Are Your Inspectors RERA-Certified and InterNACHI-Certified?
It was 8:20 on a Saturday morning in November, in a three bedroom townhouse in Town Square. The community gate was still quiet.
The buyer was abroad. His sister met our inspector Farhan at the door, with her brother on a video call from her phone.
Farhan had not even switched on the thermal camera when the question came through the video call: “Are your inspectors RERA-certified? My agent said to ask.”
We like that question. It means the buyer is about to check us, and we would rather be checked than trusted blindly. Almost every certified snagging company in Dubai says the same words on its website, so buyers are right to ask what sits behind them.
Here is our answer, and how you can check it yourself.
The Short Answer
Yes. Prime Inspections is approved by RERA, the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department, for property inspection services, and our inspectors hold InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector training. RERA approves the company’s licensed activity, while InterNACHI certifies the individual inspector’s training and ethics. Ask us, or any company, for both documents before you book.
Behind that “yes” are three things: our Dubai trade licence, our DLD approval for property inspection services, and our inspectors’ InterNACHI certification. We send them to anyone who asks.
Want to see the documents first? Message us on WhatsApp at +971 50 602 1830 and we will send our trade licence and DLD approval before you book. We do not take commissions from developers and we do not sell property.
What RERA and DLD Actually Approve for an Inspection Company
RERA Is the Regulatory Arm of the Dubai Land Department
RERA is the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department. It regulates the people and businesses that work in Dubai real estate, including brokers, developers, owners associations and real estate service activities.
When a snagging company says it is RERA approved, this is the body it is talking about.
The Licensed Activity: Property Inspection Services
This is the part most buyers never hear.
The Dubai Land Department lists 21 real estate activities that a business can be licensed for. One of them is “Property inspection services”. You can see the list on the DLD Real Estate Licensing Application page.
A company applies through Trakheesi or the Invest in Dubai platform, the DLD reviews it, and the licence application goes through the Department of Economy and Tourism. Free zone companies need an NOC as well.
So when a firm says it is RERA approved, the real meaning is that the company is approved for this licensed activity. That is a property inspection services licence in Dubai, and it is what a DLD approved property inspection company holds. We explain why a RERA approved company matters in a separate post.
Does RERA Certify Individual Inspectors?
Here is the honest answer. The DLD issues professional practice cards for roles such as brokers, valuers and consultants. Inspectors are not one of those card categories.
So when people say an inspector is “RERA-certified”, the accurate way to read it is: an inspector working for a RERA approved company.
That is exactly what our inspectors are. We think saying this plainly builds more trust, not less. Are snagging companies regulated in Dubai? Yes, at company level, through this licensed activity.
Where the Trade Licence Fits
Every Dubai business needs a trade licence, either from the Department of Economy and Tourism on the mainland or from a free zone authority. The activity line on that licence shows what the company may legally do. That is what our “DLD / DED registered” wording refers to.
What InterNACHI Certification Means
Who InterNACHI Is
InterNACHI is the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. It was founded in 1994, is based in Boulder, Colorado in the United States, and is a nonprofit trade association. It says it operates in 65 countries.
It is not a Dubai government licence. It is a training, ethics and standards body for home inspection professionals.
What CPI Means After an Inspector’s Name
CPI stands for Certified Professional Inspector. To earn it, an inspector must:
- Pass the Online Inspector Examination
- Join as a member
- Complete the Code of Ethics course and the Standards of Practice course
- Submit four mock inspection reports
- Sign the enrolment agreement
To keep it, the inspector must complete 24 hours of continuing education every year, take required courses in areas such as plumbing, electrical, roofing, HVAC, structural and moisture intrusion, and retake the exam every three years with a score of 80 percent or better.
That is what InterNACHI CPI in Dubai means in practice.
Why It Matters in a Dubai Handover
InterNACHI gives an inspector a common method and a code of ethics. The Standards of Practice mean the inspector follows a defined system rather than a personal habit.
But Dubai specific knowledge, such as the defects liability period, developer portals, DEWA and district cooling, comes from local experience. We cover more on what InterNACHI certified inspection means for homeowners in another post.
The Engineers Behind the Credentials
Engineers, Not Technicians
Our team is made up of qualified engineers. Between them, they cover architectural, civil, mechanical, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, joinery and facade disciplines. Every inspector trains through Prime Academy, our in house programme. You can meet the engineering team on our website.
Dubai Municipality Registration and the Society of Engineers UAE
Our reports are overseen by Eng. Mohammed Nadeem Maldar, our Engineering Manager. He is a qualified civil engineer with more than 12 years on UAE engineering projects and property inspection, a Dubai Municipality registered engineer and a member of the Society of Engineers UAE.
In simple terms, Dubai Municipality registers engineers and licenses engineering consultancy offices, under a framework now set by Law No. 14 of 2025. The Society of Engineers is the UAE professional body for engineers.
One clarification matters. A Dubai Municipality engineer registration is a personal professional registration. It is different from the company’s DLD approval. Prime is not a Dubai Municipality licensed engineering consultancy office and does not issue building quality certificates.
How to Verify Any Snagging Company in Dubai (Including Us)
Back in Town Square, the buyer did all of this in two minutes. Farhan showed the company trade licence and the DLD approval on his phone, then opened his own InterNACHI profile. The name matched the man standing in the living room.
You can verify any snagging company in Dubai the same way:
- Ask for the trade licence and read the activity line, such as property inspection services
- Ask for the DLD or RERA approval for the property inspection services activity. You can also try the licence check on the DLD website or the Dubai REST app; if it does not show, ask for the approval document
- Ask for the inspector’s full name and search InterNACHI’s certified inspectors directory for Dubai
- Ask who reviews the report, and whether that engineer is Dubai Municipality registered
- Ask for a sample report with photos and rectification notes
- Ask how the company is paid: no developer commissions and no property sales
If a company refuses, or answers vaguely, that is your answer. For more warning signs, read our guide to red flags in snagging ads.
Use this checklist on every company you are comparing, including us. Our documents are one WhatsApp message away.
Practical Example: Two Quotes, One Question
Picture an investor in Jumeirah Village Circle comparing two quotes for a two bedroom apartment.
He sends both companies the same message: please share your trade licence, your DLD approval, the inspector’s name and a sample report.
Company A replies within ten minutes with all four. The trade licence shows the right activity. The inspector’s name appears in the InterNACHI directory. The sample report has photos, locations and rectification notes.
Company B replies: “We are RERA certified, trust us.”
The investor does not need to know anything about inspection law to make the choice. He chooses on evidence, not on the lowest price.
Handover snagging for a two bedroom apartment starts from AED 1,499, excluding VAT. Ask for a sample report and compare.
What We Do on Site, Credentials Aside
Documents get you through the door. The work is what protects you.
Our handover snagging is a 250+ point inspection, usually 2 to 4 hours on site. We use thermal imaging cameras, moisture meters, borescopes and electrical testing equipment. You receive a photo report with rectification notes within 24 hours, ready to submit to the developer. A follow up inspection after repairs is booked separately. You can see what our snagging report includes before you book.
The Town Square buyer told us something later that stayed with us. Once he saw the photos in the report, the documents mattered less. The evidence did the convincing.
As Eng. Mohammed Nadeem Maldar puts it: “A detailed snagging report gives buyers the power to have problems fixed by the developer before they take the keys, at no extra cost to them.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Prime Inspections RERA-certified?
Prime Inspections is approved by RERA and the Dubai Land Department for property inspection services and holds a Dubai trade licence. We share these documents with any client who asks before booking, so you can check them rather than take our word for it.
Does RERA certify individual snagging inspectors?
RERA approves the company’s licensed activity. DLD’s professional practice card categories cover roles like brokers and valuers, not inspectors. So when a firm says its inspectors are RERA certified, read it as inspectors working for a RERA approved company, and ask to see that approval.
Is InterNACHI certification recognised in the UAE?
InterNACHI is a US based international association, not a UAE government licence. Its Certified Professional Inspector mark shows the inspector passed an exam, follows a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, and completes yearly continuing education. It complements the company’s Dubai licence.
How can I check if a snagging company is licensed in Dubai?
Ask for the trade licence and read the activity line, ask for the DLD approval for property inspection services, and try the licence check on the DLD website or Dubai REST app. Then search the inspector’s name in InterNACHI’s directory.
Are Prime’s inspectors engineers?
Yes. Our team is made up of qualified engineers trained through Prime Academy, and reports are overseen by Eng. Mohammed Nadeem Maldar, a civil engineer registered with Dubai Municipality and a member of the Society of Engineers UAE.
Will the developer accept a report from an InterNACHI inspector?
Developers respond to clear findings. A report with photos, locations and rectification notes is easy for a handover team to act on. Credentials help the conversation, but the evidence in the report is what gets snags fixed.
Why don’t you publish your licence numbers online?
We share licence and approval documents directly with clients who request them before booking. That way you see the current document, not a number copied onto a website, and you can check it yourself.
Is a Dubai Municipality registered engineer the same as RERA approval?
No. Dubai Municipality registration is a personal professional registration for an engineer. RERA approval relates to the company’s licensed property inspection activity. A careful firm has both layers, and you can ask about each one.
Ask Us for Our Documents, Then Book
Ask for our trade licence and DLD approval, look at a sample report, then book your handover snagging. We are a certified snagging company in Dubai covering all seven emirates, with a 4.9 star Google rating.
Call or WhatsApp +971 50 602 1830, or email connect@primeinspections.ae. Reports are delivered within 24 hours.
