Home Inspection Cost in Washington

On average, a home inspection costs between $450-650 in Washington state.

The difference in the price of home inspections is primarily due to the size and age of the home because those are key factors in how long an inspection will take to complete.

Both the on-site inspection and the written report takes the home inspector more time if the home is larger or older.

It’s obvious why a larger home takes longer to inspect. There is simply more to inspect with a larger home.

In an older home, even if small, inspectors may discover more defects as well as outdated systems, materials and building methods which require more time to report.

Pricing for most licensed (certified) home inspectors in Washington state works on a sliding scale.

Our Home Inspection Cost Chart

Our Washington Inspections LLC pricing scale is below. You’ll find it is comparable to other home inspectors near us. The difference is, with us, you get two home inspectors for the price of one.

 

Different Types of Home Inspections May Differ In Cost

Although the procedure is the same, not all home inspections are the same. There are different types of home inspections that are defined by who the client is.

If the client is a homebuyer, it is called a standard home inspection for the purchase of a house. If the client is the seller or a real estate agent, it is a prelisting inspection. If the client is a real estate investor or house flipper who wants to be sure of a home’s condition prior to making an offer, it may be a pre-offer inspection without a report. And if the tenant is a landlord seeking to keep tabs on the condition of their rental units, an annual home maintenance inspection is used.

Most of those are full home inspections with written reports. Thus, they’ll have similar costs. However, one reason the price for prelisting inspections or home maintenance inspections may be less is because the clients are getting bulk discounts for multiple inspections.

The least expensive option is a pre-offer inspection without a report. This is an in-person property walkthrough with the client to identify defects and discuss potential repairs. This can be as little as half the cost of a standard home inspection.

Why Do Home Inspections Cost So Much?

Home inspectors have specialized skills and knowledge. They must be licensed to work in Washington state. This requires comprehensive course work, field training, passing official state and federal exams, and pay for licensure.  They’re also required to do more certified education every 24 months.  These are just some of the clerical costs for inspectors.

Other expenses for home inspectors include insurance, tools, vehicles and transportation, marketing, administration, accounting, wages, and more – just like any small business.

A single home inspector may spend a whole day on one inspection and report. The cost of a house inspection will reflect a full day of skilled labor plus business administration costs.

How Much Do Home Inspections Cost Per Hour?

Determining how much a home inspection costs per hour doesn’t reveal any important information. Yet most people want to know how long does a home inspection take?

The average house inspection takes 2-4 hours with one inspector. It takes an individual inspector roughly one hour to inspect 1000 square feet. Then the inspector must write the report which could take another hour. For that time, you can expect to pay $450-$650 for the inspection. So the cost per hour is around $150-$200.

We use a 2-man inspection crew because we respect our client’s time, the agent’s time, and the seller’s time.  We complete our inspections in half the time as other home inspection services. And we deliver the full report on the same day.

Do Commercial Building Inspections Cost More Than Home Inspections?

Yes, is the short answer.

The cost of inspecting commercial real estate depends on the type of building that is being inspected. For example, a large 10,000 sq ft metal shop building will take less time to inspect than a 10,000 sq ft apartment building because it will have fewer fixtures to inspect. So square footage is not the best scale to determine the cost of commercial building inspections.

We charge more for commercial inspections because they require more work and carry additional liabilities. They usually involve a walk-through survey, interviews with previous owner/managers, and they have more complex systems and regulatory codes that require more research.

Contact us here for a commercial inspection quote.

Hidden Costs in Home Inspections

The prices in the table above include a basic home inspection with a detailed written report. They do not include inspection of outbuildings like detached garages, barns, sheds, or other structures on the property. There will be an additional cost to inspect those based on their size.

Additionally, home inspectors offer other valuable services like laboratory water tests, sewer scopes, drone photography, mold tests, radon tests, and more. Each of these services has a separate cost. See our pricing for those services HERE.

These extra costs of home inspections are worth the peace of mind when making a large investment into a family home or commercial real estate. A water test alone could make or break a deal.

We are flexible and accept all forms of payment including barter and bitcoin!

By Washington Inspections LLC –“Better inspections in half the time” with 2 licensed inspectors per job. Father-son team.  Read more about us as licensed home inspectors in Tacoma and primarily service Kitsap, Pierce, Thurston, Mason and S. King Counties.