Cost of a Home Inspection in Florida – Things You Should Know

The cost of a home inspection in Florida can range anywhere between $245 and $364. However, the price can vary largely depending on the size of the house. While inspecting a tiny house can cost as little as $214, larger properties can garner up to $1,000 inspection charges. Furthermore, the cost of a home inspection in Florida can differ based on the service provider or the inspector you choose to hire.

Hiring a professional to inspect and assess your new or potential home visually is of utmost importance to new homeowners. Doing so allows you to protect the most significant investment of your life. Even if you are a seller, you can still benefit from a home inspection. A pre-listing inspection allows you to get ahead of any problems with the home and provides a bargaining chip for justifying the price of your home to any new buyers. 

What is a Home Inspection, and How do Get One?

A home inspection is a visual assessment of a home to reveal its actual condition. Certified professionals known as home inspectors carry out this inspection. They go through the house with a fine-tooth comb and compile their findings into a home inspection report. For sellers, a pre-listing inspection allows them to get ahead of any repairs and lets them use the report as a negotiation tool to get better prices. A buyer opts to get their potential new home inspection to protect their investment and avoid making a poor and uninformed buying decision.

Although numerous companies provide home inspections, you cannot go wrong with hiring the best home inspector FL, as their reports are more detailed and hold water. A reliable Gainesville home inspection company also advises whether specific home systems need repair or replacement.

Different Types of Home Inspections

The two most popular types of home inspection are a 4-point home inspection and a complete home inspection. 

While a complete home inspection means going through each element of a house and visually assessing its condition, a 4-point inspection deals with the assessment of only four primary systems of a home: electrical, plumbing, roofing, and HVAC systems. They also serve different purposes. A complete home inspection gives buyers or sellers a deep insight into the actual condition of a home, helping them understand any necessary repairs. However, a 4-point inspection is mainly intended for insurance providers to secure a policy or for insurance claims. If you want a thorough inspection of a home that allows you to make an informed purchase, a complete home inspection is in order. This makes a full home inspection the most common type of home inspection in Florida. Furthermore, since a full inspection significantly costs more than a 4-point inspection, it also raises the average cost of getting a home inspection.

Duration of a Home Inspection

A typical home inspection can conclude in just 2 – 3 hours, but it can take significantly longer if you ask the inspector questions about the property. Refrain from asking questions until the end of the inspection to let professionals do their job without interruptions.

You can expect a fully documented home inspection report after a day or two from the actual inspection. The findings of this report can be vital to your home-buying decisions.

The Cost of a Home Inspection in Florida.

The national average home inspection cost in the United States is $358. This national average is in line with the average cost of a home inspection in Florida. However, due to the weather conditions in Florida, you may require additional inspection services like termite inspection, 4-point inspection, and wind mitigation inspection. 

While a complete home inspection is used to determine a home’s price and as a leveraging tool during negotiations, a 4-point inspection is necessary to secure an insurance policy. On the other hand, a termite inspection is recommended annually and before purchasing a new home, while you must conduct a wind mitigation inspection every year before the hurricane season arrives. All these additional inspections can trump up your home inspection costs in Florida. 

Several factors influence the cost of a home inspection in Florida; some of the common ones are:

• Area of the property – The square footage of a property is the primary determinant of a home inspection cost. As the area of the property increases, so does the cost of inspecting it.
• Location of the property – If your property is in a prime spot, the cost of a home inspection increases considerably. Similarly, if your property is located in an inexpensive neighborhood, you may find that the inspection costs are lower.
• Age of the home – Perfecting home inspection takes time. New inspectors can inspect newer homes, but inspecting older homes requires years of expertise and comes at a higher cost.
• Competition among inspectors – If your locality has numerous home inspectors, the cost of an inspection is usually lower due to competitive pricing. Similarly, if you have very few home inspection companies in your area, they can charge a higher price.
• Additional inspection services – If you opt for additional inspection services like a well or an outhouse inspection, the charges may increase with each add-on.

The Bottom Line

When hiring a home inspector, you should not just consider the cost of a home inspection in Florida. The downside of hiring an inexperienced inspector can be disastrous to your finances as you risk making a poor purchase decision. Instead, you should thoroughly go through each home inspection company’s reviews and client testimonials and pick the best one that fits your needs.