How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost By Lisa Kaplan Gordon

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a typical home inspection costs $300 to $500. In most cases, it’s well worth it for buyers to hire a home inspector. The exact price will depend on the size of your home, where you live, and what you want inspected.


Home inspections are an important step in the home-buying process. As a buyer, your lender may not require you to get a third-party inspection in order to qualify for a loan. But most real estate agents recommend you get an inspection, for your own protection. You may be required to pay the home inspection fee at the time of service.


A professional home inspector, certified by the NAHI, is trained to use a home inspection checklist to look at over 1,600 features of your home that can fall into disrepair (who knew there were so many?).

A home inspector uses noninvasive methods to look primarily at the following:

Grounds for possible water or septic problems

Structure for foundation, window, or door problems

Exterior for rot, decay, and excavation problems

Roof for shingle, flashing, and fascia problems

Interior for framing, insulation, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical issues

Kitchen for electrical code compliance, operating cabinets, and plumbing problems


An inspection of a typical house takes two to three hours. What should not make a price difference is the thoroughness of the home inspection, the final written inspection report, and the photos the home inspector delivers to the client. These should be standard features of any home inspection—not extras. You, the buyer, should not pay an extra fee for them.


Every potential homeowner should spring for a termite inspection (if it’s not included in the standard inspection).


As a potential buyer, a home inspection is your authoritative proof of property problems. Most home purchase agreements are contingent upon the results of a home inspection, including a pest inspection. Armed with knowledge from your home inspection report, you may be able to either insist that the seller fix or repair certain issues before closing, renegotiate the price to reflect future repairs, or walk away without losing your earnest money.


Be aware that not all items on an inspection report are mandatory fixes or should be a cause to walk away from a deal.