Top 3 Best Home Inspectors in Marin County, California (Updated 2026)

California does not license home inspectors

The state's home inspector law is Chapter 9.3 of the Business and Professions Code, sections 7195 to 7199. The chapter does not create a license, an exam or a licensing board. It defines a home inspector as any individual who performs a home inspection.

Section 7196 makes it the duty of a home inspector to conduct the inspection with the degree of care that a reasonably prudent home inspector would exercise. The duty is written for inspectors who are not licensed as a general contractor, structural pest control operator or architect, or registered as a professional engineer. The section does not name any trade association or outside standard of practice.

What a home inspection covers under California law

Section 7195 defines a home inspection as a noninvasive, physical examination, performed for a fee in connection with a transfer of real property. It covers the mechanical, electrical or plumbing systems, or the structural and essential components, of a residential dwelling of one to four units. Its purpose is to identify material defects.

A material defect is a condition that significantly affects the value, desirability, habitability or safety of the dwelling. Style and aesthetics do not count. The written report must describe what was inspected, any material defects found, and any recommendations.

The statute adds three specific items.

1. Where the property has a swimming pool or spa, the inspection identifies which of the seven drowning prevention safety features in Health and Safety Code section 115922 are present. The report must state if there are fewer than two.
2. If the client asks, the inspection may include energy efficiency items.
3. If the inspector sees yellow corrugated stainless steel tubing, the report must note it and include a statutory notice about bonding and grounding.

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, table B25034, shows more than half of Marin County's housing units were built before 1970.

A home inspector may not give an opinion of valuation on a property. Opinions of value come from state-licensed appraisers.

What a home inspector may not do

Section 7197 lists four practices that count as unfair business practices for a home inspector or the inspector's company.

The referral rule applies to payments to real estate agents as well as to owners. The repair ban has narrow exceptions for a C-39 roofing contractor issuing a roof certification and for a C-36 plumbing contractor inspecting a sewer lateral, under conditions that include a consumer disclosure given before the home inspection is authorized.

Under section 7198, contract terms that waive the duty of care, or that limit the inspector's liability to the cost of the report, are contrary to public policy and invalid. Under section 7199, a legal action for breach of duty arising from a home inspection report must start within four years from the date of the inspection.

A home inspection is not a wood destroying pest inspection

The two inspections fall under different laws. Under Business and Professions Code section 8516, a registered pest control company may not issue any document giving an opinion on the presence or absence of wood destroying pests or organisms until an inspection has been made by a licensed Branch 3 field representative or operator employed by a registered company. The Structural Pest Control Board issues those licenses.

Section 7196.1 says the home inspector chapter does not exempt a home inspector from Chapter 14 of the code, the structural pest control law. Companies that do this work are listed under pest control.

The board also runs a Wood Destroying Organism property address search. It shows whether a WDO inspection was completed at an address within the last two years.

What you can check before hiring a home inspector

With no home inspector license to verify, what remains is any other state license the inspector holds, plus the contract.

1. If the inspector is also a general contractor, look up the number on the Contractors State License Board's Check a License page, which includes complaint disclosure.
2. For a structural pest control, architect or engineer license, use the Department of Consumer Affairs License Search. Each record shows if a license is current, expired or has been subject to discipline.
3. Read the inspection agreement for a clause that limits the inspector's liability to the cost of the report. Section 7198 makes that clause invalid.

Permit history is a different record. Building permits come from the city or town where the property is, or from the County of Marin for unincorporated areas, and those offices are on the Marin County government page.

For a dispute, the Attorney General's office takes consumer complaints against a business. It cannot give legal advice or represent you in a personal legal action. Related trades are grouped in the real estate section of the directory.

Does a home inspector need a license in California?

No. California's home inspector law, Business and Professions Code sections 7195 to 7199, does not create a license, an exam or a licensing board. It defines a home inspector as any individual who performs a home inspection, and it sets a duty of care and a list of banned business practices.

Who regulates home inspectors in California?

No state board does. The rules sit in Business and Professions Code sections 7195 to 7199. Section 7196 requires a home inspector to conduct the inspection with the degree of care that a reasonably prudent home inspector would exercise. Section 7197 lists practices that count as unfair business practices.

How do I check a home inspector in California?

There is no home inspector license to verify. You can check other state licenses the inspector claims. Contractor licenses are on the Contractors State License Board lookup. Structural pest control, architect and engineer licenses are on the Department of Consumer Affairs License Search, which shows whether a license is current or has been disciplined.

Can a home inspector repair the problems found in the inspection?

Not for an additional fee within 12 months. Section 7197 makes it an unfair business practice for an inspector or the inspector's company to perform or offer repairs on a structure they wrote a home inspection report on in the past 12 months. The section has narrow exceptions for roof certifications and sewer lateral inspections.

Is a home inspection the same as a termite inspection?

No. A home inspection is a noninvasive physical examination of a dwelling's systems and structural components. Under section 8516, a Wood Destroying Pests and Organisms report depends on an inspection by a licensed Branch 3 field representative or operator employed by a registered company. The Structural Pest Control Board issues that license.

How do I file a complaint against a home inspector in California?

No licensing board takes home inspector complaints. Section 7199 allows a legal action for breach of duty arising from a home inspection report within four years from the date of the inspection. The Attorney General accepts consumer complaints against businesses but cannot give legal advice or act as your lawyer.