How Much Does an Independent Home Inspector Make?

With the home inspection profession being relatively new and unregulated in many states, there is no reliable data on the average salary a home inspector makes.

The $59,700 per year number that is cited in top search results comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and isn't even for true residential "home inspectors".

This data is for construction and building inspectors, which as we all know are very different in that they often work for government or municipal agencies and evaluate building codes, zoning, and contract specs.

In the absence of a solid industry survey that includes part-time home inspectors and gets statistically significant data, we can share our anecdotal experience here at Spectora where we work with thousands of new and experienced home inspectors.

The Range of Home Inspectors Salaries

Home inspection is easy to do part-time. This leads to many semi-retired inspectors that are doing anywhere from 10-100 inspections a year and making $10k-$30k a year.

Contrast this with multi-inspector companies (that often employ 1-20 home inspectors that are on salary or contractors) that are making $500k-3M a year.

The rest fall in the middle, with the active ones making a pretty decent living. It's also worth noting that data is difficult to obtain for the 50% of inspectors that go out of business each year. This would clearly skew the averages.

This is not dissimilar to trying to find the average salary of real estate agents. The cyclical nature of the real estate market mixed with the ability to do it part-time makes it difficult to find and keep hard data.

What Does a New Home Inspector Make in Year 1?

New home inspectors can expect to do anywhere from 1-100 inspections in year 1.

With the average cost of a home inspection being $468, you can expect to make up to $46,800 in your first year as a home inspector.

This of course will be more or less depending on the individual inspector's ability to network with agents, perform satisfactory inspections and customer service, and scale their business quickly.

If you choose to work for a multi-inspector company, you can expect to make a certain percentage split per inspection (30-60%) or a salary ($30k-$60k).

Does Spectora have data to share?

Our data shows that the first year is the hardest, but Spectora users fare better than average. As of 2022, Spectora users in their first 2 years of business averaged $46,488 per year. But for home inspectors that make it to year three and beyond, the rewards are well worth it. Inspectors who were in the 3-5 year range averaged $61,464, with many averaging six figures.

Not using the top-rated home inspection software yet? Give it a try for free today. With a report writer that saves you hours on average, you can fit more inspections in your week and maximize your profits.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an entry-level home inspector make?

Home inspectors can expect to make around $46,500 in their first two years of business. 

How much does a self-employed home inspector make?

If you own your home inspection business, you can expect to make upwards of $60,000 in salary after the first few years.