Home inspection service packages that sell

What to take away

A home inspection package is a promise about scope. If the buyer cannot tell from the name what is inside, they will not buy it. If the inspector cannot tell either, you will eat the callback.

Home inspection service packages that sell name the services inside, post the price, and state the exclusions. Build the three core packages below, then price the seven add-ons that carry the margin. The tiers are the shape single-inspector and two-truck operations settle on after a year of selling one-off inspections.

Three core packages: Standard, Standard Plus Testing, Pre-Offer

The Standard Inspection. A visual, non-invasive inspection of the roof, attic, foundation and structure. It also covers electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, following the InterNACHI or ASHI Standards of Practice your state adopts. It includes a written report with photos, delivered within 24 hours. This is the entry tier and the one most buyers pick.

Price it as your anchor, not your loss leader. In most US markets as of 2026 the Standard runs $300 to $600, with the top of that range for homes over 2,500 square feet or past 50 years old.

The Standard Plus Testing. This is the Standard Inspection plus one or two ancillary tests the buyer chooses at booking: radon, mold, sewer scope, termite (WDO), or water quality. The bundle typically adds $200 to $400 to the base price.

The EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon is the plainest thing to hand a buyer who asks why radon testing matters. Radon and mold require separate certification in most states; check your board before you offer them.

The Pre-Offer Package. Take the Standard Inspection, add a sewer scope, a roof-only drone or close-up review where safe, and a walkthrough with the buyer present. This tier sells to buyers in competitive markets who want to know before they waive contingencies.

It is your highest-margin package because the added time is small and the perceived value is large. Typical price as of 2026 is $700 to $1,100, and the sewer scope and drone work do most of the lifting.

Seven add-on packages and what they carry

What each package actually costs you

Price from your true cost, not from what the shop down the road charges. Work in named variables:

Radon and mold have real lab and equipment costs; sewer scope has a camera you will replace. A continuous radon monitor typically costs $600 to $1,200, and a charcoal lab fee runs $25 to $50 per canister. Sewer cameras typically run $3,000 to $9,000.

Get the current lab fee from your lab and the current equipment price from your supplier, and put those numbers in the formula. Do not guess them.

For the business-plan side of pricing, tiers and break-even, the inspection business plan breakdown walks through the sections a lender or partner will ask for.

Selling the packages without overpromising

The FTC's Advertising FAQs for small business apply to every claim on your site and every line in your report. "Full home inspection" is a claim. "We find every defect" is not one you can support, and you should not write it.

Sell scope, not certainty. Say what the package covers, what it excludes, and what the buyer is responsible for (access, utilities on, pets secured). A package sold before the team agrees on its contents is the failure to watch for.

Keep the services and packages guide open when you write your scope language; it lists the exclusions buyers most often dispute. And when you are deciding which add-ons to push, the most profitable services breakdown ranks them by margin per hour, not by headline price.

Record keeping and the paperwork behind a package

The IRS recordkeeping guidance sets the floor: any system works as long as it clearly shows income and expenses and keeps the documents behind purchases, sales, payroll and assets.

For an inspection business that means per-job records linking the package sold, the price charged, the ancillary tests run, and the report delivered. That is also what you hand an E&O carrier when a claim arrives.

Keep the signed pre-inspection agreement, the report, the invoice and any lab results for each job. A CPA or tax professional should confirm your retention period; it varies by document type and jurisdiction.

A worked example: pricing the Standard Plus

A one-inspector shop runs 200 inspections a year. The Standard Inspection is priced at $X. The Standard Plus adds radon and sewer scope. Radon equipment amortizes at $A per test, the lab fee is $B, and the added on-site time is 45 minutes at $C per hour. The add-on price floor is:

$A + $B + (0.75 × $C) + margin

In most markets A sits near $1 to $3 per test, B near $25 to $50, and C near $35 to $60 an hour. That puts the floor for a radon and sewer bundle near $50 to $100 before margin.

If that number is below what the market pays for the bundle, you are subsidizing the add-on with base-inspection margin. If it is above, you are priced out of the bundle. Substitute your own A, B and C and see which side of the line you land on.

Common questions

How many packages should I offer?

Three. A base inspection, a base plus testing, and a full pre-offer package. More tiers confuse buyers and slow booking calls. Fewer leaves money on the table for buyers who want more.

Do I need separate licenses for radon and mold?

Usually yes. Radon testing and mold assessment are regulated separately from home inspection in most states, and requirements vary. Confirm with your state licensing board and the credentialing body for each service before you advertise it.

What should never go in a package name?

Anything that implies certainty you cannot deliver. "Complete," "guaranteed," and "everything covered" invite scope disputes. Name the package for the services inside it and state the exclusions in writing.

Can I sell packages across state lines?

Only after confirming licensing in each state. Some states require a physical office or a resident licensee. Check the target state's board before you market there, and talk to a licensed attorney about your agreement language.