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Senate committee hears bill to license home inspectors, sponsor proposes 2028 effective date
Summary
A Senate Regulated Industry Committee hearing on SB458 considered creating a statewide home‑inspector license under the residential contractors board, with provisions for testing, 120 hours of coursework, 40 supervised inspections, liability insurance and a grandfathering path; members agreed to work on a substitute and delayed a vote.
Senate members on the Regulated Industry Committee heard testimony on SB458, a bill that would establish a statewide home‑inspector license administered by the residential contractors board and aim to create consistent standards across Georgia.
The sponsor, identified in the hearing as Senator Goodman, told the committee the proposal (LC620332) grew from constituent complaints and realtor and home‑builder concerns and would place licensure requirements currently handled at the county level into a single statewide framework. "Licensing home inspectors would be a consumer protection for home buyers that is long overdue," the sponsor said, arguing most other states already require such licenses.
Committee members and witnesses walked through the bill’s main elements: no new board (the license would be a new type under the existing residential contractors board); reciprocity with other states; standards of practice; investigative and sanctioning powers; and a self‑funded model. The draft includes a grandfather clause allowing practitioners already performing inspections to qualify by passing the National Home Inspector Examination.
Members pressed the sponsor on several details. One point of contention was a proposed minimum education requirement (a high‑school diploma or equivalent). The sponsor and witnesses noted experienced builders and older practitioners sometimes lack formal diplomas; committee members suggested board discretion or an experience‑based equivalency could address that concern. The bill also proposes 120 hours of board‑approved classroom or online training, 40 hours of supervised inspections and a board exam as prerequisites for licensing.
The committee discussed consumer remedies. Witnesses said that under many local regimes the only recourse for a homeowner is limited (for example, refunding a fee), whereas a state license would allow investigations and disciplinary action, and the bill’s bonding and liability‑insurance provisions were described as additional consumer protections.
Several senators expressed skepticism about mandatory continuing education, calling some continuing‑education programs little more than paid videos, while others said some form of ongoing training can ensure baseline competency. A bill ally suggested that if the committee declines the licensing approach, it might consider a certification or testing requirement plus mandatory liability insurance instead.
On implementation timing, the sponsor proposed amending the effective date to Jan. 1, 2028, to give practitioners and regulators time to comply. The committee did not vote on SB458 and the chair asked the sponsor to work with committee staff and senators to develop a committee substitute that could address remaining concerns.
The committee’s next step is to hold the bill for further drafting and stakeholder consultation; no vote was taken at the hearing.
