In This Together
ASHI’s Mike Atwell wants everyone to get the most out of a fruitful home inspecting career.

Mike Atwell just got off the phone with a lobbyist when I call. He’s optimistic. “It could be a huge boost to the legislation,” he said, but he can’t tell me anything else just yet.
Atwell, who won ASHI’s 2023 Monahan Award, has been working since July 2022 to help pass legislation in Massachusetts to help protect home inspectors and homebuyers with the right to have a home inspection.
Senate Bill S2474 known as An Act Protecting Consumer Rights in Purchasing Safe and Habitable Homes—would make home inspections a right in Massachusetts. Supporters of the legislation say prospective homebuyers would no longer feel the pressure to waive their inspection to sweeten an offer.
“Waiving the right to have someone look at the home has been a dangerous and financially disastrous step for many people. As home inspectors, we find things that are actually dangerous. I know we have saved lives,” Atwell said. “In Massachusetts we have the Lemon Law; if you buy a used car and it turns out to be terrible, you can return it, but you can’t return your house.” It just doesn’t make sense, he said, for such a big and important purchase to not include the right to an inspection.
Legislative work is one of Atwell’s passions, alongside the craft of home inspecting itself. In other legislative efforts, Atwell has helped to reduce the limit of liability for a home inspection from three to two years in Massachusetts.
The current legislation seems to be moving along quickly, though it still has a long way to go, he said. Ultimately, Atwell hopes it will inspire similar legislation elsewhere. “If we can pull this off, I hope other states can use it as a template.”
Atwell has been an ASHI Certified Inspector for more than 25 years and has inspected more than 6,000 homes. He came to the career after work as a contractor and construction supervisor, when he worked alongside fellow future ACI Jeff May (now working full-time in indoor air quality), who suggested the career move. Atwell specialized in the restoration of older homes for 15 years before becoming a home inspector in 1997.
“I had a lot to learn,” he said. “I was basically a carpenter. I had to learn about heating and wiring and so much more.” He started with a two-year evening course, and he’s been learning ever since.
Eventually Atwell joined May’s company and, when May moved on, he bought the business. “I really like the work. I’m not in the office all day. I did that once. I like meeting people from all walks of life.”
Today he’s president of J. May Home Inspections. The past president of ASHI New England (2012 to 2018) stays active, to say the least, and has many awards under his belt, including last year’s ASHI New England’s President’s Award. He’s been recognized as a dedicated member and has served as vice president and chair of the ASHI Education Committee. He’s been a board member of the New England Chapter
of ASHI since 2001.
Lessons Learned
Atwell said a good home inspector never stops learning. “A lot of things change very quickly, and there are always new products coming up that you need to be able to talk intelligently about.”
Self-described as “old-school,” Atwell admits he’s not so great at social media, relying mainly on many years of experience and word of mouth. Today, though, he recommends anyone starting out become well-versed in social media and even blogging.
In this chapter we don’t see each other as competitors. We’re all better at this if we rise together. People are very willing to share the knowledge and do anything they can to help. I really respect that.
Atwell enjoys providing an objective report about a property and helping people. He’s a good communicator and skilled at explaining sometimes complicated concepts in layperson’s terms so everyone can understand. “I like the education aspect of the job. I really feel like it’s an honest to goodness service.”
Today he takes what he’s learned and shares it with other inspectors, too. He teaches courses on what to look for when buying a home, and he attends monthly seminars.
“I’ve probably missed two seminars in 25 years. And we have an annual two-day conference we’ve been doing for about 15 years.”
Atwell still comes across things he’s never seen before, and that’s exciting. He still learns from chapter members he knows who have an interest in a particular area. “In this chapter we don’t see each other as competitors. We’re all better at this if we rise together. People are very willing to share the knowledge and do anything they can to help. I really respect that.”
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In this Issue
Behind the Scenes
Things to Consider When Choosing a Job as a Home Inspector
Where Did the Volunteers Go?
Inspection World On the Road
The ASHI Foundation
Postcards from the Field
Alternative Sources of Inspection Income in Slow Times
Inspection World On the Road – OHIO
ASHI Virtual Summit 2023
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