Rebecca Castro: How I Became a Home Inspector

November 1, 2022

If you would have told me five years ago that I would be crawling under people’s houses and in their attics, I probably would have laughed. Fast-forward five years, and that is exactly what I am doing. And to be completely frank, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My name is Rebecca Castro, and I am a certified home inspector working in Southern California. Along with being certified by the NHIE (National Home Inspectors Exam) standards, I am also an ACI (ASHI Certified Inspector) and CCI (CREIA Certified Inspector). I work for my father’s company (Sunrise Inspections), which has been in business for more than 18 years. At Sunrise, it’s just my Dad and me. He and I work as a team to provide quick but thorough inspections. On average, we work about two to three jobs a day, five days a week. I have been working with him onsite since 2019 and received my certification in June 2021.

But how did I even end up in this position—working in a male-dominated industry, surrounded by more experienced inspectors, climbing on ladders and under houses? I’ll tell you how. I matched my talents and previous work experience with an industry. Doing that, and with a little push from my Dad, I knew being an inspector was what I wanted to do. To be honest, I know I have a great advantage in having my father in the industry. But for someone like me (hard-working and eager to learn), that wouldn’t have been enough to start this career. It was so much more than that.

My Background

When I was younger, I would see my Dad come home from work and remember him saying, “I have to finish this report,” as he tiredly walked upstairs from his long workday. I never thought anything of it. Looking back, it makes me smile because I know exactly how he feels. I am 29 years old and have had a plethora of jobs and careers across a variety of industries. My college degree is in fashion—specifically merchandising and marketing. I was a manager at Nordstrom for many years and truly thought fashion was going to be my forever career. After leaving Nordstrom in 2017, I found a temporary job, but I wasn’t set on it. I did it to pay the bills, but I didn’t love what I was doing.

Sunrise has always been a very steady company. Growing up, I worked with my Dad onsite doing minimal things like testing outlets and checking windows, but I never paid much attention to anything else. In 2019, Sunrise was swamped with work. At that time, it was only my Dad doing the inspections. Desperate for help, he asked me to take over the scheduling in addition to helping him onsite. It started as an extra source of income and a way to help relieve some of his stress. But one day while onsite, I heard my Dad and his client talking about “old shingles” and what having a bad roof could mean. It was an “a-ha” moment. I was intrigued and fascinated about how a house works. Over the next few weeks I started paying more attention to what my Dad pointed out to clients.

Making the Decision

I thought about whether being a home inspector was something I wanted to do or could attain. I had no prior experience in any of the subjects a home inspector needs to know. Plus, I am a young, petite female, which I thought could be an issue. Even considering starting this career was intimidating, and I had so many questions and negative thoughts racing through my mind. “You’re a girl!” I thought. “You don’t know anything about HVAC!” “You don’t know anything about plumbing!”

The list of self-doubts went on. After feeling anxious and unsure about my next move, I started to shift my thinking and focus on what I liked about inspecting. That is where matching my talents and previous work experience came into play. It ultimately helped me make my decision to start pursuing this career. Between getting to make my own schedule, the attention to detail the job takes, the behind-the-scenes aspect of managing a business, the fantastic agents and clients I meet, and the amazing properties I see—it checked all my boxes. Flexibility, nice people, different places every day, and good money? Sign me up.

“Being able to read something in my study guide and then physically see it onsite was huge.””

How I Did It

I knew I had a long road ahead. I asked my Dad what the first steps were, and he told me if I wanted to work as an independent inspector for Sunrise I needed to get certified, which meant passing the NHIE. I ordered all my materials, joined CREIA (California Real Estate Inspection Association) and ASHI, and went to work. Reading a huge NHIE manual filled with measurements and boring material was not cutting it for me. I needed more, so I signed up for the AHIT course (American Home Inspector Training), which has online videos with an instructor. It helped me a lot.

Working onsite was another big advantage alongside studying the materials. Being an inspector is a very hands-on job, so being able to read something in my study guide and then physically see it onsite was huge. I spent a year studying for the NHIE and passed on the first try in June 2021. The sense of accomplishment and pride I felt was unmatched. I had just done something I never thought was possible.

After passing the test, I worked on finishing the requirements for CREIA and ASHI. I have completed more than 250 fee-paid inspections and can now call myself CCI and ACI, which is a great selling point for me as an inspector and my business. I also have found community in ASHI and CREIA, and it feels great to be supported by my colleagues.

“I still get a lot of, ‘Wow, you’re the first female inspector I’ve encountered,’ but I’m so used to it now I’m surprised when someone doesn’t mention it.”

Confidence

Being certified also gave me a new sense of confidence. I felt more comfortable speaking to clients and explaining my findings. I assumed it would all be smooth sailing then, but I was wrong. Before getting certified I was in the background, so I don’t think people cared that I was younger—or a woman.

I still get a lot of, “Wow, you’re the first female inspector I’ve encountered,” but I’m so used to it now I’m surprised when someone doesn’t mention it. The first negative experience I had onsite was with a retired contractor who was buying a commercial building. When we showed up, he chuckled. He walked up to my Dad, gave him a handshake, and looked past me. My Dad stopped him and said, “This is my daughter, Rebecca. She’s a certified inspector, and we will partner to do this inspection.” He turned back, gave a brief wave, and continued walking.

The inspection took about four hours, and I was given the cold shoulder the whole time. When we did our summary with the client, he asked many questions and, to his surprise, I answered them thoroughly and gave him the information he needed. It was at that point that he shook my hand and said, “Thank you.” As we got to the car, I thought about why I felt put down; I didn’t know if it was because I was a female or because of my age. Either way I felt bad, and my Dad could tell. He taught me it’s not personal. “Don’t make it personal. Don’t take it personally,” he said. “You will not always be the right inspector for everyone, and that is OK.”

It was a good learning experience. I did the work. I put in the time. It doesn’t matter my age or gender, and that’s what I needed to remember. That’s not to say I know everything because I don’t. I learn something new every day, and I anticipate that being the case for the rest of my career. But knowing that I don’t know everything is key. And I know I’m not the only inspector (male or female) who has faced these issues.

After that unpleasant experience, I made the conscious decision to be as confident as I could from the moment I stepped out of the car so no one would ever question my position. I subconsciously realized that even though I was certified, I may still have come off as timid or unsure because I would always let my father lead the jobs and conversations. Now I make it a point to step in and always have a say in what is going on.

I also invite all clients to shadow me on jobs so they can see what I find. I have settled into my role more and have met great people along the way. I have also started utilizing the CREIA and ASHI services more and am thrilled to be a part of such good organizations. One of the things I found most interesting was how inviting and supportive all the other inspectors were and have been along my journey. I belong to the LA/VC CREIA chapter, and everyone in our group has been nothing but helpful. I have also gotten multiple jobs from being an ASHI member and having my profile on the website.

Having support like this really got me excited and motivated to get more involved. Currently I serve as a member on the CREIA Conference Planning Committee and am hoping to help out with starting a women’s group at ASHI. California is just one state, but I can confidently say I only know of three other female inspectors in the area. My long-term goal is to support new and seasoned inspectors while introducing and welcoming women and a younger demographic into the industry.


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