(condo or mobile home inspection)
(home inspection plus termite and safe room inspection, and earthquake strapping)
Cost to hire a home inspector varies greatly by region (and even by zip code).
Get free estimates from home inspectors in your city.
The average cost of hiring a home inspector is $500 - $700.
A home inspection involves a professional and systematic evaluation of the condition of a residential property. It is a thorough physical exam of the house and includes the general functionality, overall safety, and integrity of a home and its components. The purpose of a home inspection is to ensure that a home buyer knows the status of the house being purchased before completing the transaction.
The price of a home inspection can range from $200 to $1,000. This range depends on the size and the type of home, and the location. Larger homes in neighborhood areas will be on the higher end of the spectrum. A home inspection will require anywhere from two to six hours to complete.
There are two major organizations which provide credentials for home inspectors: InterNACHI and ASHI. Both of these organizations define home inspection standards and exclusions but differ in their missions and methods for providing home inspector memberships.
InterNACHI stands for International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. This organization, founded in 1990, has a stated mission to provide its members with certification and continuing education and improvement in their trade.They provide free online training, certificate programs all over the world, business training, software products, student services, and more. To maintain their membership with InterNACHI and enjoy the many benefits, especially heightened visibility with discerning homeowners, inspectors have to:
ASHI is different in that it is an American, rather than international, organization. ASHI stands for American Society of Home Inspectors. ASHI was developed with a mission of enhancing professionalism and excellence in the home inspection field. They want to help to promote standards for inspections and provide educational programs and learning experiences to enhance excellence in their profession for all members. To get the highest designation by ASHI, ASHI Certified Inspector, a home inspector has to:
If you are looking to get the most out of your home inspection, then it is an important idea to start by asking questions. If you are unsure of what questions to ask or where to start, then consider this list of possible questions:
A home inspection contingency is also known as a due diligence contingency. The purpose of a home inspection contingency is to give the buyer a right to have the home inspected within a specific time period. This helps to protect the buyer and gives them the option to cancel the contract or re-negotiate to have the seller complete repairs based on the findings of the home inspection. Adding contingencies into a home sales contract will have no impact on the cost of the home inspection.
During a home inspection, the home inspector's main job is to evaluate the home. They will evaluate a bunch of different areas within the home including roofing, framing, the foundation, attic, drainage, plumbing, electrical systems, heating, pavement, fireplaces, stairs, doors, patios, decks, walls, ceilings, floors, appliances, and a number of other fixtures and components. By evaluating these different things, they look for any issues or repairs that may be necessary.
During the inspection the home inspector will make notes on all pertinent findings and will create a detailed written report for the buyer to review and reference. For those people who attend the inspection, the home inspector will verbally present the conditions and any issues they may have found. This information is very important as it enables a home buyer to make a decision about a home purchase and whether to go about completing the transaction or not. It also gives buyers the information to determine how much in repair and renovations will need to be done after taking possession of the house.
During the inspection process it is important to:
Standard home inspector's look for defects. If they see that something is wrong or unusual outside of their home inspection, they will recommend a more specialized inspection. Below is a chart illustrating some types of inspections and their average cost. All of these inspections are not necessary following a basic home inspection as long as there does not seem to be any noticeable problems.
Inspection | Cost |
---|---|
Soil | $30-$50 |
Roach | $40-$75 |
Plumbing | $50-$100 |
Bed bugs | $50-$200 |
Sewer and septic | $75 |
Electrical | $75-$100 |
Radon 1 | $110 |
HVAC | $75-$125 |
Mice | $75-$125 |
Mold | $75-$125 |
Pool and spa | $125 |
Termite | $250-$350 |
Lead | $350-$500 |
Roof | $488 to $746 |
Asbestos | $400-$800 |
Foundation | $500-$1000 |
After the home inspection is complete, there are some things you should know and expect. After the home inspection you should be aware of:
After a proper home inspection is complete you should expect to:
There are some things you can do that will help speed up your home inspection. A few of these are as follows:
Condos and smaller homes under 1000 sq.ft. will cost as little as $175, whereas larger homes over 2500 sq.ft. can be as high as $400 or more. Basically, the larger the home the higher the cost for inspection. Having a basement and crawlspace can cost you a little extra as can radon 1 and mold testing. All of these components can cost you an upwards of $50 or more added to the cost.
Typically depending on which company or home inspector you go with, they use different methods for determining fees. Some charge a flat rate based on square footage and living area where others charge based on the amount of time for the inspection. A home inspection can cost from $50-$75 per hour. If a home inspector charges based on time spent, the larger the house or living area, the more it will cost you.
The age of the home can also play a factor in the cost in a home inspection. Some newer homes can be inspected in around 2-3 hours, but older homes can take up to 4 hours or more. The reason for this is that older homes usually have more issues that need a closer look.
It is important to remember that cheaper isn’t always better in the case of home inspections. You want to make sure that the company is doing a good job, so make sure you do your research before making a decision.
Often, people confuse the terms home inspection and appraisal. A home inspection gives the details needed when buying or looking into buying a house. An inspection can indicate issues with the structure of the home but it does not provide a person with a market price for the property. A home inspection can range from $175 to $1,000 in price and will require anywhere from two to six hours to complete. An appraisal is the assessed market value of the home. Banks usually require appraisals when determining whether they will approve a loan. An appraisal gives the value of the home without a detailed assessment on the condition of the home or what needs to be repaired. An appraisal by a licensed professional averages from $300-$400 in price and requires roughly two hours to complete.
It is always a good idea to follow a home maintenance checklist to ensure that there are no issues. Below are some tips and a maintenance checklist for you to follow for a good inspection:
Illustrated in the chart are some possible repair projects that take place after a home inspection. The chart also illustrates the average price of the repair per project.
Repair | Cost per Project |
---|---|
Window frame | $170-$600 |
Floor | $140-$1,900 |
Foundation | $5,000-$7,000 |
Heat pump | $15-$17,000 |
Tree root problems (plumbing) | $100-$14,000 |
Water heating/air conditioning (plumbing) | $100-$14,000 |
Electrical up-to-date | $1,200-$18,000 |
Mold remediation | $500-$30,000 |
Basement remodeling | $25,000-$55,000 |
Specialty inspections can also be conducted on a house. These are not typically part of a standard home inspection. These specialty inspections are carried out by specialists in their fields and can cost extra. Below are some common specialty inspections.
Termites are insects that eat wood and come in large groups. In homes, termites can enter and eat the structure of a property, causing issues with the stability of a home. They will also eat anything wood inside of the house such as furniture. A termite inspection is a specialty inspection that is a good idea to have done if you are worried about termites. Some states and/or lenders require a termite inspection. A typical cost for a termite inspection runs from $250-$350 depending on the size of the house and yard.
Earthquakes are natural disasters that can cause rupture to all sorts of structures, especially a house. Retrofitting a home for an earthquake is important to be prepared if ever an earthquake was to occur. One part of retrofitting your house for an earthquake includes earthquake strappings. These can help to restrain items from falling or damaging pipes during an earthquake. Earthquake strappings can be installed by a contractor and can cost an average of $75-$115 per strapping. Adding an inspection to check for other retrofitting techniques for your home can cost an average of $200-$400.
More and more houses these days are designing safe rooms, also known as panic rooms. These are rooms that are installed in a residence home to provide a safe shelter or hiding place in the event of a tornado, terror attack, hurricane, home invasion or other threat were to occur. Inspecting a safe room requires some extra time for a home inspector. They need to check the walls, locks, and many other areas of the rooms to make sure they are very secure. An inspection of a safe room in your home can cost an additional $150-$400.
Mobile homes are actually more common than people think. More than 21 million people in the US live in mobile homes. It is as important to have a home inspection for a mobile home as it is for a regular home. A mobile home inspection, for the most part, is just like a regular home inspection. Mobile homes do, however, have some unique features that are different and require special examination. Many things are looked during a mobile home inspection, including electrical wiring, a/c systems, plumbing, roof, switches and faucets, foundation, and so on. The inspection of a mobile home varies from $250-$400 with mobile homes in urban and resort areas on the higher end of the range.
There is also the option of an annual home inspection checkup. Many people suggest doing this so that if there are any repairs necessary, they can be completed right away. For older homes, annual checkups are a good idea in case of possible mold growth, asbestos 5, foundation issues, etc. During an annual checkup, the same procedure and inspections will take place. A report will be completed and provided to the homeowner. An annual checkup averages $175.
In some situations a lender might require this as part of the mortgage application process and sometimes it may be unnecessary. In many states throughout the US, there is a “buyer beware” policy that means it is their responsibility to identify problems before signing the dotted line.
The purpose of a home inspection is to ensure that a home buyer knows the status of a house before purchasing and completing the transaction. This will give the buyer detailed knowledge of the condition of a residential property including: the general functionality, overall safety, and integrity of a home and its components.
During a home inspection, the home inspector will cover many areas of the home. They will evaluate a bunch of different areas within the home including roofing, framing, the foundation, attic, drainage, plumbing, electrical systems, heating, pavement, fireplaces, stairs, doors, patios, decks, walls, ceilings, floors, appliances, and a number of other fixtures and components.
There are some programs and organizations that you can look into if you are interested in becoming a home inspector. Two of these include the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) and, in the United States, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Both of these organizations involve online training courses and final exams.
A septic dye test 7 is a non-invasive procedure that is used to determine the condition and effectiveness of a home’s sewage and septic system. This test costs approximately $75 to complete.
A high school diploma or GED is required to apply for a home inspector training course. The training course costs around $1500. After your course you will need to pass a certification exam in the state you are in.
Some professionals offer a free termite inspection and others charge for it. It is very important to find a pest control company that you can trust to do the inspection. An average cost for a termite inspection is from $250-$350 depending on the size of the house and yard.
A home inspection is a non-invasive consulting service of a home. It is a thorough visual examination and assessment of a home to ensure that a homebuyer can make an informed decision when purchasing a home. A home inspection is conducted by a home inspector that has proper certification and training for inspections.
Cost to hire a home inspector varies greatly by region (and even by zip code). To get free estimates from local contractors, please indicate yours.