If you have ever found yourself wondering about the earning potential of home inspectors, then you have come to the right page. People with an interest in real estate, or those considering a switch to this career path, will likely find themselves pondering if home inspection is a lucrative business before diving in.
The good news is home inspection has been listed as one of the 16 real estate jobs with top salaries, but the central question remains: How much do home inspectors make? We will unravel the salary range of home inspectors, as well as the factors that impact their income. Finally, we will wrap up with important tips on how you can take your home inspection career to the next level and make more money.
Whether you are a professional or just starting your career as a home inspector, this article provides an all-in-one guide for understanding the financial dynamics of this profession.
How much do home inspectors make?
The income of Home inspectors in the United States depends on a lot of factors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual income for home inspectors can be around $64,480 per annum and $31.00 per hour.
As with most careers, it’s expected that the pay range would increase as one advances in the profession. This means that this figure can change based on many variables such as experience, market demand, location, and some others that we will consider later in this article.
Also, it is important to point out that given the nature of their job, most home inspectors find opportunities for additional income, which adds to their overall earnings.
Salary range of a home inspector
The salary range of home inspectors in the U.S. is largely dependent on key factors, one being the experience level of the home inspector. Generally, an entry-level or apprentice home inspector earns less than a professional home inspector.
Also, salary range can be impacted by the size of the real estate market of the specific region. According to ZipRecruiter, annual salaries of home inspectors can be as low as $28,500 and as high as $124,000.
Independent home inspector salary vs. employee salary
Starting a career in the home inspection business opens you up to several work options. One is to work as an independent home inspector or be hired by a home inspection firm. Both options have their pros and cons, one being the impact on your pay range.
Independent home inspectors are self-employed professionals who run and manage their home inspection businesses. Some unique benefits of this structure are getting to choose your work times, service rates, and the ability to access inspection tools and the best home inspection software to suit your business needs. This distinct advantage affords them the opportunity to improve workflow and deliverables, which increases their efficiency and customer satisfaction.
With better services come client satisfaction, better pay, and opportunities to expand your client list. Though the salary of an independent home inspector first depends on the number of home inspections they can carry out each year, these factors make them potentially earn more than the employee home inspector.
The employee home inspector works for an established independent home inspector or a multi-inspection firm, with an expectation to either earn a commission per inspection or a salary. One advantage you may enjoy as an employee home inspector is a more structured work environment and an established client base. Since these companies already handle marketing and client acquisition, you may be assured of a steady income and financial stability. However, you may not have the freedom to set your rates or choose the software to expedite your work.
Where do home inspectors make the most money in the U.S.?
A primary factor that can impact the salaries of home inspectors is location. In the United States, there are states where the size of the housing market and cost of living significantly affect the demand for inspection services compared to others. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the states with high-income earning home inspectors include California, Connecticut, Nevada, Washington, and Alaska.
Check this table to see the states with the highest-earning home inspectors in the U.S.
| State | Median Inspector Earnings Per Annum | Difference vs. US Median |
|---|---|---|
| California | $93,600 | 52% more |
| Connecticut | $83,690 | 36% more |
| Nevada | $82,130 | 33% more |
| Washington | $81,970 | 33% more |
| Alaska | $81,860 | 33% more |
| Oregon | $81,250 | 32% more |
| New Jersey | $79,750 | 29% more |
| Minnesota | $78,600 | 28% more |
| Massachusetts | $77,930 | 26% more |
| New York | $75,960 | 23% more |
| US National Average | $61,640 | N/A |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
What factors affect a home inspector’s salary?
While many sites give an average income of home inspectors, it is almost impossible to put a figure on the exact amount home inspectors can earn. Based on the factors that will be explained below, home inspectors can either earn more or less.
1. Location
The real estate conditions of your location play a major role in your earnings. Areas with new constructions and property sales will lead to a higher demand for home inspectors, hence higher service rates. Similarly, locations with high cost of living or metropolitan areas with more urban environments will impact the cost of home inspection as well as the salaries of home inspectors.
For example, given the high cost of living in states like New York and California, it is expected that home inspectors earn more compared to states like Wyoming, where the cost of living is relatively lower. For context, the median salary for a home inspector in California is $93,600, while it is $48,980 per year in Wyoming.
2. Experience
It’s a no-brainer that home inspectors with years of experience tend to earn more than new inspectors. While this is not always the case, the experience of any home inspector plays a pivotal role in their earning potential.
Aside from the increased level of expertise in the field, older home inspectors have better work reputations and credibility with clients. They also have established relationships with realtors and agents who provide recommendations and more work opportunities. Experienced home inspectors possess a better understanding of the industry, which makes home inspections more efficient. It also gives them more opportunities to take on new jobs than other home inspectors who are just starting.
As you grow in your home inspection business, the more you build your skills, expand your portfolio, and increase your earning potential.
3. Offering additional services
One way to boost your income as a home inspector is to offer additional services. These additional services will improve your value proposition and command higher pay. It will also give you the opportunity to get more jobs where multiple services are needed.
There are a couple of services that home inspectors can offer to improve their income. Most of these can be acquired through learning new skills or taking courses. Some of the additional services that are often needed alongside home inspection include:
- Mold inspections
- Lead-paint testing
- Asbestos inspection
- The use of thermal imaging to check for moisture, heat, and energy loss
- Energy Audit Inspections
- Radon inspection
- Termite inspection
Offering additional services also gives you a competitive advantage, particularly for home inspections that require comprehensive inspection services. It makes you valuable, professional, and more sought-after, and all these contribute to how much you can earn.
4. Types of property inspected
Given that the home inspection career comes in different professional levels, each of these levels dictates the kind of properties that a home inspector inspects, consequently impacting their income.
For example, home inspectors in Texas are either apprentice inspectors, real estate inspectors, or professional real estate inspectors. A real estate inspector, which is an intermediate level, is limited to inspecting residential homes for buyers and sellers. While this property type constitutes the larger portion of the real estate market, it commands lesser fees when compared to commercial properties.
Professional real estate inspectors, on the other hand, have access to a wider range of both residential and commercial properties. These properties include warehouses, office buildings, luxury properties, and retail and industrial properties, to name a few. This vast portfolio and access to work on all property types open opportunities for more work and greater pay.
5. Type of employment
As a home inspector, you get to choose your employment type, either as an independent home inspector, running your business, or as an employee under a more established home inspection firm. The one you choose plays a major role in your earning ability within the industry.
If you are an independent home inspector, on the one hand, you have a higher possibility of earning more. This is because you can set your rates, offer additional services, and leverage technological skills at your disposal to improve the quality of the service you render.
Choosing to work under a home inspection company, on the other hand, may guarantee a steady income, but earning potential is comparatively limited.
How to increase your home inspector salary
The home inspection career gives you room to improve your income. This means that there is no limit to how much you can make as a home inspector. Check out the following tips you can employ to boost your income.
1. Expand your services
As a home inspector, diversifying your service offering helps cater to a broader clientele, which also presents an opportunity to increase your earnings. There are many high-demand services home inspectors are exploring to boost their home inspection business.
An understanding of your client’s needs will keep you informed on the right service to add. Start by doing basic research to understand the demand of your target market. The next step will be to complete the training required to obtain the certifications needed to gain expertise in your chosen area of specialization.
Once you have done this, you can start offering this new service along with your home inspections and satisfy your customers even better. Examples of additional services include home energy audits, mold inspections, radon inspections, 4-point home inspections, wind mitigation inspections, and more.
2. Network & build a strong reputation
In the home inspection industry, networking entails actively building professional relationships with other real estate agents and your clients. You can achieve this by attending industry events and leveraging both online and offline platforms to connect with other professionals. Also, embracing a customer-centric approach can contribute to a positive client experience.
The benefits of networking for home inspectors are vast and visible in the areas of building your reputation and salary. Through networking with other professionals and building personal connections with clients, you can enjoy recommendations and word-of-mouth referrals that can boost your client base.
3. Invest in marketing
Home inspectors who invest in marketing enjoy increased business visibility and reach a broader audience, giving them a competitive edge in the market. Effective marketing requires both time and money, but its impact is apparent in how it can quickly establish your home inspection business as a trusted authority.
There are a lot of digital marketing strategies you can explore with the prospect of taking your business to the right audience that needs your services. Some of these include giving your business a professional look through branding, building a user-friendly home inspection website, advertising on relevant social media platforms, and creating and promoting educational content. We recently published a guide to home inspector social media marketing that’s full of tips, strategies, and content ideas to promote and grow your inspection business.
Home inspector marketing is a long-term plan that can yield significant and lasting returns when done strategically. The amount of steady visibility and opportunities ultimately contributes to increased earnings for your business.
4. Continuing education & certification
Committing to continuing education and earning professional certifications is a tactical move to increase your salary in the home inspection space. Obtaining education helps you to gain relevant and up-to-date home inspection techniques, which enhance your expertise and help you offer more excellent services.
Remember, clients are more inclined to choose home inspectors who display a spectrum of skills and expertise. What makes you stand out from the crowd is your wide range of industry knowledge through continued education.
Wrapping up our home inspector salary guide
As we wrap up, the evaluation of the salaries of home inspectors shows the expansive opportunities available for you to increase your income. Although market fluctuations, locations, and property type can greatly influence how much home inspectors can make, the profession offers diverse possibilities to improve your income.
Just as with many professions, the financial success of a home inspector is influenced by a combination of elements such as offering additional services, leveraging marketing strategies, and enhancing expertise.
Ultimately, the earning potential of a home inspector is a balance of challenges and opportunities in the field. The good thing is that you can improve the services you offer by using EZ HIS’s powerful and intuitive Home Inspection Software. Start your journey with our Free Trial to enjoy special benefits that can upscale your business. We also encourage you to expand your skillset by offering you a student discount program that saves you some money.
FAQ
Is home inspector a good career?
Being a home inspector is a good option if you are considering a career in the real estate industry. Other reasons home inspection can be a great choice are its high-income potential, ability to evolve into self-employed status, flexible work schedules, and industry stability.
There are possible downsides to this business, which include the high competition, educational requirements, and legal risks. If you’re interested in learning more about a career as a home inspector, check out our step-by-step guide on how to become a home inspector.
Do you need a degree to be a home inspector?
The basic educational requirement for being a home inspector is a high school diploma. Since home inspection demands obtaining licenses, there are some levels of classroom learning and training required to achieve them.
How much does a home inspection cost?
Generally, a home inspection for a single-family house can cost between $300-500. Prices are often dependent on the size of the property and location. The cost of a home inspection is typically covered by home buyers.
Is it hard to make money as a home inspector?
Home inspection offers great money-making potential but is highly determined by factors like market conditions, location, and competition, among others. Regardless, you can improve your income by leveraging marketing and networking opportunities to reach a wider audience.
