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YOUR HOME INSPECTION: Price vs. Cost "How Much Do You Charge?" This is often the first question prospective home buyers ask a home inspector, rather than asking about the inspector’s qualifications and experience. In home inspection, one size does not fit all. Since formal education is not a pre-requisite in this profession. The level of experience and talent of home inspectors counts! The size and age of homes also varies. Some homes or condos can be inspected in less than 2 hours. Older, larger homes can take 4 or more hours. Some inspection reports might take less than two hours to complete, while others might take 4 hours or more. It’s all about the level of detail in your report. Some so called "informational" web sites state that home inspection fees run from $150 to $250, however, these "low" fees are usually based on an inspector doing 3 inspections per day and completing on-the-spot checklist type reports. A thorough inspection, full “narrative report including photos” will take 3-5 hours. These reports are usually emailed out later that same day after completion. How "thorough" is the inspector doing 3 inspections using handwritten reports? Not all inspection companies quote the inspection fee using the same criteria or methods. Some might charge a flat rate, others might charge by the square foot of living area and age. Some charge by the selling price of the house or take the selling price into consideration for determining an inspection fee. Some may not include detached garages as part of the main house and charge extra for them. Most charge for optional services, such as wood destroying insects and radon testing. Some inspectors are licensed in these fields, while others are not. Cost can be put in perspective: Let’s take an example. If you're buying a $400,000 house and the inspection fee is $395, that's less than .01% of the cost of the house! Most real estate professionals will charge 3% to 6% to sell a house. That would be $12,000 to $24,000 compensation for that same $400,000 house! The cost of a home inspection is a bargain. If the owner of a house is willing to pay a real estate agent a $12,000 to $24,000 commission to sell their house, how much are you willing to invest with a world class home inspection company to know everything about that exact house you intend to purchase? Aside from the time invested, the real value of the inspection report can be measured by its usefulness. If the inspection turns up little wrong with the house, you've invested in some relatively inexpensive peace of mind. If your inspector discovers serious problems, your $395 could end up saving you thousands! Take a look at what some clients of U.S. Inspect have said about their inspections.
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