How much does a pre-purchase home inspection cost in Ottawa?

Ontario.ca puts home inspection fees at $350 to $600, and says they may be higher depending on the size and condition of the home. Published Ottawa-area inspector price pages for 2025 and 2026 break that down by type of home.

Published ranges by type of home

• Condo apartment: about $350 to $470 plus HST
• Townhouse: about $400 to $515
• Detached or semi-detached up to about 2,000 sq ft: about $450 to $640
• Larger homes: priced by size, so ask each inspector for a written quote

These are published ranges, not a survey, and each inspector sets their own fee. What the fee depends on for your purchase is the size of the home, its condition, the type of home, and any add-on service you ask for.

Add-ons are where quotes drift apart. We found too few published prices for a sewer camera scope, thermal imaging or a professional radon test to show a range, so ask for each one as its own written line. If you plan to run a long-term radon test yourself, Ottawa Public Health puts do-it-yourself kits at $29 to $170.

The federal Office of Consumer Affairs suggests a written contract before the work starts that lists the items to be inspected, the report deadline and the total cost. If that contract includes an estimate, Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2002 says the supplier cannot charge more than 10 per cent above it. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada counts inspection fees among the upfront costs of buying, and suggests budgeting 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price for closing costs together.

Ontario.ca also suggests getting quotes from more than one inspector and asking to see a copy of the report each one uses, so you can compare what the fee buys as well as the fee itself.

When you compare two quotes, ask each inspector to list in writing what the fee includes and what would cost extra.