Upfront cash beyond the down payment
Home inspection, explained
A home inspection is when a trained inspector looks at the home before you buy it. The inspector checks parts that can be safely seen and reached, such as the roof, foundation, wires, pipes, heater, and air conditioner. This can help you find problems. It is not the lender's appraisal. An appraisal checks how much the home may be worth for the loan.
Published and maintained by Kevin Song for Your Home Cost. Last reviewed: . How guides are reviewed.
1 cited source
Why it changes your estimate
An inspection can reveal visible problems that affect your decision, repair plans, or negotiations with the seller. Paying for it usually requires cash before or around closing, so including it makes the upfront estimate more realistic.
What to enter
Enter the total amount you expect to pay for the general inspection. If you already know you will order extra tests or specialist reviews, such as radon testing, a sewer scope, or a pool inspection, add those charges to this same field so the full inspection budget is kept together.
Good to know
Freddie Mac's upfront-cost guide, last reviewed June 4, 2025, estimates about $300 to $500 for a general home inspection. That is a broad planning range, not a price quote or national average for every property. Larger, older, unusual, or remote homes may cost more, and specialized tests may be billed separately. An inspection does not guarantee that every defect will be found, promise repairs, insure the home, or replace an appraisal. Use the inspector's written quote when you have one.
Compare inspection scope before comparing fees
Ask each inspector for a written scope, sample report, fee schedule, and availability before the contract deadline. Verify any license required by the state, professional insurance, and whether the buyer may attend. Clarify what the general inspection excludes and price relevant add-ons such as radon, sewer, septic, well, chimney, pool, pest, mold, or specialist evaluations. The cheapest base fee may not cover the investigations the property actually needs.
Reserve time after the report for questions, contractor opinions, and decisions allowed by the contract. Group findings into immediate safety or water issues, near-term capital work, routine maintenance, and cosmetic preferences. Use quotes for significant items when time permits, then move expected post-closing work into the one-time-cost or maintenance plan instead of assuming the inspection fee itself covers repairs.
- Verify scope, exclusions, credentials, insurance, timing, and report format in writing.
- Select property-specific tests before the inspection-contingency deadline expires.
- Translate material findings into repair quotes and a post-closing reserve plan.
Worked example
If a general inspection costs $425 and a radon test costs $175, enter $600 in the Home inspection field.
Sources and citations
These references support the definitions, planning guidance, and program rules above. A citation does not mean its publisher endorses this guide.
Original planning exercise
Build the inspection scope before comparing prices
Assume a general inspection quote is $450. A separate sewer scope is $250 and a radon test is $150. These sample fees illustrate how scope changes a total; they are not a local price survey or a claim that every property needs each service.
Illustrative assumptions, not quotes or forecasts. Calculations by Your Home Cost; mortgage payment examples use the calculator's shared fixed-rate formula.
| Option or step | Calculation | Planning result |
|---|---|---|
| General inspection only | $450 | $450 upfront |
| Selected full scope | $450 + $250 + $150 | $850 upfront |
| Additional cash to schedule | $850 − $450 | $400 above the general inspection quote |
What the comparison tells you
An $850 scoped estimate should not be compared with a $450 headline as if both cover the same work. The inspection payment is also separate from whatever repairs the inspection identifies. Paying for a test does not mean a defect will be covered by a warranty or repaired by the seller.
Evidence to collect
Ask for a written service list, exclusions, access requirements, report timing and payment date. Decide any specialized tests with the inspector and the professionals advising on the particular property.
Apply it in the calculator
Either enter $850 as your selected inspection budget or enter $450 here and $400 in Other one-time costs. Use one treatment consistently and preserve the scope notes outside the input.
Original planning exercise added . Source-review dates above are maintained separately.