Home Inspection Cost Calculator: Fees and Add-Ons by Home Type
Condo to new build: a DIY checklist from $127 in testers, a licensed inspector from $200.
- Pick the home type; the pro fee tracks size and age. Then tick the add-ons the house calls for — radon, sewer scope and termite are the three most often worth it.
- The DIY column is real money — about $157 in testers, a meter and a radon kit — but it prices a screening walk, not a report you can negotiate with. For a purchase, read it as what you'll spend in addition to the inspector, not instead.
- On the large-house option the DIY side includes a sewer camera rental; on the others, the inspector's scope add-on is the practical way to see the drain.
- Set your hourly rate and the break-even is high — because a licensed inspection is cheap for what it does.
Calculate cost
| Tools to buy or rent | $92 |
|---|---|
| Materials | $65 |
| DIY cash cost | $157 |
| Your time (4 h × $25) | $100 |
| DIY all-in | $257 |
DIY saves about $143 after valuing your time ($243 in cash).
National estimates for planning. Doesn't include the risk-side costs described on the comparison page.
Typical results by job size
Defaults the calculator starts from: commonly owned tools excluded, typical pro price, no add-ons.
| Size | Verdict | DIY | Pro | Your hours | Typical savings | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Condo or townhouse, under 1,000 sq ft | Hire | $127 | $200–$350 | 2–3 hours | $148 (54%) | $59/hour |
| House, 1,500–2,500 sq ft | Hire | $157 | $300–$500 | 3–5 hours | $243 (61%) | $61/hour |
| Large or older house, 2,500–4,000 sq ft, pre-1980 | Hire | $357 | $450–$750 | 4–7 hours | $243 (41%) | $44/hour |
| New construction, two phase inspections | Hire | $157 | $500–$1,000 | 4–8 hours | $593 (79%) | $99/hour |
Break-even is what an hour of your time would have to be worth for DIY and hiring to cost the same. Above it, hiring is cheaper all-in. See how these are calculated.
Reading the result
The home type you pick applies to both tabs.
Do it yourself totals the tools a checklist walk needs and you don’t already own — an outlet tester, a moisture meter, a voltage tester, binoculars, and on the large-house option a sewer camera rental — plus a mail-in radon kit and coveralls for the attic and crawl space, and your hours at the rate you set: 2–3 for a condo, 3–5 for a house, 4–7 for a large or older one, 4–8 across two visits on new construction. There’s no permit or disposal line; there’s nothing to file or throw away.
Hire a pro starts from a low, typical or high inspector’s fee for that home type, then adds the tests a base inspection doesn’t include: a radon monitor, a termite or wood-destroying-organism inspection, a sewer camera scope, mold sampling, well water and septic, a pool or spa, thermal imaging, a chimney level 2, and a re-inspection after repairs. Tick what the house calls for and compare.
What neither tab includes: what the inspection finds. A $400 inspection that turns up a $9,000 roof or a $6,000 sewer line is the point of the exercise, and the cost comparison explains why that’s a job for a licensed inspector on any purchase. The DIY checklist is for the walk before the offer, the check before listing, and the yearly look at your own house.
Frequently asked questions
Which home type should I pick?
Condo or townhouse for any unit where an association owns the roof and exterior. House for a single-family home of roughly 1,500–2,500 sq ft built after 1980. Large or older for anything over 2,500 sq ft or built before 1980 — inspectors charge more for both, and the pre-1980 houses are where the aluminum wiring, old panels and galvanized pipe live. New construction for a house under construction, where the price covers a pre-drywall visit and a final.
Why does the calculator show DIY so much cheaper if the verdict is to hire?
Because the tools are cheap and the inspector's fee is mostly expertise, time and liability, none of which appear in a materials list. The DIY figure is what a thorough screening walk costs; it's honest as far as it goes. What it doesn't price is a licensed report the contingency runs on, recognizing the defects that cost five figures, and errors-and-omissions coverage — the reasons the cost page says to hire for any purchase. Use both: screen with the checklist, then pay the inspector.
What do the quote levels mean for a home inspection?
Low is a smaller or newer house in an inexpensive market, or an inspector building a client base. Typical is the national median for that home type, with a full written report. High is a coastal metro, a large or complicated house, an inspector with a drone, thermal camera and a same-day report, or a rush booking. Add-ons are priced separately on any level and usually bundle at a 10–20% discount.
Sources
- Construction and Building Inspectors (SOC 47-4011), Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics , U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-04
- How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost? , HomeGuide, 2026-09
- How Much Do Home Inspections Cost? , HomeAdvisor, 2026-09
- How Much Does a Radon Test Cost? , Angi, 2026-09
- Standards of Practice for Home Inspections , International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, 2026-09
- ASHI Standard of Practice , American Society of Home Inspectors, 2026-09
- For Your Protection: Get a Home Inspection (HUD-92564-CN) , U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2026-09
- A Citizen's Guide to Radon , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2026-09
Figures last reviewed . See how we estimate.