United States
In the United States, a contract to purchase a house will often include a contingency that the contract is not valid until a home inspector has inspected the property (and the contract will usually provide for how problems found in inspection are to be remedied). In many states, home inspectors are required to be licensed; typical requirements for obtaining a license are to complete an approved training course and/or to pass an examination selected by the state's licensing board. Several states also require inspectors to periodically obtain continuing education credits in order to renew their licenses.
A home inspection is often referred to as an "engineering report", although many home inspectors are not licensed engineers. The essential difference between a home inspector and a professional engineer is that the engineer can offer design specifications for repair or reinforcement of a structural deficiency, although engineering design is typically outside the scope and fee structure of a standard home inspection. Either way, anyone entering the home inspection field should be trained in the unique discipline of home inspection. Assuming that the home inspector or licensed engineer has been properly trained and has sufficient experience, either person should be able to provide a satisfactory, detailed inspection of a property.
An organization attempting to certify home inspectors is the Master Inspector Certification Board, Inc., a United States non-profit 501(c)(6), tax-exempt organization dedicated to promoting excellence in the home inspection industry. The Board holds the registered Trademark Certified Master Inspector® (CMI).