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FAQs
At Calgary Property Inspectors we do our best to answer all of your questions. Below you'll find a list of what we believe are the most frequently asked questions.
The most frequent 6 questions received are at the top.
If you have any questions that have not been answered below, please don't hesistate to contact us. -
Gavin is a Certified Master Inspector, which is the highest level of professional recognition within the home inspection industry. The Master Inspector certification is in recognition of >10yrs of experience and >$10 BILLION worth of property inspected.
2026 Home Inspection Pricing
$350 (1-4 bedrooms) “The Apartment Inspection”
$550 (up to 3000 ft2) “The Standard Inspection”
$625 (3001 - 4500 ft2)
$700 (4501 - 6000 ft2)
** Large Acreages - call for a quote
$400 Mobile Home
$100 Sewer Scoping when added onto a home inspection
$200 Sewer Scoping as a stand-alone service (Up to 130 ft)
* ft2 is total finished space, which is often large that the MLS listing which describes aboveground space
** I’m not just a Certified Master Inspectors – I also have over 10 years of experience doing Hydrology which included installing hundreds of water wells. I would be happy to discuss the well records with you to help you understand the property and the water supply.
Because of professional liability insurance issues this would be a 100% FREE discussion focused on education for homebuyersTravel Fees? (not if we can avoid it)
$0 travel fee to Canmore, Airdrie, Cochrane, Didbsury, Strathmore, Okotoks, High River
$50 travel fee to Banff, Sundre, Red Deer, Drumheller, Nanton, Vulcan
We inspect every Major System in a Home:
- Roofs and Attics
- Structure and Foundation
- Grading and Yards
- Decks and Porches
- Building Envelope
- Windows and Doors
- Garages
- Electrical
- Heating and AC
- Plumbing and Hot Water Tanks
- Insulation
- Interior Finishes
- Stairs and Handrails
- Basements and Crawlspaces
- Locating Water and Gas Shutoffs
- Sewer Scoping can also be done as an optional add-on
On a typical home inspection over 500 different things are reviewed!What’s included in a home inspection from Calgary Property Inspectors all-in-one pricing?
INCLUDED - The opportunity to ask questions and learn about how your new home works
INCLUDED - A verbal summary at the end of the inspection
INCLUDED - A digital rport delivered to your e-mail either the same evening, or the next day.
INCLUDED - Detached Garages
INCLUDED – Thermal Imaging
INCLUDED – Drones (I’m a licensed Canadian Advanced Drone Pilot)
INCLUDED – Basement Suites / Secondary Suites
INCLUDED – no extra fees for homes older than 1980 (I know they can take longer…but I ❤️them for their character)
INCLUDED - Referrals to trades if work needs to be done on the home.
*Under Alberta law a home inspector is banned from profiting financially from any referrals he/she makes, and he/she can't work for financial gain on a home he's inspected for 365 days after the inspection.What’s not included in a home inspection
Sewer Scoping - which is an optional $100 as an add-on to a home inspectionA typical inspection should take 2.5 to 3.5 hours to complete depending on the size and age of the home.
As a courtesy to sellers, we recommend that a 3.5hr or 4hr block of time is booked for the inspection.YES! You will receive a digital report complete with photos and explanations on all the major systems of the home, and our findings
A Verbal Summary of the home is available at the completion of the inspection. Often a buyers agent Realtors will use that information straight away to discuss the findings with the sellers agent Realtor.
A Digital Report is provided either the same day, or the next day. Please let us know about the urgency of the report for your financing.
YES! Calgary Property Inspectors has NO EXTRA CHARGES for the use of a thermal infrared camera on an inspection.
Seriously - Why would I even consider not using one? I believe so strongly that it should be an industry standard technology I carry a spare one just in case.
My advice for you as a client is to be wary of any company that tries to upsell you to use a thermal camera because it means they're willing to send their inspectors out with one hand tied behind their back.
YES! We encourage you to attend since the inspection is a valuable learning experience for most homebuyers.
It's a great opportunity to put the reccomendations into perspective into context by answering questions such as:
- What issues need to be addressed with the sellers?
- What do we need to do on moving in?
- What needs to be done before winter?
- What can wait until next year?
- What should be planned for over the next few years?You don't have to take notes during the inspection since things will be written up in your digital report. It's much better to follow the inspector through, listening to his comments to make sure you understand. It's also a great opportunity to ask questions and to clarify anything that confuses you.
Be sure to bring a tape measure to measure the windows for the curtains and blinds you're wanting to install in your new home :)Absolutely! You may want to bring some questions that you have regarding the home. You should also feel free to stop the inspector and ask questions as you go. If the inspector's comments or explanations are not clear, please ask for clarification.
I love kids and have a couple of my own but I recommend that you not bring your family; this is a technical evaluation, and you will be interacting with the inspector — the fewer distractions, the better.
Experience has shown that as the future home owner you'll get much more out of the inspection when there are fewer distractions.
You should dress comfortably and be prepared to spend roughly 2 1/2 hours walking through the home with the inspector. You won't have to climb on the roof or go into the attic, so your clothes won't get dirty.
Yes! Gavin is a member of InterNACHI - the worlds largest trade association for Home Inspectors.
Gavin is licensed, bonded and insured as a Certified Master Inspector (CMI) to carry out home inspections in Alberta following all provincial regulations.
Our goal is to report on the condition of the house, indicating potential repairs and expenses. Ultimately, it's your decision whether or not you buy the house. The home inspection is very important but it is only one piece of the puzzle.
If some major issues are uncovered that's where your Realtor can really shine to bring creative solutions to the table that you may not have been aware of.
A home inspection is a professional opinion based on less-than-complete information. It's a little like getting a check-up from your doctor.
A home inspection improves your odds of good health but there is no guarantee or warranty. Some problems can only be discovered by living in a house; they cannot be discovered during a home inspection. For example, some shower stalls leak when people stand in the shower stall but don't leak when you simply turn on the shower. Some roofs and basements only leak when specific weather conditions exist. Some problems will only be discovered when carpets are lifted, furniture is moved or finishes are removed. As such, we cannot and do not offer a warranty on the house. Home warranty programs are available from others. We recommend working with your realtor if you wish to purchase a home warranty.
When the sale of a home is conditional on the results of a home inspection, we recommend that you allow at least three days to arrange for a home inspection.
However, there's always a possibility that we may have an opening at short notice! That includes Saturdays, Sundays and evenings. Whatever the schedule the exterior portion of the inspection will have to be completed during daylight hours.*Almost is the right answer. I do remember one building in particular that was so close to perfect then a single bulb burned out as we finished up...
Even if the home is perfect now, routine maintenace as you turn a house into a home is a normal part of home ownership. I'll happily help you prioritise what you'll need to plan for in the coming months. Routine maintenance can be as simple as recaulking a kitchen countertop or changing a furnace filter.
There are many good home inspection companies in the Calgary area that are a credit to the profession. You won't hear me trash talking other good inspectors to try and convince you that I'm the only possible solution.
But,...unfortunately there are also a small handful of companies that I certainly wouldn't trust for the home my family would be living in.
In the event my availability is limited and we just can't find a time that works for both us I will point you towards some other reputable local companies that I would feel comfortable trusting with my own home.
My approach when discussing the findings of the inspection with home buyers is to put what we find during the home inspection into the catergories of :
- Maintenance items
- Repairs
- The timelines for each repairWhat needs to be done before closing? What needs to be done before moving in? What needs to be done within a few months? What should simply be budgeted for in the future? And what's just a nice to have?
Have you ever felt you need a trusted professional to ask those questions that you feel you're supposed to know but don't know where to turn?
Calgary Property Inspectors offers an " Ask an Inspector Service" as an exclusive service to Realtors. There's NO CHARGE and there's NO OBLIGATION to use me on your next client's inspection. The way I see it is that over time as you get to know me you'll feel comfortable offering my services as one of three choices to your clients, or when your regular home inspectors are booked up.
Serving Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Canmore, and Banff with THE BEST Home Inspections you can get!