The honest answer is that a home inspection in San Francisco is priced to the property, not to a rate sheet. A one-bedroom condo and a three-story Victorian with a crawl space and an attic are not the same afternoon, and a number quoted without knowing which one you have is a guess.
So we quote each property individually, for free, usually within the hour. Here is what moves the number, what should be included whatever it turns out to be, and how to compare two quotes so you are pricing the same service.
How we quote, and what is included
Send us the address and we give you one firm number for your property. It covers the entire visit: a full walkthrough of every major system, infrared thermal imaging, calibrated moisture readings, and a same-day, photo-rich report.
Some firms in this market charge extra for a fast turnaround on the report, or treat thermal imaging as an add-on rather than a standard part of the inspection. Neither is a line item here. If a quote you're comparing treats thermal imaging as an upsell rather than a default, you're not pricing the same service.
Why a quote should come from the property, not a rate card
Pricing genuinely depends on square footage, age, and access, so any number given without seeing the property is necessarily approximate. The useful version of a quote is one where you send an address and get back a firm figure that will not change on the day, rather than a range that opens the door to a surcharge.
That is why we ask for the address first. It takes a minute, and it means the number you hear is the number you pay.
What actually changes the quote
Four things move a quote, and none of them are a surprise sprung on you after the inspection is already done.
- Square footage — larger properties take longer to document properly.
- Age of the property — pre-war housing, knob-and-tube remnants, and additions built across several code eras all take longer to assess than a home built in one pass.
- Crawl space and attic access — a full-height basement is quick to inspect; a crawl space with a jammed hatch and eighteen inches of clearance is not.
- How many services you combine — booking a mold assessment alongside the home inspection costs less than two separate visits, because it's one trip and one report.
Why a condo is quoted differently from a house
An attached unit has no roof or foundation of its own to assess, and the building envelope is smaller — so the inspection focuses on what actually falls inside your unit: the systems, the envelope penetrations, balcony and deck waterproofing, and any moisture arriving from a shared wall or the unit above.
That is a genuinely shorter visit than a three-story Victorian with a full basement and an attic, so the quote reflects that rather than charging condo buyers for time nobody's spending on their property.
What you get, no matter which one you book
- A same-day, photo-rich written report
- Infrared thermal imaging where it's relevant to a finding
- Calibrated moisture meter readings, not guesses
- A walkthrough at the end so you can ask questions in person
- No pressure to book remediation or repairs — we don't sell either
If a quote comes in lower, ask these questions before you book
A lower quote isn't automatically a worse inspection — some of the most competitively priced inspectors in this region genuinely run a tight, efficient operation. But price alone doesn't tell you what you're comparing. Before you book the cheaper option, ask a few specific questions: Is thermal imaging included, or is it a paid add-on? Do you get the report the same day, or does that cost extra? Does the inspector walk the property with you, or do you just receive a PDF by email?
Those three questions expose most of the real difference between a budget inspection and a full one. Sometimes the cheaper option genuinely includes all of it. Often it doesn't, and the gap shows up as a surcharge you didn't know to ask about until you're already on the phone.
Beyond the home inspection
If moisture, mold, or a possible gas leak is part of what's worrying you, each has its own service: mold inspection, moisture and water damage assessment and gas leak detection. On an older home or anything with a history of water damage, the Home + Mold Bundle combines the full inspection with a mold assessment at a discounted combined rate. See how quotes work, or get in touch for a firm quote on your specific property.
