A home inspection is usually done within the first 7 to 10 days after the buyer and seller sign the purchase contract, during the window the contract calls the inspection contingency period. The buyer schedules it, the buyer pays for it, and the on-site visit itself takes about two to three hours for a typical 2,000-square-foot home. That is the common case. Sellers who want a pre-listing inspection run it three to six weeks before the home hits the market, and buyers of new construction have several inspection points spread across the build.
The Buyer’s Inspection Contingency Window
The inspection contingency is the clock that controls almost every buyer timeline question. It starts the moment both parties sign the purchase contract and typically runs 7 to 10 days, though the exact length is negotiable. Many standard real estate contract forms default to 10 days if the parties do not specify otherwise.
During this window you have the right to hire a professional inspector, review the written findings, and decide whether to move forward, negotiate repairs, or cancel the contract and keep your earnest money. Let the window close without acting and most contracts treat your silence as acceptance. You have agreed to buy the property as-is, and your earnest money is no longer protected by the contingency.
For a standard single-family home, the inspection itself costs roughly $300 to $500, paid out of pocket. It is not rolled into the mortgage or closing costs. Larger homes, older homes, and properties in high-cost areas push toward the upper end, and specialized tests are billed separately.
How Soon to Schedule After Going Under Contract
Schedule the inspector the same day you go under contract, or the next morning at the latest. Inspectors book up quickly in busy markets, and a 10-day window gets short fast once you factor in the report turnaround and the negotiation that follows.
A realistic sequence inside a 10-day contingency looks roughly like this. Day one or two: inspector on site for two to three hours. Day two or three: written report delivered, usually within 24 hours of the visit. Days three through seven: you review the report, get repair estimates if needed, and submit a formal repair request to the seller. Days seven through ten: the seller responds, you counter if necessary, and you either reach an agreement or exercise your right to cancel.
Most buyer mistakes happen in that back half, not the inspection itself. Procrastinating two or three days on scheduling can leave you without time to negotiate before the contingency expires.
Specialized Inspections That Need Their Own Lead Time
The general inspection does not cover everything, and the add-on tests have timelines that can collide with the contingency deadline if you wait too long to request them.
Radon
Radon test devices must stay in the home for a minimum of 48 hours, and some devices require seven days or more.1EPA. Home Buyers and Sellers Guide to Radon Start a radon test on day five of a 10-day contingency and you may not have results before your deadline. The EPA recommends mitigation for any home at or above 4 picocuries per liter.2EPA. What is EPAs Action Level for Radon and What Does it Mean Request the radon test when you schedule the general inspection, not after.
Sewer Scope
A camera run through the main sewer line takes about an hour, but a cracked, collapsed, or root-infiltrated line can cost $5,000 to $20,000 or more to replace, and the general inspection will not catch it. Most buyers book the sewer scope for the same day as the general inspection.
Termite and Wood-Destroying Organism Reports
A termite inspection runs about $50 to $300 depending on the report type and the home’s size. VA-backed loans may require a wood-destroying pest inspection as a minimum property requirement, particularly in areas with moderate-to-heavy or very heavy termite infestation probability, and any repairs identified in the report must be completed before the VA will guarantee the loan.3Veterans Benefits Administration. VA Circular 26-22-11 Sellers often cover the fee and the required repairs as part of negotiations, though veterans can be charged.
After the Report: The Negotiation Deadline
Receiving the report is the halfway point. You will typically submit a repair request, sometimes called a repair addendum or corrective proposal, before the inspection contingency expires. The seller then has a set number of days to respond, commonly 3 to 10 days depending on contract terms, and can agree to make repairs, offer a closing-cost credit, reduce the sale price, or refuse. Counters and responses continue until both sides agree or the deal falls apart.
The practical point for timing: the negotiation sits inside the same inspection contingency window, not after it. If you let the deadline pass without submitting a request or formally canceling, you have accepted the property as-is and your earnest money is at risk if you try to back out.
The Final Walkthrough Is Not an Inspection
The final walkthrough happens within 24 hours of closing, often the morning of closing day itself.4Realtor.com. Final Walk-Through Checklist: What To Look for Before Closing on a Home It is a brief visual check, not a second inspection. By this point the seller should have vacated the property and removed all personal belongings. You are confirming the home is in the same condition it was when you agreed to buy it, that any promised repairs are actually complete, and that no new damage or debris has been left behind.
Do not schedule the walkthrough too early. If you walk through on Monday and close on Thursday, the seller still has three days of access to the property, and anything that happens in that gap, from a moving truck scraping a doorframe to a pipe freezing overnight, becomes your problem at the closing table.
If the walkthrough turns up incomplete repairs or new damage, you can ask to delay closing, negotiate an escrow holdback where the closing agent retains funds (often around 125 percent of the estimated repair cost) until the seller finishes the work, or refuse to close if the issue is serious enough. Lenders do not always allow holdbacks, and underwriter approval can add days to closing, so pushing the seller to finish repairs beforehand is usually cleaner.
Pre-Listing Inspections for Sellers
Sellers who want to inspect before listing should do it three to six weeks before the planned listing date. You need time to receive the report, get bids on any repairs, and complete the work before showings begin. The inspection costs the same $300 to $500 a buyer would pay, because the scope is the same.
There is one trade-off to understand before ordering a pre-listing inspection. Once you have the report, you know about every defect it documents, and most states require sellers to disclose known material defects to buyers. You cannot un-read the report. If the inspector finds a cracked foundation or outdated wiring and you choose not to fix it, you still have to disclose it.
Inspection Points for New Construction
A newly built home does not fit into a single inspection date. You have several opportunities to inspect at construction phases, and missing one means that work gets permanently covered up.
Pre-Pour
Done after the builder sets foundation forms, places rebar, and completes plumbing rough-ins, but before concrete is poured. Once the slab is down you will never see the rebar spacing or soil treatment again.
Pre-Drywall
Done after framing, electrical wiring, plumbing pipes, and HVAC ductwork are installed, but before insulation and drywall go up. This is the most valuable new-construction inspection, because framing errors, improperly supported loads, and missing fire blocking are still visible and still easy to fix. The timing usually aligns with a mid-construction draw request from the builder’s lender.
Final Inspection at Completion
Done once the builder finishes the home and the local municipality issues a Certificate of Occupancy, before the closing walkthrough. This covers appliances, fixtures, grading, and everything the earlier inspections could not evaluate.
The 11-Month Warranty Inspection
Most builders include a one-year warranty on materials and workmanship. An inspection around month 11, before the warranty expires, documents settling cracks, nail pops, minor roof issues, and drainage problems that only show after a few seasons. The report gives you grounds to file warranty claims before the builder’s obligation ends. Skipping this inspection effectively forfeits warranty coverage on anything you have not already reported.
Inspection and Appraisal Happen on Different Timelines
Buyers often confuse the home inspection with the appraisal, and they are separate events on separate schedules. The inspection evaluates physical condition, which you schedule yourself in the first week or so after going under contract. The appraisal evaluates market value for the lender, who orders it during underwriting, usually with about a week of total process time. In a typical 30- to 45-day closing, the inspection lands in week one and the appraisal wraps around week two or three. Both must be complete before closing, but a clean inspection does not guarantee a favorable appraisal, and a strong appraisal says nothing about whether the plumbing works.