Ohio Realtors urge continued support for home inspector licensing

Jason Kunkle, a leader with Ohio Realtors, told the House General Government Committee that the Ohio Home Inspector Board has improved consumer protections since its creation in 2018. "Ohio's home inspector board protects both the purchaser and the seller within the real estate transactions by ensuring that home inspectors meet basic qualifications to perform their work and creates a level of consistency to home inspection reports," Kunkle said during testimony at the occupational licensure review.

Kunkle, who identified himself as the chair of the legislative steering committee for Ohio Realtors and a partner with Cough Hunter and Haas in Cincinnati, said the board also requires minimum insurance coverage for inspectors. "Current law ensures that the home inspectors maintain a minimum level of insurance coverage providing further protection to consumers," he said. He urged continued legislative support for the board and noted that Senate Bill 255 in 2018 created the licensing system.

Why it matters: Kunkle described home inspections as a critical step in residential transactions that often influences a buyer's decision and protects both health and property investment. He offered an anecdote about an unlicensed inspector who missed a mold problem that later cost buyers thousands of dollars and posed health risks.

Committee members asked several questions after Kunkle's remarks. One member asked whether the witness knew what percentage of residential transactions include a home inspection; Kunkle said he did not have statewide numbers but, speaking of his own office, "98%, 99%" of transactions include inspections, with some waivers in multiple-offer situations. On cost, he said an inspection alone in southwest Ohio is "going to be around $450," and that a package including radon, sewer scope and other tests can range from about $700 to $1,000.

Members also asked about buyer recourse when an inspector misses a significant defect. Kunkle said a buyer may "go after the home inspector, file a complaint," and that insurance and licensing processes have in some instances required inspectors to make buyers whole. He added that he would need to verify the exact complaint steps and could not detail them from memory: "I need to check and verify what the exact steps are for making a complaint on that."

No committee action on policy changes occurred at the hearing. The committee approved the minutes from its Oct. 7 meeting and the chair appointed Representative Russo as committee secretary during the opening proceedings; those procedural items drew no recorded objections in the transcript.

The testimony and follow-up questions are part of the committee's occupational licensure review work; witnesses and members focused on consumer protection, insurance requirements, inspection prevalence and uncertainty about formal complaint procedures.

Ending: Committee members were directed to written testimony available on their iPads; the committee adjourned after concluding the scheduled testimony and procedural business.