Can you make six figures as a home inspector?

Two sources give real numbers, and they measure two different things. The ASHI Reporter column of October 8, 2024 counts business revenue. It put new inspectors a little over $50,000 and all others near $123,000, with firm owners in that second group.

Read the ASHI numbers with care. The column ran with InspectorPro Insurance and drew on data from its applicants. It gives no sample size and no time period, so it shows a rough level, not a precise one.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counts wages. For construction and building inspectors in May 2025, the median was $74,690, and the top 10% earned more than $114,200. That group includes code inspectors, and it leaves out the self-employed.

So an established inspector's business can bring in six figures, while most wage jobs in the group pay less than that. For all the pay sources side by side, see how much home inspectors make.

For an owner, revenue is the fee times the number of inspections. The table below is arithmetic on the ASHI fees, not a survey. It assumes 48 working weeks.

One inspection every workday at $405 lands a little under $100,000. Spread over a year, $100,000 at that fee works out to about 21 inspections a month. Real fees vary by house size, age, and add-ons, so the count moves with them. Volume also swings with the season and the housing market, and few inspectors hold an even pace all year. A slow winter month has to be made up in a busy spring. For how those fees get set, see how much to charge for a home inspection.

$100,000 in revenue is the money that comes in, and a solo inspector pays for all of these out of it:

• Insurance. Some states set a minimum: New Jersey asks for $500,000 of errors and omissions coverage per occurrence, Texas $100,000.
• Report software, tools, and equipment.
• The vehicle, fuel, and time on the road.
• License renewal fees and continuing education.
• Marketing, and health insurance and retirement with no employer to share the cost.

None of those costs shows up in the revenue figures, and BLS wage data leaves the self-employed out entirely. There is no federal number for what an owner keeps.

Then tax. The IRS charges self-employment tax of 15.3% on net earnings, which covers Social Security and Medicare. Income tax comes on top. A six-figure take-home therefore needs revenue well above $100,000. How far above depends on the costs, which differ by state and by business.

More inspections. Two a day is a common target for a full-time solo inspector, though it is a heavy week to hold. See how many inspections fit in a day.

More revenue per visit. In Russ Motyko's view, add-on services are what move established inspectors past six figures. A radon test or a sewer scope adds to the fee without adding another drive. See which add-on services pay.

Higher-fee work. Commercial buildings, large homes, and investors with several properties are separate markets. See specializations that pay. A firm with several inspectors is another route. The ASHI $123,000 average counts those owners too.

An inspector who works for a multi-inspector firm is paid a wage, and the fee and volume belong to the owner. The BLS figures fit that path better than the ASHI ones, though most of the jobs they count are with local governments and engineering firms. Some firms pay on a 1099 instead. For the difference, see whether to work for a company or go solo.

On those numbers, a six-figure wage sits well above the $74,690 median. A wage over $114,200 would put an inspector in the top 10% of the whole group. Owning the business is the more common route to six figures, and it carries the costs listed above.

The first year is usually the slowest. Russ's experience is that inspectors who reach six figures get there after several years of building referrals from agents and past clients. The ASHI gap between new and established inspectors, about $50,000 against $123,000, points the same way.

A part-time start stretches the timeline further, since the inspection count grows more slowly. See whether part-time inspecting works.

Quality holds the volume. A rushed report loses referrals, and a missed defect can turn into a claim. For building the pipeline, see referrals from real estate agents.