What are the typical home inspection prices in today’s market? According to Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) document titled “Ten Important Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector,” the average price for a home inspection runs somewhere in the range of $300-$500. However, the HUD insists that a number of factors influence the price of your home inspection: “Costs vary dramatically, depending on the region, size and age of the house, scope of services, and other factors” http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/insp/inspfaq). While $300-$500 sounds like a sufficient sum, other factors must be considered that could increase the cost of your home inspection.
The region in which your home is located affects home inspection prices. Some regions experience greater rain than others. For these regions of the country, home inspections cost more because flooding basements and water damage are a bigger issue than in a more arid region such as the Northwest (states like North and South Dakota, for example). The Gulf Coast states are in a more hazardous place than the Northeast. While the Northeast has its many snow blizzards and some hurricanes, the Gulf is prone to them. States like Louisiana and Florida get more than their fair share of hurricanes.
Water damage, flooding basements, leaking roofs, and loose shutters are just a few of the problems Gulf Coast states face during hurricane season. The Western US has its own share of trouble. The summer is the ideal time for earthquakes and landslides. California is an ideal state for this kind of trouble. On the other hand, the Southeast does not experience earthquakes and landslides (unless you count the exceptional seismic activity that rippled from Virginia all through the Southeast and back up through the Northeast some months ago).
The size and the age of the house are two other factors that affect home inspection prices. If your house is large, it will take more time for an inspector to examine the house. The time length will only increase the price of your home inspection. If your house is small and takes a small amount of time to inspect, the price will be lower than the inspection done on a large home. Large homes necessitate more detailed inspections than small homes. House age is another factor affecting home inspection prices.
Older homes need much more inspection than young homes, since time and the weather wear down the condition of homes faster than young homes. An old home has far more cracks and crevices for spiders, termites, ants, and other bugs to hide than a young home does. Additionally, the roof of an old home will have more wear and tear on it than the roof on a young home. Wind, lightning, hail, sleet, and snow, over time, affect the strength of a roof and chimney. With time comes age-affecting conditions that bear down on a home. The damages accumulate over the years until major problems can result. It is a problem all too common with old homes.
Eagle Eye Property Inspections specializes in home inspections. We realize the complex nature of home inspection prices, but we promise to do a great job for you at a fair price. Our inspectors are certified in mold, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality. We will inspect your home and provide a detailed inspection report with photos in 48 hours or less. If you want to know more about inspection prices, call us at (800)-893-4669.