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Structured instruction
Online or classroom modules with checkpoints, so learners can progress around work and family schedules.
Course catalog
What Dola Academy teaches
Every course pairs structured instruction with real field application, taught the way working adults actually learn. Completion earns a Dola Academy certificate of completion — a training record, not a government license.
How courses are delivered
Classroom first. Field second. Documentation always.
Most courses combine online or classroom instruction with supervised field practice, and finish with a written deliverable — because that is what employers, clients, and funders actually see.
Supervised field practice
Roofs, attics, crawlspaces, panels, and mechanical rooms — with PPE, real tools, and an instructor present.
Certificate of completion
A documented record of what was taught and completed, suitable for employer, cohort, and grant reporting.
Important: Dola Academy courses lead to a Dola Academy certificate of completion. A certificate of completion is not a state license, a government credential, a professional certification issued by a third-party board, or placement on any HUD roster. Licensing, registration, roster approval, and examination eligibility are determined solely by the applicable state agency, board, or federal program, and any required application, examination, fee, or experience must be obtained separately by the student.
Foundations courses
Start here: foundational courses
Building literacy, safety discipline, and inspection vocabulary — the prerequisites that make every later course land.
Enrolling
Property Inspection Fundamentals
The entry point for everything else: how residential buildings are put together, what an inspector actually observes, and how to describe a condition without overstating it.
- Residential structure and systems literacy
- Observation vocabulary and condition ratings
- Safety awareness on and around properties
- Scope, limitations, and professional boundaries
- Format
- Online foundational modules with optional in-person orientation sessions.
- Who it is for
- New learners, sponsored cohort participants, and partners testing interest before a full track.
Enrolling
Safety Training / OSHA Fundamentals
Work safely in attics, crawlspaces, roofs, and active job sites: hazard recognition, PPE selection, ladder and fall awareness, and electrical safety discipline.
- Hazard recognition and job-site awareness
- PPE selection, fit, and inspection
- Ladder, roof, and confined-space safety practices
- Electrical and utility safety discipline
- Format
- Online modules plus hands-on PPE and ladder practice.
- Who it is for
- Every field learner; required orientation content in most cohorts.
Dola Academy safety instruction is educational. Official OSHA outreach cards are issued only by OSHA-authorized trainers through OSHA's own program.
Request Enrollment InformationInformation requests
Residential Structure & Building Systems
Read a house like a professional: load paths, framing, foundations, moisture management, envelope performance, and how failures show themselves.
- Foundations, framing, and load paths
- Roof assemblies and water management
- Envelope, insulation, and ventilation performance
- Recognizing movement, moisture, and deferred maintenance
- Format
- Online instruction with crawlspace, attic, and exterior field sessions.
- Who it is for
- Foundational learners across every track, including housing and community-development staff.
Inspection courses
Core inspection training
The professional inspection pathway: full residential inspection practice and system-level depth.
Enrolling
Home Inspector Training
Learn to inspect a residential property system by system and communicate findings clearly, from roof covering and exterior through structure, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and interior components.
- Standards-of-practice style inspection sequencing
- System-by-system observation and defect recognition
- Photo documentation and client communication
- Field walkthroughs with an instructor present
- Format
- Classroom / online instruction plus supervised field practice on real properties.
- Who it is for
- Career changers, tradespeople moving into inspection, and adults seeking a field-based professional pathway.
State home inspector licensing is issued by the applicable state agency. Dola Academy training supports preparation only.
Request Enrollment InformationInformation requests
HVAC Fundamentals / Inspection
Understand how residential heating and cooling systems operate and how to evaluate condition, performance indicators, venting, and installation defects.
- Furnace, heat pump, and split-system operation
- Temperature differential and performance checks
- Combustion venting and safety concerns
- Distribution, filtration, and condensate defects
- Format
- Classroom / online instruction with equipment lab and field practice.
- Who it is for
- Inspection students, maintenance technicians, and housing rehabilitation staff.
Specialty courses
Specialty inspection and consulting
Add-on services that expand what a professional can offer, each with its own separate licensing considerations.
Waitlist open
HUD / FHA 203(k) Consultant Training
Understand the 203(k) rehabilitation consulting workflow: feasibility review, property inspection, work write-up, cost estimating, draw requests, and required documentation.
- Feasibility study and rehabilitation scope concepts
- Work write-up and specification of repairs practice
- Cost estimating and draw inspection workflow
- Documentation standards and file organization
- Format
- Classroom / online modules with guided work write-up and scope exercises.
- Who it is for
- Experienced inspectors, contractors, estimators, and construction professionals exploring rehabilitation consulting.
Dola Academy is not HUD and does not place consultants on the FHA 203(k) Consultant Roster. Roster approval requires a separate application to HUD and is subject to HUD's own experience and eligibility requirements.
Join the WaitlistWaitlist open
Mold Inspector / Mold Assessment Training
Learn how moisture intrusion causes microbial growth, how to conduct a visual assessment, where and how to sample, and how to write a defensible assessment report.
- Moisture dynamics and building science fundamentals
- Visual assessment and moisture mapping
- Sampling methodology and chain-of-custody basics
- Assessment report structure and limitations language
- Format
- Classroom / online instruction plus hands-on moisture and sampling practice.
- Who it is for
- Inspectors adding a specialty service and restoration or property-management staff.
Mold assessment licensing and registration are regulated by the applicable state agency and must be obtained separately.
Join the WaitlistWaitlist open
Termite / WDI Inspector Training
Identify wood-destroying insect activity, conducive conditions, and damage evidence, and complete a wood-destroying insect inspection report accurately.
- Termite, beetle, and carpenter ant identification
- Conducive conditions and inaccessible-area limitations
- Evidence documentation and photography
- WDI report completion practice
- Format
- Classroom / online instruction with field identification practice.
- Who it is for
- Inspectors expanding services and pest-control or property professionals.
WDI inspection typically requires a state pest-control license or certification obtained separately through the regulating agency.
Join the WaitlistConstruction courses
Construction, estimating, and scope
Understanding how work gets built, scoped, and priced — essential for consulting and rehabilitation work.
Information requests
General Contractor / Residential Construction Training
Build practical command of residential construction sequencing, materials, subcontractor coordination, scheduling, and quality control from foundation to finish.
- Construction sequencing and critical-path scheduling
- Materials, assemblies, and workmanship standards
- Subcontractor scope and coordination
- Change orders, punch lists, and closeout
- Format
- Classroom / online instruction plus field observation on active work.
- Who it is for
- Tradespeople stepping into project leadership and community-development or rehab staff.
Contractor licensing and registration requirements vary by state and municipality and are obtained separately.
Request Course InformationEnrolling
Construction Estimating & Scope of Work (WWU-SOR)
Turn observed conditions into a defensible work write-up, scope of repair, and line-item cost estimate that a lender, funder, or homeowner can follow.
- Work write-up and specification of repairs (WWU-SOR)
- Line-item quantity takeoff and unit pricing
- Cost sourcing, contingency, and allowances
- Presenting scope to homeowners and funders
- Format
- Classroom / online instruction with graded estimating exercises.
- Who it is for
- Consultants, contractors, rehab specialists, and housing program staff.
Career Readiness courses
Career readiness and professional practice
The documentation, tools, and preparation that turn training into paid work.
Enrolling
Report Writing & Documentation
Write reports clients understand and reviewers respect: clear findings, accurate photos, appropriate limitations, and consistent recommendation language.
- Finding structure: observation, implication, recommendation
- Photo selection, annotation, and captioning
- Limitations and liability-aware language
- Template setup and delivery workflow
- Format
- Online workshop format with instructor-reviewed report submissions.
- Who it is for
- All inspection and consulting students; a required capstone in most tracks.
Enrolling
Field Tools & Inspection Technology
Use the equipment the job actually requires — moisture meters, thermal imaging, combustion and electrical testers, tablets, and reporting software — correctly and safely.
- Moisture meters and thermal imaging interpretation
- Electrical testers and safe measurement practice
- Tablet-based field capture workflows
- Reporting software setup and photo sync
- Format
- Hands-on lab sessions supported by online reference modules.
- Who it is for
- Inspection students and working professionals modernizing their toolkit.
Enrolling
Career Readiness & Exam Preparation Pathways
Prepare for the parts of the career that are not technical: study strategy for third-party examinations, resume and interview preparation, client communication, and first-year business basics.
- Structured study planning and practice questions
- Resume, interview, and professional presentation
- Client communication and scheduling practice
- Independent-practice basics: insurance, pricing, records
- Format
- Online cohort sessions with scheduled checkpoints and practice reviews.
- Who it is for
- Students nearing completion, sponsored cohort participants, and career changers.
Examinations are administered by third-party boards and testing providers. Dola Academy does not administer, score, or guarantee examination outcomes.
Request Enrollment InformationEducation first. Skills next. Career forward.
No diploma yet? Your path doesn't have to stop here.
Dola Academy trains adults for skilled careers. If high school completion is still ahead of you, we point you to our education partner first — then welcome you back when you are ready for workforce and trade training.
Step 1
Need a high school completion path?
If you have not completed high school yet, we recommend exploring Rooted & Rising Academy as an education-first pathway before starting trade training. This is a partner recommendation from Dola Academy — not a statement that a high-school diploma is a TREC prerequisite.
Step 2
Rooted & Rising Academy
Bring your available high-school transcript or academic records. Rooted & Rising can review your starting point and explain the enrollment/curriculum pathway that fits your situation. If you do not have a transcript, ask about Full Enrollment. Their self-paced, flexible academic work can help you work toward your high-school completion goal under their program.
Step 3
Handoff back to Dola Academy
Once your education goal is met and you are ready for skilled-career training, come back to Dola Academy. Depending on the course, you get online or classroom instruction, quizzes, a final assessment, supervised field practice, tools and PPE use, report writing, and career preparation.
Step 4
Inspection career path in Texas
Texas inspector licensing through TREC uses a national portion and a Texas state portion, administered by Pearson VUE; TREC adopts the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) for the national portion. Dola Academy may provide supplemental exam preparation. Only TREC-approved qualifying education providers and courses can satisfy TREC qualifying education credit.
Please note: Until Dola Academy holds formal TREC qualifying education provider and course approvals, our inspector material is training and exam preparation only — it is not TREC qualifying education. Completing Dola Academy quizzes or a final assessment does not, by itself, make anyone eligible for a TREC examination or license.
Education partner
Rooted & Rising Academy
A Christ-centered learning community serving children, teens, and adults. Their academics program is built around self-paced learning, flexible scheduling, clear weekly learning goals, printable and workbook curriculum, and digital supplements.
- Enrollment options: Full Enrollment, Rooted Curriculum Only, and Partial Curriculum Enrollment.
- Partial Curriculum Enrollment requires a current high-school transcript confirming the last completed grade.
- No transcript available? Their site directs learners to enroll in the Full Program — ask them about Full Enrollment.
Opens the partner's website in a new tab. Rooted & Rising Academy is an independent organization; enrollment, curriculum, and completion decisions are theirs. Dola Academy makes no claim of accreditation or universal diploma acceptance on their behalf.
What about general contracting in Texas?
Texas does not have a statewide general-contractor license requirement. Individual cities and counties may still require contractor registration, permits, insurance, trade licenses, or other local conditions — and regulated trades such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC have their own separate licensing rules.
Dola Academy's General Contractor / Residential Construction Training is construction and project-management skill training that ends in a Dola Academy certificate of completion. It is not a Texas general-contractor license, and it does not replace local registration or trade licensing.
Cohorts & sponsors
Courses can be sponsored for an entire cohort
Counties, nonprofits, workforce boards, employers, and foundations regularly fund a defined group of participants through one or more of these courses, with enrollment, scheduling, and completion reporting handled at the cohort level.
Already enrolled in a program?
Enrolled learners access coursework, lessons, and progress tracking in the Dola Academy student portal.
Not sure where to start
Pick the starting point that matches your experience
New to the field
Begin with Property Inspection Fundamentals and Safety Training, then move into Home Inspector Training.
Coming from the trades
Start with Home Inspector Training or Estimating & Scope of Work, then add a specialty such as mold or WDI.
Already inspecting
Expand with 203(k) consultant training, specialty inspections, and Field Tools & Inspection Technology.
Ready to enroll, or exploring options?
Tell us which course you are interested in and whether you are enrolling individually or through a sponsoring organization. We will send schedule, format, and prerequisite details.