What is a home inspection agreement?
A home inspection agreement, often called a pre-inspection agreement, is signed by the client before a home inspector examines a property — usually a buyer before purchase, sometimes a seller before listing or an owner before a warranty runs out. Because a standard inspection is visual and non-invasive, the agreement's most important job is to explain its limits so the client knows what they're paying for and what may need a specialist.
This template describes the inspection's scope and the systems looked at, references the standards of practice you follow, and lists what's excluded — concealed areas, unsafe roofs, environmental testing, pests, pools, septic and smart-home systems — unless ordered as extras. It sets report delivery once paid, who may share and rely on the report, access and utilities, the fee and when it's due, and a fair process for raising a missed defect, with any limit on liability subject to local law.
- Best for
- Home inspectors and inspection companies
- Signed by
- The client (buyer, seller or owner) and the inspector
- Inspection types
- Pre-purchase, pre-listing, maintenance, new-build or end-of-warranty
- Length
- About 2 pages, initialled on every page
When to use a home inspection agreement
- A buyer's inspection during the option or contingency period
- A seller's pre-listing inspection
- A new-build inspection before closing or before the builder's warranty ends
- An annual maintenance inspection for an owner
- Adding radon, sewer scope or pest inspections to a standard visit
What you fill in
15 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: inspector, client.
1 The parties
- Inspector or company*
- Your email*
- Inspector licence or certification
- Standards of practice followed
- Client*
- Client email*
2 The inspection
- Property address*
- Purpose* a buyer's pre-purchase inspection · a seller's pre-listing inspection · an owner's maintenance inspection · a new-build or end-of-warranty inspection
- Inspection date and time*
- Additional services ordered
- Report delivered within (business days)*
3 Fee
- Currency*
- Inspection fee*
- Fee is due* at or before the inspection · before the report is released · at closing, where the Inspector agrees
- Governing law*
4 Who signs
- Inspector signature and date, initials on every page · The home inspector or inspection company.
- Client signature and date, initials on every page · The buyer, seller or owner ordering the inspection.
What the home inspection agreement covers
- What the inspection is
- What the inspection is not
- The report
- Access
- Fee
- Raising a concern
- General
Using the home inspection agreement, step by step
1 Enter the inspection
Add the property address, purpose, date and time, and any additional services ordered.
2 Reference your standards
Add your licence or certification and the standards of practice you follow, which take priority over the summary scope.
3 Set report and fee
Choose how many business days the report takes, the fee and when it's due.
4 Send before the visit
Send it to the client as soon as the inspection is booked so it's signed before you start.
Tips before you send it
- Some places license home inspectors and prescribe wording for the pre-inspection agreement — check yours and adjust before relying on this template.
- Encourage clients to attend the end of the inspection and to read the whole report, not just the summary.
- Note in the report every area you couldn't inspect and why; the agreement promises it.
- Never offer to repair what you found — the agreement says you won't, which protects your independence.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Home inspection agreement: frequently asked questions
Is a home inspection a guarantee?
No. The agreement makes clear the inspection is a visual, non-invasive look at readily accessible items on the day — not a warranty, code inspection, engineering or environmental evaluation, or appraisal.
Can the buyer's agent or lender see the report?
Yes. The client may share it with their agent, lender, insurer or the seller, but no one else may rely on it without the inspector's written agreement.
What if the inspector missed something?
The client tells the inspector in writing promptly and, except in an emergency, lets them view it before repair. Liability is limited to the fee where the law allows; some places don't allow that limit for home inspections, and then the law applies.
Can the client sign on their phone before the inspection?
Yes. FileIt emails a signing link that works on any device, no account needed, and both of you get the signed PDF.