# Home inspection guides

> What a home inspection covers, what it costs in Ontario, questions to ask an inspector, and buying a rural home with a well and septic. Sourced and dated.

Canonical: https://chi.canadianwebmaster.ca/guides

Plain answers for buyers and sellers in Southwestern Ontario, from a certified inspector. Every guide lists its sources and the date it was checked.

## Buying a home

- [Questions to Ask a Home Inspector Before You Book](https://chi.canadianwebmaster.ca/guides/questions-to-ask-a-home-inspector): Ontario doesn't license home inspectors today, so the questions you ask are how you tell them apart. Here are the ones that matter, with Jim Ward's answers where he's published them.
- [What Does a Home Inspection Include? A System-by-System Checklist](https://chi.canadianwebmaster.ca/guides/what-a-home-inspection-covers): A home inspection is a visual look at the roof, structure, systems and interior, written up in a report. Here's what the InterNACHI standards cover, what they leave out, and how Jim's list lines up.

## Costs

- [How Much Is a Home Inspection in Ontario? 2026 Costs](https://chi.canadianwebmaster.ca/guides/home-inspection-cost-ontario): Jim's prices are $450 for a condo and $500 for a home up to 1,800 sq ft, both including HST. Here's how that compares with published Ontario figures, and what pushes a price up.

## Rural properties

- [Buying a House With a Well and Septic in Ontario](https://chi.canadianwebmaster.ca/guides/buying-a-rural-home-well-and-septic): A rural house means your own water supply and your own sewage system, and neither is part of a standard home inspection. Here's what Ontario's rules say and what to check before you firm up.