DS Home Inspection Academy

All 30 Maryland hours. One provider. Zero commuting.

Maryland caps self-paced online CE at 9 hours. The other 21 must be classroom hours — and live, interactive instruction counts. So we teach all 21 live online, three days a quarter. Virginia's full 16 hours are self-paced. Taught by a Certified Master Inspector who still runs inspections every week.

21
Live hours that count as classroom
9
Self-paced hours, the Maryland maximum
16
Virginia hours, fully online
Class blocks every year
Know before you renew

Maryland and Virginia are not the same rulebook

Inspectors licensed in both states routinely assume one set of hours covers the other. It doesn't — and the online rules are where people get caught.

 
 
Hours per renewal
Renewal cycle
First renewal
Online / distance limit
Course pre-approval
Content standard
Specialty add-on
Virginia
Board for Asbestos, Lead & Home Inspectors (DPOR)
Online-friendly
16 contact hours of continuing professional education
Every 2 years
Required
No limit — all 16 hours may be online
None — the Board does not pre-approve CPE courses
Must cover areas tested on the National Home Inspector Examination
NRS designation: 4 Board-approved hours, counts toward the 16

Coming January 1, 2027 in Maryland: no more than 8 hours in any single topic will count toward your 30. If you have been knocking out big blocks in one subject, that door closes. Every course below is built in blocks of 8 hours or fewer.

Requirements are summarized for convenience and change without notice. Verify with the Maryland Commission and Virginia DPOR before you renew.

How many hours do you actually need?

Answer three questions. No email required.

30 hours still needed
Total required this cycle30 hours
Already completed0 hours
Maximum online / distance9 hours
Must be classroom21 hours

Only 30% of your 30 hours may be self-paced. The other 21 must be classroom instruction — which includes live, interactive online sessions. Our quarterly three-day blocks cover all of it. See the schedule →

Maryland renewal track

Three days, once a quarter. From wherever you are.

Maryland allows up to 30% of your 30 hours outside a classroom. The other 21 must be classroom hours — but a Commission-approved course delivered live and interactive online counts as a classroom setting. So we teach all 21 virtually, Tuesday through Thursday, four times a year. No drive, no hotel, no lost weekend.

21

Live virtual hours

One three-day block, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday. Live and interactive — real instructor, cameras on, questions answered in the room. Never pre-recorded, because pre-recorded would not count. Includes both topics Maryland now requires at renewal: 2 hours of minimum standards of practice and 2 hours of report writing. Offered every January, April, August, and December.

9

Self-paced online hours

The maximum Maryland permits outside a classroom. Choose any three of the six courses listed below — take them any time, before or after your block, with no overlap with the live topics.

What each day covers

Each day runs 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern with a working lunch — 7 instructional hours, 21 across the block. No topic exceeds 8 hours, which keeps you compliant with the Maryland topic cap taking effect January 1, 2027.

Day 1 · Tuesday · 7 hours

Structure, Foundations & the Building Envelope

Load paths and framing defects, foundation movement and elevation documentation, cladding systems, grading and drainage, and the moisture intrusion patterns behind most post-inspection claims.

Structural 4 hrs · Exteriors 3 hrs
Day 2 · Wednesday · 7 hours

Electrical Systems, Gas Furnaces & Chimney and Wood Burning Fireplaces

Service entrance and panel evaluation, aluminum branch wiring and Federal Pacific panels. Then combustion safety, heat exchanger limits, venting and draft on gas-fired furnaces — and chimney liners, flue clearances, creosote accumulation, firebox and damper condition on solid fuel appliances.

Electrical 3 hrs · Gas Furnaces 2 hrs · Chimney and Wood Burning Fireplaces 2 hrs
Day 3 · Thursday · 7 hours

Environmental Hazards, Standards of Practice & Report Writing

Radon, mold, lead and asbestos — taught by an inspector Maryland-licensed for asbestos, Maryland-accredited for lead, and IAC2-certified in radon and mold. Then both topics Maryland now requires at renewal — 2 hours of minimum standards of practice and 2 hours of report writing — closing with a live field walkthrough.

Environmental 3 hrs · Standards of Practice 2 hrs · Report Writing 2 hrs

Your 9 self-paced hours — pick any three

Six courses, 3 hours each. Choose the three that fit the work you actually do. None of them repeat what the live block covers, so you never pay twice for the same material, and no topic comes near the 8-hour cap arriving January 2027.

3 hours · Self-paced

Roofing Systems

Covering material identification and failure modes, roof structure and drainage, flashing and penetration detailing, and the documentation of roofing defects. Built on field photography from Maryland inspections.

Roofing systems · $45
3 hours · Self-paced

Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps

Split system and packaged equipment, refrigerant line and coil evaluation, condensate handling, temperature differential measurement, and heat pump operation including defrost cycle and auxiliary heat.

Air conditioning systems · $45
3 hours · Self-paced

Private Water Supply & On-Site Sewage Disposal

Well construction and components, flow and yield evaluation, water quality parameters and contaminants, septic tanks and drainfields, and county health department requirements across Maryland.

Plumbing systems · $45
3 hours · Self-paced

Interior Systems and Life Safety

Walls, ceilings and floors, stairs and guards, doors and windows from the interior, garage separation and fire-rated assemblies, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarm placement.

Interior systems · $45
3 hours · Self-paced

Insulation, Ventilation and Moisture Control

Insulation types and R-value, vapor retarders, attic and crawl space ventilation, net free area calculation, exhaust termination defects, and the moisture conditions inadequate ventilation produces.

Insulation and ventilation · $45
3 hours · Self-paced

Plumbing Systems: Supply, Drainage & Water Heaters

Supply piping materials by era including polybutylene and galvanized, drain waste and vent configurations, fixtures and functional evaluation, and water heating equipment — TPR discharge, combustion venting and thermal expansion control.

Plumbing systems · $45

Any three courses — 9 hours — $119

Individually $45 each. The 9-hour bundle is $119, and it is included at no additional cost with the Maryland Complete Renewal package below. Courses can be taken in any order, before or after your live block, and certificates are issued on completion.

Quarterly class blocks

BlockDatesFormatHoursSeats
December 2026
Off-season block
Tue–Thu, Dec 15–17
9am–5pm ET
Live virtual21 Open Reserve
January 2027
New cycle block
Tue–Thu, Jan 12–14
9am–5pm ET
Live virtual21 Open Reserve
April 2027
Spring block
Tue–Thu, Apr 13–15
9am–5pm ET
Live virtual21 Open Reserve
August 2027
Summer block
Tue–Thu, Aug 10–12
9am–5pm ET
Live virtual21 Opens soon Join list

Four blocks a year, so there is always one inside your renewal window. Days may be split across different quarters if you cannot take all three at once — hours combine as long as they land in the same cycle. Attendance is verified live; sessions are not recorded for later credit, because Maryland does not count pre-recorded instruction as classroom time.

Single Day

Fill a specific gap

$175
7 live classroom hours
  • Any one day from a quarterly block
  • Digital course materials
  • Certificate issued same day
  • Attend from anywhere in Maryland
Reserve a seat

Live Hours Only

Already have your online hours

$425
all 21 live classroom hours
  • Full three-day block, Tuesday to Thursday
  • Both mandatory topics included
  • Live field walkthrough on Thursday
  • Digital materials for each day
Book the block
Reserve your seat

Your renewal date is already set. Your block isn't.

Four blocks a year, 21 hours each. The blocks closest to common renewal dates fill first, and once a block is full the next one is a quarter away. Register now and your seat is held.

  • Pick your block — December, January, April or August
  • Calendar holds sent immediately for all three days
  • Course materials and platform details ahead of the session
  • A reminder before your renewal deadline, so nothing sneaks up

Taking a single day instead? Choose it at checkout — seats in each block are allocated in the order they're reserved.

Virginia course catalog

Six courses. Pick any four for your full 16 hours.

Every course is 4 hours and maps to a content area tested on the National Home Inspector Examination, which is the standard Virginia applies. The Board doesn't pre-approve CPE courses or providers, and there's no cap on online hours — so four of these complete your cycle, start to finish.

4 hours · Self-paced

Roofing Systems

Covering materials and failure modes, structure and drainage, flashing and penetrations — plus a full module on low-slope membranes, internal drains and scuppers, parapet flashing and pitch pans.

NHIE area: Roofing · $59
4 hours · Self-paced

Air Conditioning, Heat Pumps & Distribution

Refrigeration cycle, condensing unit and coil evaluation, condensate management, temperature differential, heat pump defrost and auxiliary heat — plus duct systems, leakage and return-path problems.

NHIE area: HVAC · $59
4 hours · Self-paced

Plumbing Systems

Supply piping by era including polybutylene, drain waste and vent, fixtures, and water heating — TPR discharge, combustion venting and expansion control — plus sump and ejector pumps and fuel gas distribution.

NHIE area: Plumbing · $59
4 hours · Self-paced

Interior Systems & Life Safety

Walls, ceilings and floors, stairs and guards, egress openings, garage separation, smoke and CO alarms — plus kitchens, built-in appliances, anti-tip provisions and dishwasher drainage.

NHIE area: Interiors · $59
4 hours · Self-paced

Insulation, Ventilation & Indoor Air

Insulation materials and R-value, air sealing, attic and crawl space ventilation with net free area calculation, exhaust termination — plus HRV and ERV systems, humidity control and combustion depressurization.

NHIE area: Insulation & ventilation · $59
4 hours · Self-paced

Private Water Supply & Sewage Disposal

Well construction, yield and water quality, septic tanks and drainfields — plus mound, aerobic and nitrogen-reducing systems, site evaluation and the health department records that reveal permitted capacity.

NHIE area: Plumbing · $59

Individually $59. The 16-hour Complete Renewal package below includes any four. Certificates are issued on completion and formatted for DPOR audit.

Virginia & online bundles

Buy the cycle, not the course

Virginia inspectors can complete every required hour here. Maryland inspectors: your 9-hour allowance is covered in the Maryland section above.

Single Course

Fill a specific gap

$59
any single 4-hour course
  • Any one 4-hour course from the catalog
  • Certificate of completion
  • Lifetime access to materials
Choose a course

Environmental Specialty

Add service lines, not just hours

$129
9 hours across two courses
  • Environmental Hazards (6 hours)
  • Well & Septic (3 hours)
  • Pricing and scope guidance for each service
  • Sample scope-of-work language
Add the specialty

Virginia hours are accepted based on content, not provider approval — the Board does not pre-approve CPE courses. Maryland approval status is explained below.

Registration terms

What happens if plans change

Inspections get rescheduled, closings move, people get sick. The policy below is written so that a missed day costs you a day, not your hours and not your money.

Cancellation and refunds

Based on notice given before the first day of your block.

  • 15+ days: full refund
  • 7–14 days: full credit toward any future block
  • Under 7 days: transfer to a future block

Transfers between blocks

One transfer per registration at no charge. Additional transfers are $45. Your seat moves to any block you choose within twelve months, subject to availability.

Missing a day

Attend two of three days and you are credited for the 14 hours you completed. The remaining day transfers free to any future block, and hours combine across blocks as long as they fall inside the same renewal cycle.

Partial attendance within a day

Hours are credited for full sessions only. Arriving late or leaving early means that session is not credited, because attendance is verified against the full session. The session transfers to a future block at no charge.

If we cancel

If a block is cancelled or rescheduled for any reason, you choose: a full refund or a transfer to another block. Registration fees are never forfeited because of a change on our end.

Self-paced online hours

Refundable within 7 days of purchase provided no more than one module has been completed. Once a course is finished and a certificate issued, the purchase is final.

Sessions are not recorded, and this one isn't negotiable

Maryland credits virtual instruction as classroom time only where the delivery is live and interactive. A recorded session is distance education, which counts against your 9-hour self-paced cap rather than your 21 classroom hours. That means we cannot send you a recording of a day you missed, and no provider who follows the rule can. Transferring the day to a later block is the route that actually protects your hours.

Course approval contingency

Where a course has not yet received Commission approval at the time of your registration, and approval is not in place before your block, you may take a full refund or transfer to a later block at your election. You will never be charged for hours Maryland does not credit.

Who's teaching

Written by a working inspector, not a curriculum vendor

Most online CE is licensed from a national content library and rebranded. These courses come from inspections performed in Prince George's, Montgomery, Fairfax, Loudoun, and the District.

Certified Master Inspector®

The industry's top designation, requiring documented inspection volume and continuing education well past any state minimum.

InterNACHI® Partner Instructor

Approved to deliver InterNACHI curriculum, with direct familiarity in how association coursework maps to state requirements.

Credentialed across the environmental disciplines

Maryland asbestos license, Maryland lead accreditation, and IAC2 certification in radon and mold. The environmental courses are taught by someone who does the work.

Twenty years in education

Dual master's degrees in education and public administration. These courses are built by someone who knows how adults actually learn.

Common questions

Before you enroll

Do these courses count for my Virginia renewal?
Yes. Virginia's Board does not pre-approve home inspector CPE courses or providers. Instead, any course covering the content areas tested on the National Home Inspector Examination is accepted. Every course in this catalog is built to those content areas, and there is no cap on how many of your 16 hours may be completed online.
Do these courses count for my Maryland renewal?
Maryland requires the Commission to approve each course individually, and our applications are in progress for both the classroom sessions and the online catalog. Enrollment opens the moment approvals are granted. We would rather tell you that plainly than sell you hours that get rejected at renewal.
I'm licensed in both Maryland and Virginia. Can one set of hours cover both?
Partially, but not cleanly. Maryland's 30-hour requirement is larger and mostly classroom-based, while Virginia's 16 hours may be entirely self-paced. Our Maryland live sessions cover National Home Inspector Examination content areas, so they generally satisfy Virginia as well — but the reverse is not true. A self-paced course cannot fill Maryland's 21 classroom hours. Plan Maryland first and let Virginia follow.
How can a virtual class count toward Maryland's classroom hours?
Because the Commission says it does. A Commission-approved continuing professional competency course completed in a virtual, live and interactive format — not pre-recorded — fulfills the classroom setting requirement under COMAR 09.36.08.02(C). That is why our blocks run on a fixed schedule with attendance verified live and no catch-up recordings. A recorded session would be distance education, and would count against your 9-hour cap instead.
Why can't I just do all 30 Maryland hours self-paced?
Because the regulation caps it. Up to 30% of your continuing professional competency hours may be obtained in other than a classroom setting — 9 of 30. The remaining 21 must be classroom instruction, whether in a room or live and interactive online. Any site offering you 30 self-paced hours is selling you hours Maryland will not credit at renewal.
Can I split the three days across different quarters?
Yes. The days are independent and hours count the same regardless of sequence. If work only lets you take Tuesday and Wednesday this quarter, take the third day in the next block — as long as everything lands inside your renewal cycle, the hours combine. With four blocks a year, there is always another chance.
Do I need CE for my first renewal?
In Maryland, no. Continuing professional competency education is not required for the first renewal of a home inspector license. Virginia requires the full 16 hours every cycle, including your first.
What happens if my license already expired?
In Maryland, an expired license is treated as a reinstatement. You must complete the full 30 hours and pay an additional $50 fee, and a license expired more than five years cannot be reinstated at all. If you are approaching that window, contact the Commission before doing anything else.
Can I carry extra hours into my next cycle?
No. Neither state allows continuing education hours to carry over between renewal cycles. Hours must be earned within the cycle you are renewing for.
How do I get my certificate, and who do I send it to?
A certificate of completion is issued immediately when you finish a course, and stays in your account permanently. You submit certificates yourself at renewal — neither state receives them from the provider automatically. Keep copies: both boards may request documentation to verify what you certified.
I have the NRS designation in Virginia. Does this cover it?
Not by itself. Maintaining the New Residential Structures designation requires four hours of Board-approved NRS continuing professional education specific to the Virginia Residential Code, and that course must appear on DPOR's approved list. Those four hours do count toward your overall 16, so you would take the NRS course elsewhere and 12 hours here.

Your renewal date isn't moving

Sixteen hours is one weekend if you start now, or a panicked scramble in month twenty-three. Virginia inspectors can begin today.

Start the Virginia package
GET A QUOTE