Is $650 a fair fee for inspecting a Kanata detached house?

Ontario.ca puts the range for a home inspection at $350 to $600, and notes fees may be higher depending on the size and condition of the home. Published Ottawa-area inspector pricing for a detached or semi-detached home up to about 2,000 square feet runs roughly $450 to $640, so the fee you were quoted sits just above both ranges.

Whether it is reasonable for your Kanata house depends on a few things. Size is one factor: above about 2,000 sq ft, the price is set by size and a written quote is the number to rely on. The condition of the home matters too, as does what is included in the fee. If thermal imaging or a sewer camera scope is in the price, ask for it as its own line; we found too few published figures for those add-ons to give a range. If that fee covers only the standard visual inspection of the items ontario.ca lists, that is a higher-than-published figure for a smaller home. If it includes add-on services, ask the inspector to break out what each part covers.

The Office of Consumer Affairs suggests getting a written contract before work starts that spells out the items to be inspected, the report deadline, and the total cost. Asking for a sample report before you book also lets you see how the inspector documents findings. Ontario.ca recommends getting quotes from more than one inspector, which is the straightforward way to judge whether a fee is in line for your specific house.

If you want to compare quotes from inspectors listed in the Ottawa Construction Network directory, the request form on this page sends your details to local inspectors who can reply with their pricing.

Before you decide, ask the inspector to confirm in writing exactly what the fee includes, so you know whether you are comparing the same scope of work across quotes.