Spokane’s real estate market has seen steady growth over the past five years, driven by a combination of population inflow from Seattle and California, lower home prices compared to the West Side, and a strong local job market in health care, education, and manufacturing. The Spokane metropolitan area includes not only the city itself but also surrounding communities like Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, and Deer Park. This creates a broad service area for home inspectors. Most home sales in Spokane County still use a contingency period for inspections, typically 7–10 days after offer acceptance. Older homes built before 1970 are common in neighborhoods like Browne’s Addition, South Hill, and Perry District, requiring inspectors who are familiar with knob-and-tube wiring, cast iron drains, and historic foundations. Newer construction is concentrated in developments around Liberty Lake, Mead, and the West Plains. Competition includes both established multi-inspector firms and solo operators. The average home inspection fee in Spokane County ranges from $400 to $600 for a standard single-family home, with additional costs for sewer scopes, radon testing, and mold sampling. Starting a home inspection business here is feasible with proper licensing, a solid vehicle, and a targeted local SEO strategy.
Washington requires all home inspectors to hold a license issued by the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). You must complete at least 120 hours of approved education from an accredited provider (e.g., AHIT, InterNACHI, ASHI), pass the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), and submit a background check. The application fee is currently $300, and the license must be renewed every two years with 24 hours of continuing education. You cannot operate until your license is issued. Washington also mandates that inspectors carry errors and omissions (E&O) insurance with a minimum of $250,000 per occurrence, plus general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 aggregate.
Register your business with the Washington Secretary of State as a sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation. For liability protection, an LLC is recommended. You will also need a Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number from the Department of Revenue. Spokane County does not require a separate city business license for home inspectors if you operate out of a home office, but you must check with the City of Spokane if you plan to have a physical office location. Obtain a tax registration number for sales tax (though home inspection services are generally not subject to sales tax in Washington).
Washington’s Home Inspection Consumer Protection Act defines the report standards. You must provide a written report within 3 business days. Include a disclosure of any conflicts of interest. Consider joining a trade association like InterNACHI for access to contracts and dispute resolution resources. Also, comply with Washington’s business licensing service (BLS) for any city-specific endorsements. Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake have their own business license requirements if your office is located there.
Go to google.com/business and sign in with a Google account dedicated to your business. Enter your exact business name as it appears on your Washington license (e.g., “Spokane Valley Home Inspections LLC”). Use a physical address where you can receive mail — even your home office is acceptable, but be aware that Google may require address verification via postcard. Use the address category “Service Area Business” because home inspectors travel to clients; you do not need to display your home address publicly if you select the service area option.
Fill in your service area as Spokane and surrounding ZIP codes (99201–99224, 99016, 99019, 99037, 99001, 99026). Add your phone number — ideally a local Spokane area code (509). Choose the primary category “Home Inspector” and add secondary categories like “Building Inspector” or “Radon Testing Service.” Write a business description that includes keywords like “home inspection Spokane,” “Spokane home inspector,” “pre-purchase inspection,” “sewer scope Spokane,” and “radon testing Spokane.” Mention your licensing and insurance. Upload high-quality photos: your logo, your vehicle with company signage, shots of you performing an inspection (with client permission), and example inspection tools (moisture meter, infrared camera).
Encourage every client to leave a Google review immediately after delivering the report. Use a follow-up email with a direct link to your review page. Respond to every review — both positive and negative — with genuine, personalized comments. Use Google Posts at least weekly to share maintenance tips, seasonal reminders (e.g., “Winter attic inspection in Spokane”), or special offers for sewer scope add-ons. Add your service area cities (Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney) in the “areas served” section. Keep hours consistently set to “open 8 AM–6 PM” or whatever your schedule is. Use the Q&A section proactively by answering common questions like “Do you inspect septic systems?” or “What is included in a standard inspection?”
Your website should be built on a fast, mobile-friendly platform (WordPress or a simple static site). Create a separate page for each city you service: “Home Inspection Spokane,” “Home Inspection Spokane Valley,” “Home Inspection Liberty Lake,” etc. Each page must have unique content of at least 400 words, including location-specific details like typical home construction styles, average home ages, and common inspection issues in that area (e.g., “In the South Hill area, many homes have basements prone to moisture intrusion”). Use title tags like “Home Inspector in Spokane, WA | [Your Business Name]” and meta descriptions with a call-to-action. Include your phone number, address, and a contact form in the footer. Add schema markup for “LocalBusiness” (type: HomeInspectionService).
Consistency of your Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) across the web is critical. Submit your business to high-authority directories: Yelp, Angi (formerly Angie’s List), HomeAdvisor, BBB, Yellow Pages, Foursquare, and local Spokane-specific directories like the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce directory, Inland Northwest Business Directory, and Spokane Small Business Network. Also join industry directories: InterNACHI, ASHI, and the Washington Association of Realtors (if you become a vendor member). Ensure that your NAP matches exactly what you put on your Google Business Profile — no variations like “St” vs “Street.”
Publish a blog on your website with titles such as “5 Common Inspection Issues in Spokane’s South Hill Homes,” “What to Expect During a Sewer Scope in Spokane Valley,” or “Radon Testing in the Spokane Area: Is It Necessary?” Include local examples, photos of real inspections (with permission), and references to Spokane neighborhoods. Guest post on local real estate agent blogs or community news sites. Create a resource page answering common questions like “How much does a home inspection cost in Spokane?” and then link to it from your Google Profile.
Earn backlinks from local organizations: sponsor a homebuyer education class at Spokane Community College, become a member of the Spokane Association of Realtors (as an affiliate), or partner with local mortgage lenders and title companies for reciprocal links. Write guest articles for Spokane’s local online newspapers (e.g., The Spokesman-Review business section or Spokane Journal of Business). A link from a .edu or .gov site (e.g., City of Spokane business resources page) carries high weight.
Spokane’s pricing is competitive but not as high as Seattle or Bellevue. Based on current market research (
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