07/14/2026
📢 **IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MISSISSIPPI REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS, HOMEBUYERS & SELLERS**
We want to take a moment to share an important update regarding home inspections in the State of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Home Inspection Division now expressly identifies the **American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics** as the standards adopted by the State of Mississippi. The state is also directing inspectors and the public to the ASHI Standards of Practice and has published the newly approved 2026 ASHI Standard of Practice revisions.
As professional home inspectors, we are extremely grateful to see the standards governing our profession moving forward. For many years, Mississippi inspectors operated under a state Standards of Practice document derived from older ASHI standards. In our opinion, those minimum requirements represented a very basic scope of inspection compared to the more detailed and comprehensive standards now being presented to our profession.
**We especially encourage every real estate agent who sees this post to take a few minutes to review the ASHI Standards of Practice.**
This also applies to homebuyers, sellers, lenders, and anyone else involved in a real estate transaction where a home inspection is performed.
Why is this important?
Because the Standards of Practice establish the **minimum scope and responsibilities of a licensed home inspector in the State of Mississippi**. They help define what inspectors are expected to inspect, operate, describe, and report, as well as the limitations and exclusions of a home inspection.
We want to be very clear about something:
**Home inspectors are not in this business to “bust anyone's chops,” kill deals, or make real estate transactions more difficult.**
Our responsibility is to provide an **independent and unbiased report of the conditions and findings observed at a property on the day of the inspection**. We inspect the property, document our observations, and report those findings to our client in accordance with the standards and professional obligations governing our industry.
The same minimum Standards of Practice apply regardless of the buyer, seller, real estate agent, brokerage, or property involved.
Our goal is simple: **consistency, fairness, professionalism, and transparency for everyone involved in the transaction.**
We also understand that changes and clarification within our profession can sometimes create confusion regarding what an inspector is or is not expected to inspect and report. That is exactly why we encourage real estate professionals to familiarize themselves with the Standards of Practice. The more inspectors, agents, buyers, and sellers understand the scope of a home inspection, the easier it is for everyone to remain on the same page and feel they are being treated equally and fairly.
**We are not here to work against the transaction. We are here to independently inspect the property, accurately report our findings, and professionally serve our client.**
It is important to note that the Mississippi Home Inspection Division has explicitly stated that the newly approved 2026 ASHI Standard of Practice changes are **not yet effective and that an implementation date is pending**.
Estes Home Inspections has historically followed the **InterNACHI Standards of Practice** as the basis for our inspection services. Moving forward, we will be reviewing and updating our inspection practices, agreements, and reporting procedures to align with the Standards of Practice adopted and published by the State of Mississippi as the new requirements become effective.
Our commitment remains the same: to provide every client with a thorough, unbiased, and professional home inspection while meeting or exceeding the minimum standards governing our profession.
Let's continue working together to provide Mississippi homebuyers and sellers with professional, fair, and transparent real estate transactions.
Kanyon Estes,
Estes Home Inspections
We strongly encourage our real estate professionals to review the ASHI Standards of Practice at the link provided below. 👇
https://www.mhid.ms.gov/sites/mhid/files/UploadedDocuments/PDF_Files/ASHI-SOP-2026-approved-01_08_26.pdf?
