Cooke Real Estate School

Career Opportunity of Being a Licensed Florida Home Inspector

Education is good for Forever from the completion date of the pre-licensing course.

As you get to the end of your course, begin the process of your state application and fingerprinting.
State Application - Home Inspector - Initial Active License by Examination (HI 0401)

Application fee: $125.00 - Application Link

Fingerprinting

Applicants can use any Livescan vendor that has been approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to submit their fingerprints to the department. Please ensure that the Originating Agency Identification (ORI) number is provided to the vendor when you submit your fingerprints.
NOTE: Failure to provide an ORI number or incorrect ORI number to the vendor will prevent DBPR from receiving your fingerprint results.

The applicant is fully responsible for selecting the vendor and ensuring submission of the prints to the department. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) requires the submission of a full set of fingerprints with most licensure applications.

To select an approved FDLE Livescan vendor from the link below. You will need to provide an ORI number to the vendor so they can submit the fingerprints directly to FDLE. Submit a copy of your receipt with a completed application for licensure. NOTE: The Livescan vendor will charge you directly for the fingerprint scan.

The total fee charged by each vendor varies. Please contact the vendor to obtain this information. The fingerprint results are usually received by the department two to four days after your fingerprints are scanned.
ORI number - FL 924250Z
Criminal History Records Link

First Step to Home Inspection Licensure

• The first step to obtain a home inspection license is to complete the 120 hour course. Upon completing the online portion of the course, the student gets access to the end-of-course exam.
• Upon successful completion of end-of-course exam with a score of 70% or more, the school will be notified that the student successfully completed the course. The school will, during business hours, send an e-mail to the student with the certificate-of-completion attached in a PDF file format.
• The student must print certificate and attach it to the state application.
• If the student does not pass the end-of-course exam another is issued.
• Upon passing the course, the student can make application to take the state, which requires completing the application and going through the fingerprinting process. Here is the link to the exam provider for the Florida home inspection (EBPHI) state exam. Please note the "Step by Step Scheduling Guide" on the right side of the Pearson VUE web page. This education does not expire in regards to taking the State Exam.
• Here is a link regarding the Fingerprinting Process. If you are submitting your fingerprints through a Livescan vendor your ORI number is FL924250Z.
• Students must attach the course Completion Certificate to their application.
• Here is an important Frequently Ask Questions document regarding Florida Home Inspectors
• Here is the link to the DBPR's website for the Division of Professions Home Inspectors Licensing Programs:  LINK
• Here is a link to the Application for Licensure Form # DBPR HI 0401.
• Many licensed state contractors both general and residential have asked if they have to take this course to become a license Florida Home Inspector and here is the answer we received from Richard Morrison, the Executive Director of the Division of Professions Home Inspectors Licensing Program: "In order to be licensed as a Home Inspector one would need to take the approved 120 hours of education and pass the state exam."

Course Information

• No refund - The course has a NO refund policy once the course is purchased.
• Totally online - This course is completely online. The course is not downloadable. The student can work through the course at their convenience 24/7.
• Course Expiration - A student has one year to complete the program.
• Package Pricing - Students can choose between four different packages. The Silver, Gold and Platinum packages include paper textbooks that are mailed to the student.
• Shipping - Shipping is FREE. The textbook(s) that are in the package the student selected will be mailed by U.S. Priority Mail. The postmaster advertises 2 to 3 day delivery. The companion textbook to the course is included in the Silver, Gold and Platinum packages.
• Login Information - Upon registration the student will be able to access their course by going to the Cooke website as there is a Student Login point at the top of the webpages. On the student login point, students need to click on the RECampus link.

Course Content

Home Inspection requires comprehensive technical knowledge of building systems, materials, and mechanics to building systems that you will encounter and evaluate as a home inspector, this course will provide that. The course will also provide a solid understanding of inspection processes, strategies, and standards of practice that will help define the scope of your inspections.

• 340 detailed technical illustrations on visual inspections
• Inspection checklists to help students review key points and begin organizing their approach to actual inspections
• Explains the component problems, their applications, and the inspection strategies for finding them
• Eleven hours of video instructions
• Summary of inspection procedures for each major system
• List of recommended and optional inspection tools for each major system
• Interactive exercises
• Progress quizzes

• Standards and Reports
• Exteriors
• Roofing
• Structure
• Insulations and Ventilation
• Interiors
• Electric Systems
• Gas Furnaces
• Oil Furnaces
• Hot Water Boilers
• Other Aspects of Heating
• Air-Conditioning and Heat Pumps
• Plumbing
• Planning and Market

Seat-time

• Seat-time: This online course is built around a student taking 120 hours to take the course BUT there is NO seat-time requirement for this distance learning course.   So the student can take the course in 70 hours or 150 hours. The objective is to learn the material to pass the course and the State Exam, if that is one’s goal.
• Non-movement of the mouse for more than 20 minutes will disengage the student from the course.