Legal & due diligence
Home inspection
By Bo Yu, Broker, Right at Home Realty, Brokerage · Verified/updated August 2026
A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive review of the house's condition: roof, structure, foundation, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, insulation and drainage. You get a written report, usually the same day.
It is optional in Ontario, and in competitive Ottawa offers many buyers inspect before they submit rather than making the offer conditional. Either way, you pay the inspector directly — it never appears on the lawyer's closing statement.
- Who charges it
- An independent home inspector you hire.
- Who normally pays
- The buyer.
- When it's paid
- Before closing — either during a conditional period or before you write the offer. Paid on the day of the inspection.
- Cash or financed
- Cash out of pocket, weeks before closing.
- Typical range
- $400–$700 for a typical Ottawa home
How it's calculated — and why it varies
Price is driven by square footage, age and the type of property, plus any specialty inspections the property needs.
- Typical Ottawa home: $400–$700 including HST.
- Large or century homes, and homes with additions: $700–$1,000.
- Condominium unit inspections are cheaper — the common elements aren't yours to inspect.
- Rural properties near Greely, Manotick, Russell or Carp often add a septic inspection ($400–$800), a well water test ($100–$300) and a WETT inspection for wood stoves ($200–$400).
- Thermal imaging, mould sampling and radon testing are extra.
Exemptions, refunds and when it doesn't apply
- Nothing legally requires an inspection, and it is not part of closing costs — but skipping it transfers the entire risk of hidden defects to you.
- On new construction the builder's pre-delivery inspection is a separate process; a private inspection before the PDI is still worth doing.
- Home inspectors in Ontario are not currently licensed by the province, so check credentials, insurance and a sample report.
- If a seller provides a pre-listing inspection, read who commissioned it before relying on it.
A real Ottawa example
A 1,800 sq ft two-storey in Stittsville: $550 inspection, paid the day the inspector walks through, three weeks before closing.
The same buyer looking at a 1970s bungalow on a well and septic in Greely spends about $1,200 across three inspections — and finds out the septic bed needs replacing before they are committed, not after.
How this shows up in the calculator
The calculator includes a "Home inspection" row for resale purchases and drops it for new construction, where the builder's pre-delivery inspection applies instead. Note the timing: you pay this well before closing day, so keep it separate from your closing-day cash.
Open the calculatorOfficial sources — verified/updated August 2026
Rules and rates change. These are the first-party pages this one was checked against; confirm anything that matters to your purchase directly with them.
Related buyer tools
Every figure on this page is a planning estimate for general information only, based on the assumptions shown, and are not legal, tax, mortgage or financial advice or an offer of credit. Actual rates, payments, taxes, fees and values vary — confirm the numbers with your lender, lawyer or accountant before relying on them. Full disclosures.
This page is general information about how a cost works in Ontario, not legal, tax, mortgage or accounting advice, and not a quote. Your lawyer, lender and accountant confirm what actually applies to your purchase.
Want this priced out for a real Ottawa property?
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