Pricing your
inspection business.

Inspector pricing varies heavily by region, square footage, and scope. Approximate ranges:

• Standard general inspection — $400-$650 in most US markets. $600-$900 in HCOL metros (NYC, SF, Boston, Seattle, LA). $300-$500 in lower COL markets.
• Per-square-foot premium — most inspectors price by base rate up to a square footage, then add a per-100sqft fee above that.
• Radon testing — $125-$200 standalone; $100-$175 added to a general inspection.
• Sewer scope — $200-$400 standalone; $175-$325 as add-on.
• Mold inspection — $300-$600 depending on whether labs are included.
• 4-point inspection (Florida) — $75-$150.
• Wind mitigation (Florida/coastal) — $75-$200.
• New construction phase inspection — $400-$650 per phase, typically 3-4 phases.

These are rough national midpoints. Pull actual data from your local market — call competitors, check online listings, ask agents what they see. Local benchmarks matter more than national averages.

Across hundreds of inspector accounts, the most common pricing error is leaving money on the table. The pattern:

• Set prices when starting out and never revisit. Inflation alone has eroded those prices 25-35% since 2020.
• Match the cheapest competitor in the market. Cheapest competitor is rarely the price-setter; matching them throws away premium positioning.
• Worry about losing agent referrals if prices go up. Agents care about scheduling speed and report quality far more than price. They'll keep referring at $550 just like they did at $475.
• Underprice add-ons. $75 radon add-on barely covers the equipment depreciation and sample-shipping. $150 captures real margin.

A 10% price increase on a $475 inspection adds $48 per job. Run 500 inspections a year, that's $24,000 in pure margin. The number of clients you actually lose at +10% is typically near zero.

The mechanics that work:

• Announce ahead of time. "Our pricing is updating effective January 1." Gives existing clients (and agents) time to absorb. Doesn't feel like a surprise.
• Tie to value, not cost. Don't justify with "our costs went up." Tie to what you do — better thermal imaging, faster reports, expanded scope, more experienced inspectors.
• Increase add-ons more than core. Going from $75 radon to $150 is psychologically easier than going from $475 inspection to $525.
• Test on new clients first. Existing repeat clients can stay at old pricing for 90 days. New clients get new pricing immediately.
• Inform your top-referring agents directly. A heads-up email or quick call. Most agents don't care; the few who do, you can address.

Don't do it more than once a year. Annual pricing review, announced 30 days ahead, is standard practice in service businesses and won't damage your relationships.

Bundling combines services into a single quoted price. The math for inspectors is favorable: most add-on services have low marginal time cost when you're already on site, but high marginal revenue.

Bundles that work:

• General + radon + sewer scope — the "peace of mind" bundle. Add 30-45 min to inspection time, add $200-$400 to ticket.
• General + thermal + WDO (termite) — "defect detection" bundle in markets where termite is a concern.
• Pre-listing + walk-through-with-seller — for sellers preparing the house. 30-min walkthrough explaining findings doubles the perceived value.
• New construction phase package — all 3-4 phases at a slight discount versus paying separately. Locks in the relationship for the duration of the build.

Bundles also simplify the buying decision. "Is the $675 bundle worth it?" is easier than "should I add radon for $150 and sewer scope for $275 to my $475 inspection?"

Most inspectors hide pricing on their websites. The thinking: "if they call, I can sell value first." The reality: most buyers won't call without seeing a price first.

What works in 2026:

• Transparent base pricing on the website. A page or section showing standard inspection ranges (e.g. "$475-$650 depending on square footage").
• Add-on pricing clearly listed. Radon, sewer scope, mold, etc. with their prices.
• Online booking with auto-quote. Buyer enters address and square footage, gets exact quote, books on the spot.
• Reserve "custom quote" for genuinely complex situations — large estates, commercial-residential, multi-family.

Transparent pricing also pre-qualifies buyers. The price-shoppers who'd have wasted your call time self-select out. The buyers who book are pre-warm and ready to schedule.