What is the Cost of a Home Inspection?

The price of a home inspection should NOT be the determining factor when choosing a home inspector.

All home inspectors are not created equal. When choosing a home inspector, price should not be the main issue. Buying a home may be the biggest and most important decision that you may make in your lifetime. Do not skimp on the price of your home inspection. You should look for a home inspector with experience and knowledge.

All that being said, the price of a home inspection is usually determined by the 3 factors listed below.

The price paid for the home is not a determining factor when calculating the cost of a home inspection.

# 1-- Size of the Home
For obvious reasons, this factor is number one. Large homes take longer to inspect. Not only are there more bedrooms and bathrooms to inspect, but the roof surface and exterior has more square footage to traverse and scrutinize. A large home has more outlets to test. There are also more windows and doors to operate. The inspection report also takes longer to compose.
In the United States the average size of a 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom home is about 2000 sq. ft. You can expect to pay $350.00 - $500.00 for a home this size.
The variance in price can be due to the work load of the inspector. If a home inspector's business is slow, they may charge less. If their business is booming, the home inspector is able to charge more without fear of losing the customer.

# 2-- Age of the home
The age of a home can add as much as 20% to the cost of a home inspection. This is because an inspection on an older home usualy takes longer. The reason it takes longer to inspect an older home is because there are usually more defects that develope over time such as rotting wood and foundation settlement.
Also, sub-standard repairs may have been made by previous homeowners with limited knowledge in construction and home maintenance. The home inspector may have to dig deeper to detect and report on these sub-standard repairs and aging components.

Since there are usually more defects in an older home, the home inspection report also takes long to compose

# 3-- Systems or features present
A standard home inspection includes a visual evaluation of the general components of the main home such as; foundation, electrical service, HVAC system, plumbing, roof, floors, walls, doors, windows, ceilings, attic, insulation and permanently attached features like cabinets and light fixtures. Although no mandatory, sometimes as a courtesy, the inspector may test the appliances such as the stove, oven, microwave, refrigerator for general operation. But the home may have additional components or features such as; fireplaces, detached garages, outbuildings, decks, porches, crawlspaces etc.

These additional components, like factors 1 & 2, can significantly increase the time that it takes to perfom a thorough inspection of the entire property and compose the inspection report.

The home inspector may charge additional fees to perform inspections on components that are not part of a standard home inspection. These ancillary inspections may include, but are not limited to; pools, jacuzzis, WDO's, screen rooms, remote decks, sheds etc.