A home is the most substantial asset many people will ever buy or sell. Whether you’re buying, selling, or just trying to maintain a home, the cost of a home inspection is a small price to pay compared to the potential costs of skipping one.
How much does an Illinois home inspection cost?
Depending on your home’s location and the experience level of local inspectors in that area, the cost of a home inspection typically starts somewhere between $200 and $400.
From there, the price will likely increase, depending on the size of the home being inspected. The larger the home, the longer it takes to conduct a proper inspection and prepare a comprehensive report. Hence, larger home inspections cost more.
Most home inspectors will also charge an additional service fee if your home is above a certain age. This is because older homes have considerably more potential issues that will require time to properly inspect and document in the inspection report.
Here’s a quick look at Lucent Property Inspections’ standard inspection pricing:
A single family home inspection will tend to average between $300 and $600 in the state of Illinois. Individual condo and apartment inspections are usually slightly less, while multi-unit home inspections are a bit more.
A standard home inspection is already quite comprehensive; however, it’s common for an inspector to recommend specialized testing if there are issues with well water, septic, termites, radon, etc. These specialized tests incur additional fees; they’re rarely included in the cost of a standard home inspection.
What’s included in the cost of a home inspection?
If you work with a home inspector dedicated to superior customer service and you’re present on the day of inspection, you will get a thorough walk-through. A comprehensive inspection report will also be emailed to you within 24 hours of your home inspection.
The walk-through and the report will both detail your inspector’s findings after examining of your home’s:
- Roof,
- Exterior,
- Walls,
- Doors,
- Windows,
- Foundation,
- Attic,
- Crawl spaces,
- HVAC,
- Plumbing,
- Electrical,
- Operational items,
- and more.
The price of a standard home inspection includes an examination of everything on the above list. As mentioned, it does not include specialized testing for unique issues.
What is the cost of specialized inspection services?
There’s much more variability with specialized testing costs than there is with the cost of a standard home inspection. Here is what Lucent Property Inspections charges for common types of specialized testing:
- Radon Testing – $125
- Termite Inspection – $75
- Chimney Inspection – $249
- Mold Inspection – $350
- Sewer Line Camera Inspection – $300
- Septic Inspection – $225
- Well Inspection – $450
- Well Water Testing – $105
While those costs are general examples of specialized inspection pricing, they can give you a better idea of what to expect if you need to order them.
Is the price of a home inspection worth it?
It’s rare that a home inspection isn’t worth the cost.
For buyers and sellers, inspections help sales go through and ensure everyone involved gets a fair deal.
Home inspections give sellers the confidence to price their homes accurately and get the most out of any sale. An inspection can also uncover issues for sellers to address before putting a house on the market. This can help deals go through without excessive repair requests or price negotiations.
A home inspection will inform buyers of any issues that will need repair. Often the price of these repairs can be deducted from the sale price of a home if the seller doesn’t want to make them. Not to mention, a home inspection helps ensure buyers that they aren’t sinking their savings into a money pit.
For current homeowners, an inspection is valuable because it can prevent expensive home maintenance surprises. An inspection walk-through and report reveal the true condition of a home and highlight what maintenance efforts should be focused on.
Who pays for a home inspection?
A home inspection is typically paid for by the person requesting it.
Sellers will pay for presale or pre-listing home inspections. Buyers will pay for the inspection when closing on a home. Homeowners can pay for an inspection at any point during their ownership of a home, and they often do when trying to get maintenance under control.
Getting the most bang for your buck.
Price shopping for home inspections is rarely a good idea. Home inspectors trying to compete on price may not deliver the thorough evaluation you’re seeking, which can make things more expensive in the long run.
A better way to shop for a home inspector is to focus on experience and results. You want an inspector with ample experience and plenty of happy customers who will vouch for the quality of the services provided.
Lucent Property Inspection Pricing
At Lucent, we are dedicated to transparency and want to help you make educated decisions about your home inspection from start to finish. This means making sure you’re aware of our home inspection costs and pricing from the start.
Please explore our pricing options. If you have any questions, we would love to answer them for you.