Home Inspection Cost Calculator

Two to three hours for a typical single family home, and longer for an older or larger one. The written report usually follows within 24 hours. Ask whether you can attend the last half hour: walking the house while the inspector talks through what they found is worth more than any document, and it is the part most buyers skip.

You do not have to be, but it is the single best use of a couple of hours in the whole purchase. You get to ask what a finding actually means, how urgent it is, and roughly what it costs to put right — none of which a report conveys as well as someone pointing at it. If you cannot attend the whole thing, arrive for the summary.

No. An inspection is not a pass or fail test and it is not a code compliance check. It is a written record of the condition of what the inspector could see and safely reach on the day. What you do with it — negotiate, ask for repairs, walk away — is your decision, not the inspector's.

Anything behind a wall, under the ground, or that cannot be reached safely. That means no opening up finishes, no dismantling appliances, and often no walking a wet or steep roof. Radon, mould, sewer lines and termites are separate tests with their own equipment, which is why this calculator lists them as add-ons rather than assuming them.

You get a report with photographs, usually within a day, sorted by system and by severity. Read the summary first and then the detail. Most contracts give you a defined window to respond, so the useful next step is to price the two or three items that actually matter — a specialist quote carries far more weight in a negotiation than a line in an inspection report.