The inspection is one of the smaller checks you'll write during a home purchase, and one of the few that exists purely to protect you. Here's what it actually costs, what moves the number up or down, and what the fee does and doesn't buy.
Square footage is the biggest factor. Many inspectors price in size tiers, because a 3,000-square-foot house simply has more roof, more outlets, more plumbing, and more attic to get through than a 1,100-square-foot ranch. Age matters too: older homes take longer to inspect and often carry add-ons like knob-and-tube wiring or galvanized pipe that deserve a closer look. Foundation type plays a role — a crawl space adds time on your back with a flashlight. And market sets the baseline: inspectors in expensive metro areas charge more than inspectors in rural counties, and a long drive to a remote property sometimes adds a trip fee.
| Home | Typical inspection cost |
|---|---|
| Condo or townhouse under 1,000 sq ft | $200–$350 |
| Single-family home, 1,000–2,000 sq ft | $300–$450 |
| Single-family home, 2,000–3,000 sq ft | $400–$550 |
| Over 3,000 sq ft, or a home 50+ years old | $500 and up |
Treat these as planning ranges, not quotes. Two inspectors in the same town can differ by $100 for the same house, and the cheaper one isn't automatically the worse one — but a price far below everyone else's is worth a question about what's included.
It's a visual, non-invasive inspection. The inspector won't open walls, move a seller's furniture, or dismantle equipment. What you get is a trained pass over everything reachable, plus a written report with photos — usually within a day. A room-by-room version of what gets checked is in the used house inspection checklist.
Anything an inspector can't see without special equipment or a separate license tends to be an extra. The common add-ons, with rough price ranges:
| Add-on test | Common added cost | When it's worth it |
|---|---|---|
| Radon test | $100–$200 | Most of the northern US, any home with a basement |
| Sewer line scope | $100–$300 | Homes over ~25 years old, or with big trees near the line |
| Termite / wood-destroying insect inspection | $50–$100 | Required by some lenders; smart almost everywhere in the South and East |
| Mold testing | $300–$600 | Visible mold, musty smell, or a history of water damage |
| Septic system inspection | $300–$500 | Any home not on city sewer |
| Well water testing | $100–$300 | Any home on a private well |
The sewer scope deserves a special mention. A collapsed or root-choked sewer line is a five-figure repair that a standard inspection cannot see at all, because it happens underground. On an older home, that $100–$300 camera run is some of the cheapest risk information in the whole transaction.
The buyer almost always pays for their own inspection, typically at the appointment or when booking — not at closing. Sellers occasionally order a pre-listing inspection before putting a house on the market, which is their money spent for their own reasons. And don't confuse the inspection with the appraisal: the appraisal protects the lender and judges market value, the inspection protects you and judges condition. They're separate, separately billed, and you only get to skip one of them.
Because you'll hire this person the same way you'd hire any contractor, the usual vetting applies — licensing where your state requires it, insurance, and sample reports you can actually read. The same checks in how to check if a contractor is licensed and insured carry over directly.
Shopping on price alone. The $75 you save choosing the cheapest inspector can cost you a missed sewer line or a dying furnace. Experience and a thorough report are the product; the walk-through is just how it's delivered.
Skipping new construction. New does not mean right. Inspectors regularly find disconnected vents, reversed wiring, missing flashing, and grading that sends water toward the foundation on houses nobody has lived in yet. Builders fix these things free during the warranty window — if someone finds them.
Not showing up. The report is a document. The walk-through is an education. Following the inspector gets you the verbal version: which findings are $50 fixes, which are $5,000 problems, and where the water shutoff hides. That last one alone is worth the afternoon.
Treating the report as pass/fail. Every house has a list. The inspection's job is to price the surprises before they're yours, not to declare a winner. Our checklist for before you hire a contractor makes a good companion for vetting whoever you bring in for the follow-up quotes.
Budget $300 to $500 for the base inspection on most houses, more for size and age, plus targeted add-ons where the home's age or region calls for them — a sewer scope on an older home, radon in the North. It's the buyer who pays, at the time of the visit. Measured against the cost of one hidden five-figure defect, it's the best-value line item in the purchase.
About two to three hours for an average single-family home. Small condos can be done in 90 minutes; large, older, or cluttered houses can run four hours or more. The written report usually arrives the same day or the next.
The buyer, in nearly every case — you hire the inspector, you pay at the appointment. The exception is a pre-listing inspection, where the seller pays for their own inspection before the house goes on the market.
Generally no. Most lenders require an appraisal, not an inspection, and cash buyers can skip it entirely. Waiving it is legal in most transactions — it's just a risk you're choosing to carry on the biggest purchase of your life.
Yes. New homes come with fresh mistakes: missing insulation, unsealed penetrations, grading errors, and HVAC shortcuts all turn up regularly. Catching them during the builder's warranty period means the builder pays for the fixes.
An inspection doesn't pass or fail a house — it gives you information. Depending on your contract, a serious finding usually becomes a repair request, a price credit, or grounds to walk away. What your options are comes down to the contingencies you signed, so read those before the inspection, not after.