Choosing a company starts with your actual property
An online ranking cannot identify the right company for every property. Start with whether this is a new-home handover, resale completion, an older home or completed renovation. Compare the actual scope, access limitations, total quotation and follow-up arrangements. The lowest price, longest item list or a promise to find every defect is not a substitute for clear service terms.
Questions to compare inspection companies
Give each company the same address, area, property condition and expected date so that quotations cover comparable work. This table is a question framework, not a company ranking or a statement about competitors' prices.
| What to compare | What to ask | Confirmation to obtain |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of inspection | Which visible conditions and functions are checked? | Included, separately arranged and excluded items |
| Total cost | How is area charged? Is there a minimum or a surcharge? | Base fee, extra tests, access charges and reinspection terms |
| Site conditions | What happens without utilities or with furniture or work in progress? | Limitations and whether another appointment is needed |
| On-site explanation | Will findings, locations and uncertainties be explained? | Owner or representative attendance and communication |
| Report delivery | When is it issued and what does it contain? | Delivery time, record format and how to use it |
| Checks after repairs | Is reinspection included and how is it priced? | Separate booking, charges and accessible scope |
Compare services for your property's actual condition
For a new home, confirm the delivery specification, keys and defect submission arrangements. For resale, confirm the seller's consent, vacancy and existing equipment. Older homes require attention to current condition, ageing and access restrictions. After renovation, compare against the agreed works and completion status. Age, transaction stage and renovation status may overlap; a label is not a substitute for discussion. A home inspection is not statutory inspection, structural certification or repair work.
Check evidence rather than unverifiable claims
Check contact details, service descriptions, what published cases actually show and the service described in reviews, rather than relying on star ratings or photo counts. If qualifications, insurance, specialist tests or legal uses are mentioned, ask who holds them and what work and limitations they cover. Unverified claims of being number one, finding every defect or guaranteeing a successful claim are not established outcomes.
A checklist you can use before booking
Describe the property in one message and request itemised confirmation. Keep the reply with the quotation and mark unanswered points as pending rather than treating an estimate as a commitment.
- Which inspection situation applies to my unit, and what is excluded?
- Which area is used, and what are the total, minimum and additional charges?
- What permissions, utilities and key arrangements are needed?
- When is the report delivered, what is included, and how are inaccessible items recorded?
- What are the arrangements and charges for rescheduling, cancellation and reinspection?
OPO arrangements: check the service before confirming the quote
OPO Inspection charges by saleable area; confirm the applicable minimum and site surcharges against the pricing page and quotation. The inspection report is issued on the next working day and does not include photos; owners may keep their own photos separately. Reinspection is charged separately and is not automatically included. The booking deposit is 50% of the inspection fee. Cancellation or rescheduling with less than 48 hours' notice incurs HK$500, deducted from the deposit. Ask about any other arrangements that have not been confirmed.
FAQs
Is the cheapest inspection always the best value?
Compare the total for the same scope, minimum charges, site limitations, extra tests and reinspection terms. A low price is not necessarily poor value, but unspecified work should not be assumed to be included.
Does a longer checklist mean a more complete inspection?
Not necessarily. Companies may count the same location in different ways. Compare the methods, accessible scope and limitations rather than the number of listed items alone.
Does the inspection fee include repairs and free reinspection?
Do not assume so. Inspection, repair work and checks after repairs are different activities. OPO reinspection is charged separately, while repairs are arranged by the relevant responsible party. Confirm the scope and cost of each before booking.
