A home inspector assesses a property's real condition — roof, structure, foundation, plumbing, electrical, insulation — and delivers a written report, usually with photos, that can weigh heavily in your negotiation or surface costly repairs before you buy. Quality varies widely from one inspector to the next. Before hiring, verify the licence or professional accreditation that applies in the province, genuine experience with the type of building involved, and a clear, thorough sample report. Payotte verifies the accreditation and local presence of the inspector it recommends in each Toronto sector, and publishes only one — the highest-scoring on objective criteria.
The Toronto real estate market
As of May 2026, the MLS benchmark price in Toronto stood at $938,000, down 5.2% year-over-year. The average home, all property types combined, traded near $1,108,292. Inventory sat at roughly 4.2 months of supply, and homes took about 29 days to sell.
Scope: Ville de Toronto (prix mai 2026); indicateurs MOI/DOM = GTA avril 2026 · TRREB · May 2026. — Source : TRREB
How much does a home inspection cost?
Across Canada, budget roughly $500 for a residential pre-purchase inspection — the working figure used by both CMHC and WOWA's closing-cost calculator (updated August 2025). The buyer pays, usually as part of an inspection condition in the offer to purchase.
No provincial association outside Quebec publishes an official province-by-province fee schedule, so treat this as a national reference point rather than a local quote.
Sources: CMHC — How much will my home really cost? · WOWA — Closing costs calculator (Aug 2025)