Professional achievements and their designations can quickly become an alphabet soup. For home inspectors, you will see such designations as ACI, CCI, MCI (and many others) – but what do they mean? ACI stands for ASHI Certified Inspector, CCI stands for CREIA Certified Inspector, and MCI stands for Master CREIA Inspector. ACI and CCI are the standard membership levels for each organization, but in this post, we’ll focus on what it takes to become a Master CREIA Inspector (MCI), and why it matters.

Master CREIA Inspector Requirements
Above and beyond the normal requirements to become a CCI, a Master CREIA Inspector has to meet these requirements:

  1. Hold CCI designation for at least two years
  2. Be an ICC (code) certified Residential Combination Inspector, the same certifications required to be a city building inspector
  3. Earn at last 250 continuing education credits above the 30 yearly requirement
  4. Perform over 1,000 home inspections
  5. Pass a master level ride along review with another Master CREIA Inspector

Why Does it Matter?
As is common in many other industries, most inspectors will just do the bare minimum to keep their basic certifications, and be happy with that. But if you are looking for a more qualified inspector, one who has taken the initiative, and pride in their craft, to reach for a higher level of professionalism, then the choice is clear: a Master CREIA Inspector. So in my opinion, the most qualified home inspectors will be both an ASHI Certified Inspector (ACI) and Master CREIA Inspector (MCI).

My Journey
I started working on my ICC code certifications in 2014 and took a few classes to help with test preparation, and passed that fourth and final test in May of 2017. A few members from my local ASHI chapter (GGASHI) formed a study group which helped immensely. Many thanks to John Fryer, Brian Cogley, Eric Meyer, and the many others who helped me through this process.

The final step was a master level ride along with Skip Walker, who was gracious enough to come over all the way from the peninsula to follow me on an inspection in Oakland. Skip performed a very thorough review of me and my inspection process and told me afterwards that I was the first new CREIA MCI in a few years – so I guess it was a pretty special achievement after all.

In closing, if you are a home buyer or seller, I would look to hire a Master CREIA inspector. If you are an inspector looking to challenge yourself and improve your craft I encourage to to go for this designation, and if you have any questions about the process, feel free to ask.

JMC Inspections: Service, Experience, Professionalism since 1994
“Good decisions are made with good information”

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