Home Inspection Costs in Calgary (2026)
Wondering what a home inspection actually costs in Calgary in 2026? Short answer: most inspections fall between $475 and $600, depending on square footage, age, and property type. Here's the full breakdown — what you should pay, what should be included, and how to avoid the wrong kind of "deal."
Calgary home inspection cost by property type (2026)
- Condo / apartment: flat $375 + GST ($393.75 total), all sizes and ages
- Townhouse: $375 – $450
- Detached under 2,000 sq ft: $475 – $500
- Detached 2,000 – 3,000 sq ft: $500 – $600
- Detached 3,000 – 4,500 sq ft: $600 – $700
- Estate / acreage (4,500+ sq ft): $700 – $900+
- Pre-drywall new build: $375 – $500
- 11th-month warranty inspection: $475 – $500
Prices are before GST. Condo / Apartment inspections stay flat at $375 regardless of size or age. Non-condo homes older than 40 years, homes with detached garages/workshops, or homes with legal suites usually sit at the top of each range.
What drives the price up or down
- Square footage: Bigger home = more time on site and more systems to document.
- Age: A 1912 Inglewood character home takes longer than a 2022 Mahogany build. Older wiring, plumbing, and foundation types all need extra scrutiny.
- Property type: Condos skip the roof and exterior envelope; acreages add wells, septic, and outbuildings.
- Location: We serve Calgary and the surrounding area — Bragg Creek, High River, Cochrane, Airdrie, Okotoks and more — all at the same pricing, with no travel fees.
- Add-ons: Sewer scope, WETT (wood stove), pool/hot tub, secondary suites. Radon testing is arranged separately through a specialist.
Add-on services and what they cost
- Sewer scope: $200 – $300 — highly recommended on any home 30+ years old or with mature trees on the line.
- Radon testing: not something we perform — it's arranged through a specialist and typically runs $150 – $400 depending on the device and test length. Calgary has among the highest radon levels in Canada.
- WETT inspection (wood-burning appliance): $175 – $275.
- Detached garage / shop: $75 – $150 add-on.
- Legal / illegal suite: $100 – $200 add-on.
At HomeWise, thermal imaging and drone roof scans are always included — never billed as extras.
What should be included in the base price
For $475–$600, a full Calgary home inspection should always cover:
- Roof, flashings, and eavestroughs (drone where safe and appropriate)
- Foundation, structure, and grading
- Exterior cladding, windows, and doors
- Attic insulation, ventilation, and vapour barrier condition
- Electrical panel, wiring type, GFCI/AFCI, and representative outlets
- Plumbing supply and drainage, water heater, and visible shut-offs
- Furnace, HVAC, humidifier, and ductwork
- Appliance functional testing
- Thermal imaging for moisture intrusion and insulation gaps
- A detailed digital report with photos — delivered the same day
Why you shouldn't shop on price alone
A $299 inspection is almost always a red flag. Common corners cut at that price:
- No thermal imaging, no drone — meaning missed moisture and roof issues
- 90-minute walkthroughs on a 2,400 sq ft home (a proper one takes 2.5–3.5 hours)
- Boilerplate reports with generic photos and no property-specific findings
- No E&O or general liability insurance
- No CanNACHI or InterNACHI certification
You're buying a $500,000–$1,000,000+ asset. Saving $150 on the inspection to miss a $12,000 furnace, a Poly-B plumbing system, or an aging shingle roof isn't a saving — it's a gamble.
Return on investment: is it worth it?
The average Calgary inspection finds enough to either renegotiate the purchase price, request repairs, or budget realistically for the first two years of ownership. Common findings that pay for the inspection many times over:
- Furnace or water heater at end of life ($4,000 – $8,000)
- Poly-B plumbing (repipe: $8,000 – $15,000+)
- Aluminum branch wiring remediation ($2,000 – $6,000)
- Shingle roof nearing replacement ($8,000 – $18,000)
- Foundation cracks needing epoxy or engineer review ($500 – $5,000)
- Elevated radon requiring mitigation ($2,500 – $3,500)
How to pay less — the right way
- Book the sewer scope with your inspection: doing it at the same visit saves a second trip and keeps everything in one report.
- Off-peak scheduling: Weekday mornings sometimes come with better availability and occasional promos.
- Skip the "extras" that shouldn't be extras: Thermal imaging and drone should be included — not upsells.
Related reading
- How to choose the best home inspector in Calgary
- Calgary home inspection cost guide (deeper breakdown)
- Should you skip a home inspection in a hot Calgary market?
- Aluminum wiring in Calgary homes: risks, costs, and what to do
Book a transparent, all-inclusive Calgary inspection
HomeWise Property Inspections offers flat, transparent pricing across Calgary, Cochrane, Airdrie, Okotoks, Chestermere, and area. Thermal imaging, drone roof scans, and a same-day digital report are always included — never surprise add-ons.
Call (403) 710-7770 or book your inspection online in under two minutes.