HouseMaster Home Inspections Done Right Since 1971

1976 - Co-founded ASHI
In 1976 Ken Austin became a founding member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), the first industry organization to set standards for home inspections.

1979 - First to Franchise
After developing a successful multi-inspector home inspection business, Ken Austin decided to take his model to the national level. In 1979 he created HouseMaster, the first home inspection franchise operation in the US, which remains the first and oldest home inspection franchise system in North America.

1984 - First On-site Written Report
With the home inspection industry in its infancy, Ken Austin and team developed formalized training procedures for home inspectors - this included standardized, and clearly categorized on-site written inspection reports, pioneering the professional home inspection business.

1986 - First Agent Indemnification Program
In 1986 HouseMaster established our Agent Indemnification Program, providing a necessary layer of protection for our agents.

1987 - Started NIBI
In 1987 The National Institute of Building Inspectors was created - NIBI would become a premier school for home inspectors, and has been providing home inspection training courses and certifications for the last 35 years.

1989 - Introduces Pre-Inspections
HouseMaster introduced the idea of pre-inspecting your home before accepting an offer or before putting it on the market in 1989 - we have since helped thousands and thousands of customers prepare for the selling process with a pre-inspection.

1994 - Introduced Inspection Guarantee
Taking a step forward ahead of the competition, in 1994 HouseMaster introduced their Inspection Guarantee. The protection the guarantee provides to franchisees as well as inspection customers is a great example of HouseMaster's commitment to excellence.

1999 - Introduced HouseMaster's Hero
In 1999 HouseMaster introduced the "HouseMaster Hero" - this character would represent the spirit of the franchise system for years to come.

2000 - First Online Training Program
HouseMaster started off the new millennium with a bang. In 2000 they took their training program to the internet and started the first online training program for home inspectors.

2003 - Became Charter Members of AHIA
HouseMaster's then President, Kathleen Austin Kuhn, daughter of the founder Ken Austin, and a 19-year veteran of the company, became a Charter Member of the American Home Inspection Association (AHIA).

2009 - 30th Year Anniversary
In 2009 HouseMaster celebrated 30 successful years in the home inspection industry, continuing the vision that Ken started and keeping the culture of family. With the most experienced and professional support staff in the industry, the HouseMaster name continues to represent quality and leadership.

2014 - Buyer Benefits Program Launched
Most consumers spend upward of $9,000 or more to move. The Buyer's Benefit program in the HouseMaster Cloud can helps them save money! HouseMaster has negotiated unique savings with top-name brands and other Neighborly brands designed to save home buyers both time and money.

2017 - Introduced HouseMaster Cloud
The HouseMaster Cloud is where you will find your inspection report, money-saving offers, and better ways to manage your new home. Use HouseMaster Cloud as your home management platform. You'll enjoy your new home more when you know everything you need is at your fingertips.

2018 - Introduced Repair List Generator
With HouseMaster's Repair List Generator, agents or home buyers can quickly create a list of issues directly from the inspection report. The list can be easily shared with sellers to request repairs or speed up negotiations.

2020 - Joined Neighborly®
HouseMaster joined Neighborly. Neighborly is a family of home service brands that share a commitment to providing you with outstanding service. All our service professionals operate on a simple but powerful principle--if a job's not done right, we'll make it right.