The Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee (TREIC) convened on October 13 at the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) headquarters in Austin to discuss updates from its subcommittees, proposed changes to standards of practice, education requirements, and license reciprocity.
During the meeting, the Standards of Practice (SOP) Subcommittee presented its first draft of proposed SOP changes. The review process has been ongoing for nearly two years. While most suggested modifications are minor, a significant proposal involves moving three sections from the appliance section to the HVAC section of inspection reports. This change aims to better categorize ventilation systems but raised concerns about potential confusion for consumers and inspectors. As a result, both the report form and SOPs were sent back to the subcommittee for further consideration.
Another notable recommendation is that inspectors should keep inspection reports accessible for at least four years after an inspection is completed. This aligns with the statute of limitations for filing complaints.
According to Lee Warren, Chair of TREIC, “The first set of actual proposed SOP changes, including a possible report form change, will likely be recommended for proposal to the Commission at the January 20, 2026 TREIC meeting. I would encourage all stakeholders to get involved with this process sooner rather than later. The SOP Subcommittee meetings can be attended by all interested parties online.”
If these recommendations are made at the January meeting, they may be forwarded to TREC commissioners for consideration in February. The commission can either send them back for more review or propose them as presented. Public feedback will be solicited before any adoption takes place. The earliest possible adoption date for new SOP changes would be May 2026.
In addition, the Education Subcommittee addressed when students should complete their required 40-hour Texas Practicum as part of prelicensure education. Currently there is no rule dictating when this practicum must occur; some students have started it before finishing their coursework. To address this issue, the committee approved a recommendation requiring completion of all coursework prior to beginning the practicum. This proposed rule change will be considered by TREC at its November meeting and will also be open for public comment.
The committee also discussed inspector license reciprocity between Texas and other states. Licensing Division staff reported that such requests are infrequent and handled individually based on criteria such as originating state requirements and whether an applicant has passed the national exam portion.
Lee Warren announced his departure from TREIC after 13 years: “I have been honored to have served on this committee for the last 13 years. I am proud of what we have all accomplished in that time, but it could not have been done without the vast number of people that rarely get recognized for the efforts that they put in.”
Materials from this meeting are available online along with a recording. The next TREIC meeting is scheduled for January 20, 2026; attendance options include both in-person participation and livestream viewing.
