Return to InspectionWorld

This year, inspectors from all over the country were making final preparations to attend InspectionWorld 2026, scheduled to take place February 15 to 18, 2026, at Valley Forge Casino & Resort in Valley Forge. 

The conference with the industry’s top leaders offers much to look forward to each year, from the latest in education to an exhibition hall featuring new technologies to plenty of opportunities to reconnect or forge new friendships. 

Top-Notch Education 

Retired ASHI Inspector Mike Twitty, known for his electrical expertise, will lead two sessions at this year’s InspectionWorld, focusing on PV and generator power as well as EV charging systems. A current ASHI School instructor, Twitty now provides electrical training for home inspectors at locations across the country. 

“I hope to provide information that is fresh and interesting in the class,” he said. “I like to offer some different viewpoints in inspection techniques that differ from the standard norm. My favorite comment is, ‘I never thought of it that way!’”

As an educator, Twitty strongly supports in-person training. “Online education has a place as well, but nothing compares with live in-person sessions. InspectionWorld has always been a great training opportunity,” he said. 

Familiar Faces 

Twitty was also looking forward to reconnecting with fellow inspectors and friends at the 2026 conference, calling it a reunion of sorts. While it’s an opportunity to catch up with old friends, it also provides a way to make new friends and colleagues in the industry. 

“I hope all attendees will make new friends and renew old friendships. I also hope everyone comes away with the satisfaction that they learned new things that will improve the services they provide,” he said. 

Some of ASHI’s earliest members, including ASHI Founder Ron Passaro, were planning to be in attendance this year. Passaro was in his 20s when he founded ASHI 50 years ago (read more about the organization’s founding in a longer interview with Passaro in the March issue). He was looking forward to traveling to Valley Forge for the event with his wife and son-in-law, who was a contractor. “I trained him in home inspection. That will be exciting,” Passaro said, looking forward to InspectionWorld with family. 

Passaro owns Res-I-Tec home inspection company in Connecticut but says he’s mostly “on the sidelines” these days. Still, he was looking forward to learning new things at this year’s conference. “I’ll probably jump in and out of the classes because they’re still interesting to me,” he said. 

But it’s the familiar faces he’s most looking forward to at InspectionWorld. “It’s seeing people I haven’t seen for awhile and meeting people who do the same thing I do for a living. And ASHI does a really good job. The exhibition hall with all of the new gadgets and standards, I’ll be looking at all that. That’s all good stuff,” Passaro said. 

John Heyn, also known as ASHI Member #5, will also be in attendance. The 93-year-old is a past ASHI president and early Monahon Award winner, and he was one of the first home inspectors to charge a fee, helping to put home inspections on the map in the Baltimore area (more in Heyn in the March issue of the Reporter). He started his home inspection business in 1968 and was at the first home inspectors meeting Passaro held. The meeting took place at Rutgers in 1976.  

Heyn says the way ASHI has grown over the decades is wonderful. “Certainly everyone knows about home inspections now,” he says. “I’m really pleased that ASHI is still around and still growing, and that inspectors are able to handle all the high-tech services available to them now. In my day, I had a one-page report with a carbon copy. I didn’t have to do anything with radon or mold. It’s a lot tougher now, and I really admire the inspectors today who can handle all that. I’m sure some of the exhibitors will have even more new stuff.” 

Planning for IW 2026

A special vendor hall kickoff will take place on February 15, followed by three days of educational programming as part of this premier home inspector conference for home inspection professionals across North America. 

The location at Valley Forge is special, too, full of history and things to explore, Twitty said. “I’m sure the winter encampment of the Continental Army there almost 250 years ago met very harsh conditions. Our experience should be much cozier,” he said. 

While exploring the nation’s history, the gathering is also a chance to celebrate ASHI’s own history and appreciate the founders of the association while honoring those who built the profession over the past 50 years, Twitty said. 

Suraj Rajdev, a Google employee and adjunct professor at Northwestern University, is scheduled to be this year’s keynote speaker. His keynote, “The AI Revolution: The Next Frontier of Digital Transformation,” will explore the craze of the past several years, with a wide range of opinions on the level of disruption to expect. His talk will also explore AI capabilities and how they intersect with the real estate industry and the home inspector category. 

This year’s conference will feature some of the biggest names in the industry, including everyone from ASHI Past President Bruce Barker to experts at Clarke Engineering, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the International Code Council, Monroe Infrared, and more. 

Session speakers and topics this year include: 

Brian Eisenman: Don’t Get Hurt Like They Did! 

Brianne Smith: Expand Your Scope; Protect Your Future

Bruce Barker, ACI: Inspection Quiz

Dan McLaughlin: Administration, Plumbing Fixtures & Residential HVAC Sizing

Dan McLaughlin: Residential Ventilation

Dan McLaughlin: Concrete

David Goldstein, ACI: Structural Defects –
When to Recommend an Engineer

David Goldstein, ACI: Consulting Work –
Becoming an Expert Witness

Diana Goldstein: How Does Your Business Look Naked?

Duane Morrison, ACI: Building a Scalable Inspection Company

Brad Keyes: The Future of Comfort: Heat Pumps, HVAC Trends, & Refrigerant Regulations

Graham Clarke, ACI: The Ins & Outs of Crawl Space Inspection

Graham Clarke, ACI: Cracks, Creaks, & Concerns Navigating Structural Integrity in Home Inspections

Joseph Wages: The Grounding Electrode System

Joseph Wages: GFCI & AFCI Requirements,
An Adoption History

Mark Goodman, ACI: Smart Homes 

Mike Twitty, ACI: Inspecting PV & Generator Power Systems

Mike Twitty, ACI: Inspecting EV Charging Systems

Peter Muehlbronner, ACI: Pool Inspections
& the Real Estate Market

David Goldstein, ACI: Discussing ASHI’s New Standard of Practice for Home Inspections

Carson Dunlop & Associates: Business Opportunities & Exploring Franchising

Sandra Hyde: Townhouse Building Safety Features

Bill Fabian: Infrared Applications
for Home Inspectors

Tom Urban: Masonry Fireplace & Chimney

ASHI members will also be able to earn ASHI CEs for some of their time spent with speakers, colleagues, and vendors this year. 

For a complete schedule and session details, or to register, visit homeinspector.org/education/inspectionworld-annual-conference. 

Read more from the founders and early members of ASHI in the March issue of the Reporter.