing and examination process into one useful guide. Open the handbook PDF, then confirm current requirements on the state pages below.
Requirements, fees, exam vendors, and state rules can change. This guide was checked against Washington DOL, Washington law, WSDA, and Career Bridge sources on September 2, 2026. Always confirm the current state pages before applying.
Serving Washington statewide
Join the classroom from wherever you live in Washington.
From the Olympic Peninsula to Walla Walla, and from the Okanogan to Vancouver, students can join the same live, instructor-led class online or attend in person in Burien.
An optional Washington specialty
You do not need a pest license to become a Washington home inspector.
Your home inspector license covers work performed within Washington’s Standards of Practice. Structural pest inspection is a separate service you may choose to add later.
SOPHI recommends that every Washington student seriously consider earning the SPI license.
Structural pest licensing: A complete wood-destroying-organism inspection requires the separate Washington Structural Pest Inspector credential and a properly licensed company.
Why it matters: Washington home inspectors must report wood rot and pest-conducive conditions, but inspectors who are not currently licensed as WA-SPIs may not identify specific wood-destroying insects such as carpenter ants, termites, or wood-boring beetles. Suspected insect issues must be referred to a licensed SPI or pest-control operator.
Learn Washington’s local structural pests.
Use SOPHI’s Washington Structural Pest Field Guide to learn the insects, evidence, damage, and conducive conditions inspectors encounter. It is useful even when your license limits how you may identify those findings in a report.
Frequently asked questions
A few additional Washington licensing questions
How long are my education and passing exam scores valid?
DOL says the course and field training must be completed within two years before applying for the exam. A passing score for either exam portion is valid for one year.
Do Washington home inspectors need insurance?
The home inspector license does not require insurance or a bond, although many professionals choose liability and errors-and-omissions coverage.
What continuing education is required after licensing?
Washington requires at least 24 hours of approved continuing education every two years for license renewal. DOL does not allow unused hours to carry into the next licensing period.
Can an experienced inspector licensed in another state qualify through reciprocity?
Possibly. Washington offers a reciprocity path when the other state’s requirements qualify and the applicant has been actively licensed in good standing for at least two of the last four years. The Washington exam portion and DOL documentation are still required.
Start your Washington license with people who know the work and the state.
Talk with Suzanne or JJ about the next live class, field training, and whether SOPHI is the right fit for your Washington license.
