Part-time pre-listing and landlord home inspector

Home sellers preparing to list, landlords and small property investors, and property managers.

A flat fee per inspection, with repeat work from landlords and investors who own several properties.

• Knowledge of home construction, such as from a building trade
• Careful attention to detail
• Plain-language report writing
• Flexible scheduling around another job

• Licensing differs by state, so confirm a license is not needed before advertising
• E&O and general liability insurance before your first paid job
• Weekday daytime requests may clash with your main job, so be clear about your availability
• Slower ramp-up without regular agent referrals, so expect to market steadily
• Check any rules in your employment contract about outside work

Startup costs are typically estimated around $3,500 to $9,000, depending on your equipment, training and insurance choices. Treat this as a rough estimate and price out your own setup before committing.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many inspections you book and how steadily you market. Expect to put in at least around 8 hours a week.

Licensing differs by state, so confirm whether a license is needed before you advertise. Also check E&O and general liability insurance before your first paid job, and any outside-work rules in your employment contract.