How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost in California?

Most buyers have a house inspected before they’re fully committed to buying it. If you’re selling in Alameda County, it helps to know what that inspection costs, which extra inspections a buyer may add on an older house, who pays for them and what the results mean for you as the seller.

What a general home inspection costs

HomeAdvisor’s guide, updated in June 2026, puts the average home inspection at $344, with most falling between $296 and $425. Size is the biggest factor, and inspectors usually count the attic and basement in the square footage:

Home size	Typical cost
Under 1,000 sq. ft.	$200–$250
1,000–1,500 sq. ft.	$225–$325
1,500–2,000 sq. ft.	$250–$375
2,000–2,500 sq. ft.	$275–$400
2,500–3,000 sq. ft.	$300–$500

Those are national figures. HomeAdvisor’s city examples run from $300 in Miami to $450 in New York, with Los Angeles at $330, and an inspector’s experience and certifications also affect the price. Local quotes are the only reliable number.

What a California home inspection covers

California law defines a home inspection as a noninvasive, physical examination of a one-to-four-unit home’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and its structural and essential components, designed to find material defects. A material defect is a condition that significantly affects the home’s value, desirability, habitability or safety.

Noninvasive is the key word: the inspector doesn’t open walls or take the house apart, so hidden problems can go unseen. The written report describes what was inspected, the material defects found and any recommendations, including referrals to specialists. If there’s a pool or spa, the report also notes which of the state’s seven drowning-prevention safety features it has.

Add-on inspections and what they cost

Add-on	Typical cost
Sewer camera inspection	$250–$1,175
Termite (pest) inspection	$150–$350
Roof inspection	about $230
Chimney inspection	about $450
Mold inspection	about $660

The sewer camera range comes from HomeAdvisor’s plumbing inspection guide, the termite range from Fixr, and the roof, chimney and mold figures are HomeAdvisor averages. All are national numbers.

Sewer lateral

The private sewer lateral is the pipe from the house to the city sewer. A camera inspection runs a small camera through it to spot cracks, blockages and tree roots. In the East Bay, the lateral matters for another reason: in the cities covered by EBMUD’s program, selling a property triggers a requirement for a compliance certificate showing the lateral doesn’t leak, and Berkeley runs its own program. Our page on selling a house that needs repairs lists the cities.

Getting the certificate usually means hiring a contractor to check the lateral and make any repairs, then passing an EBMUD inspection. If the work can’t be finished before the sale, a Time Extension Certificate allows 180 days from its issue date, with a fee and a $4,500 refundable deposit. Who handles it is something the buyer and seller negotiate.

Pest

A termite inspection is a separate report from a structural pest control company, with its own format that sorts findings into Section 1 and Section 2. Fixr puts a one-time termite inspection at $150–$350, and notes that some companies offer it free or roll the fee into treatment. Our guide to selling a house with termite damage explains how to read the report.

Roof, chimney and other specialists

When a general inspector sees something that needs a closer look, the report may recommend a specialist: a roofer, a chimney sweep, a structural engineer or a plumber. Each of those is another fee, and another report a buyer may use in negotiations.

Who orders and pays

Buyers typically order and pay for the inspection themselves, separately from closing costs, during the inspection period in their purchase contract.

Some sellers pay for a pre-listing inspection to find problems before buyers do. HomeAdvisor notes it can make negotiations smoother. Keep in mind that anything it turns up becomes something you know about the house, and California sellers have to disclose known material problems, even in an as-is sale.

Rules that keep inspectors independent

California makes it an unfair business practice for a home inspector, or the inspector’s company, to:

Charge to do repairs on a house the company inspected in the past 12 months.
Inspect a property the inspector or company has a financial interest in, or an interest in the sale of.
Pay the owner or an agent for referring business.
Take a job where the fee depends on what the report finds or on the sale closing.

There are exceptions. Pest control companies can do repairs that come out of their own inspections. A licensed roofer or plumbing contractor that also does home inspections can repair a roof or sewer lateral it inspected, under conditions that include a written disclosure to the customer and the right to a second opinion. If the company that scoped your sewer lateral also bids the replacement, a second bid is worth getting.

What the report means for a seller

A buyer’s inspection report usually becomes a negotiating document. Buyers may ask for repairs, a credit or a lower price, or they may cancel within their contingency period. On an older house with a long list of findings, that round of negotiation can be the hardest part of the sale.

You can agree to some requests, counter or say no. You can also skip the cycle by selling as-is. We buy houses as-is across Alameda County, usually make a written cash offer within 24 hours, charge no fees or commissions and cover typical closing costs. How it works walks through the steps. A cash offer is usually below full market value, so compare it with what you’d net after repair credits on the open market.

Sources

General information about California rules as of October 3, 2026, not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws change and every situation is different, so check the details with an attorney, CPA or other professional.