CMI Application
Application/Affidavit
for the Certified Master Inspector® professional designation
The process for becoming a Certified Master Inspector® is very straight forward. You must:
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Have completed 1,000 fee-paid inspections or hours of inspection-related continuing education (combined) in your lifetime.
a. Experience: Inspections must have been performed for actual fee-paying clients, but do not have to be your clients (you can count inspections you performed while working for someone else). Limit one inspection per residence (3 inspections on one home count as one inspection).
b. Education: The Master Inspector Certification Board’s qualifying continuing education subject matter is quite broad. Anything one could reasonably deem to be inspection-related qualifies, including classroom, home study, and online courses and seminars. Business success, accounting, marketing, etc. courses do not count. Repeated courses do not count twice. Hours count hour-for-hour. For example: If it takes you 6 hours to complete a course, it counts as 6 hours. The Board realizes that applicants may not have maintained proof of every hour of continuing education accumulated but applicants should be able to offer a list substantially demonstrating completion of the hours of inspection-related education completed in their lifetime.
The sum of the inspections performed (a.) and the hours of continuing education completed (b.) need to add up to 1,000 or more. -
Have been in the inspection business for at least 3 years and supply proof by submitting ONE of the following:
a. A copy of your government issued inspector's license demonstrating that you were an inspector 3 or more years ago, or...
b. A copy of your business license demonstrating that you were an inspector 3 or more years ago, or...
c. Evidence that demonstrates that you were a member of an inspection association 3 or more years ago, or...
d. A copy of the first page of your inspection business tax return from 3 or more years ago, or...
e. A copy of a DBA document demonstrating that you were an inspector 3 or more years ago or...
f. 3 signed letters from business people or past clients stating that you were an inspector 3 or more years ago. -
Agree to abide by the Master Inspector Certification Board’s Code of Ethics a copy of which is posted at http://www.certifiedmasterinspector.org/cmi/coe.html. The Board’s Code of Ethics meets or exceeds all other inspection trade association’s and government mandated Code of Ethics. Therefore, abiding by the Master Inspectors Certification Board’s Code of Ethics places the Certified Master Inspector® in compliance with all other existing inspector Codes of Ethics.
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Agree to substantially follow any one of the Board approved Standards of Practice (ASHI, CAHPI, CREIA, FABI, ISHI, InterNACHI, TREC). Any state mandated Standards of Practice is also approved for Certified Master Inspectors® in that state.
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Agree to submit to a criminal background check. Applicants may not be a convicted felon or sex offender. The background check will be arranged and paid for by the Master Inspector Certification Board. There is no additional fee for this background check.
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Fill out the application/affidavit on page 2 but don’t sign it yet. Sign the affidavit in front of a Notary Public and have it notarized.
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Make a check or money order for $375 payable to “Master Inspector Certification Board.” This is a one-time application processing fee and is good for your lifetime. There are no annual dues or hidden costs. This is a one-time, lifetime fee.
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Mail the application/affidavit, the check or money order, one form of proof (from section 2), and a copy of your drivers license to:
Master Inspector Certification Board
Suite 300
1750 30th Street
Boulder, CO 80301
Your application will be processed and your background check will be completed within 48 hours of receipt of your application. If your application is approved you will be listed on the www.CertifiedMasterInspector.org website the same day. If you are not accepted the Board will not cash your check and it will be returned to you with an explanation. Once your application is approved you may hold yourself out as a Certified Master Inspector®
Once your application to become a Certified Master Inspector® is approved:
There are a variety of ways to tout your Certifed Master Inspector® professional designation. Some examples of the many permitted uses of the Trademarked professional designation include:
- John Smith, Certified Master Inspector®
- John Smith, C.M.I.™
- John Smith, CMI™
- I am a Certified Master Inspector®, have completed more than 1,000 inspections or hours of continuing education, have been in business for more than 3 years, abide by the Master Inspector Certification Board’s strict Code of Ethics, abide by a board approved Standards of Practice, and have passed a criminal background check.
- I have passed a criminal background check required by the Master Inspector Certification Board.
- I am listed as a Certified Master Inspector® by the Master Inspector Certification Board at www.CertifiedMasterInspector.org
- I am a Board Certified™ inspector.
- John Smith, Board Certified™.
You may also use the Trademarked Certified Master Inspector® logos at: www.CertifiedMasterInspector.org/cmi/logos.html
Frequently asked questions:
Q. What courses are accepted?
A. The Board will accept any (classroom, home study, or online) inspection-related course or seminar provided it is technical (no business success, accounting, or marketing courses, etc). Repeated courses do not count twice.
Q. What proof of the continuing education that I completed must I submit with my application?
A. Your affidavit (below) shall be satisfactory evidence thereof. However, the Board reserves the right to audit your records and demand that you substantially demonstrate that you have fulfilled all requirements - so keep a record of all continuing education that you partake in.
Q. Does my membership or lack of membership in any inspection trade association affect my chances of approval?
A. No. The Certified Master Inspector® professional designation is available to all inspectors.
Q. I have poor credit and am behind in child support payments. Will this preclude my application from being approved?
A. No. The background check only checks to see if you are a convicted felon or sex offender.
Q. Is there an annual fee to remain a Certified Master Inspector®?
A. No. The $375 fee is a one-time application processing fee (lifetime fee). There are no annual dues.
Q. I have more questions. Where can I get answers?
A. Email the Master Inspector Certification Board's Founder Nick Gromicko at nick@certifiedmasterinspector.org or visit www.CertifiedMasterInspector.org
2006/2007/2008 Certified Master Inspector® Application/Affidavit
First Name: _________________________________
Middle Initial (not required): _______
Last Name: ____________________________________________
Company Name (not required): ________________________________________
Address (kept confidential): ______________________________________________
Address (kept confidential): ______________________________________________
City: ______________________________________________
State or Province: ___________________________
Zip or Postal Code: _________________
Country: _______________________
Phone Number: _(_______)_____________________
Email Address: ___________________________@_________________.______
Web Address (not required): www.___________________________________.______
How many inspections have you performed in your career (kept confidential): ____________
I hereby attest that the above information is correct, that I have completed 1,000 or more fee-paid inspections or hours of inspection-related continuing education (combined) in my lifetime, that I have been in the inspection business for at least 3 years, that I will abide by a the Master Inspector Certification Board’s Code of Ethics, that I will substantially follow a Board approved Standards of Practice, that I am not a convicted felon and that I have granted the Master Inspector Certification Board permission to perform a criminal background check on me
__________________________________________________
Applicant’s signature
Sworn and subscribed to before me _____________________
Date
Notary certification here
Mail this notarized application/affidavit along with a check or money order made payable to “Master Inspector Certification Board” and a copy of your driver's license to Master Inspector Certification Board, Suite 300, 1750 30th Street, Boulder, CO, 80301. Do not attempt to apply with cash, with credit card, by phone, by fax, or online.