Mobile Pre-Purchase Inspections: What to Charge and How to Sell Them (2026)

Updated 2026-10-17. Sources are listed at the end.

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This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules vary by state and change often. Confirm with the official source linked in each section, or with a licensed attorney, CPA or insurance agent, before you act.

A pre-purchase inspection (PPI) is the rare service where being mobile is the whole point. The car is at a dealer, a private seller’s driveway or another city, and the buyer can’t easily get it to a shop. The FTC’s used-car advice says so directly: if a dealer won’t let you take the car off the lot, “you may be able to find a mobile inspection service that will go to the dealer” (FTC, Buying a used car from a dealer).

What to charge

RepairPal’s national estimate for a pre-purchase car inspection is $186-$273, all labor (updated September 3, 2026; excludes taxes and fees; not location-adjusted) (RepairPal).

As a mobile inspector you add travel, and you save the buyer a trip. Ways to price it:

Flat PPI fee with a stated service radius, plus a per-mile or zone charge beyond it.
Tiered packages: a basic inspection with a road test and scan; a full inspection with photos, a written report and a repair estimate; and add-ons for specialty vehicles.
Time-based: your labor rate times the hours on site, plus drive time and report writing. Report writing is real time. Price it.

Check the result against RepairPal’s range. Above it is fine if your report and convenience justify it, but say what’s included.

What buyers are told to expect

The FTC tells used-car buyers to:

Get an independent mechanical inspection even if the car is “certified” and sold with a warranty or service contract.
Know that a vehicle history report is not a substitute for an inspection. History reports may list accidents and flood damage but typically not mechanical problems.
Ask the mechanic for a written report with a cost estimate for all necessary repairs, including the make, model and VIN, and use the estimated costs to negotiate.

So the FTC has already defined your deliverable: a written report with VIN, findings and a repair cost estimate. The FTC also notes that a mechanical inspection is different from a safety inspection, which focuses only on what makes a car unsafe to drive. Make clear which one you’re selling.

RepairPal adds that buyers should prefer an ASE-certified technician. If you’re certified, say so on your booking page. RepairPal is also candid that a mobile PPI may not be as thorough as one in a shop with a lift. Answer that directly: list what you inspect, how you check the underside (ramps, a creeper, inspection camera), and what you can’t check in the field.

A sample inspection scope

Example only; adapt it to your tools and state rules.

VIN check against the title and door-jamb label; note the odometer reading.
Full-system scan (powertrain, ABS, airbag and body modules), including readiness monitors and stored codes. Compare scan tools at ScanToolMatch.
Cold start, idle, leaks, smoke and noises.
Road test: acceleration, shifting, braking, steering pull, highway speed.
Brakes, tires, suspension, steering, exhaust and underbody (rust, damage, prior repairs).
Fluids, belts, hoses, battery and charging test.
Interior features, lights, HVAC.
Written report with photos and a repair estimate, using national figures such as our brake and battery/alternator/starter price guides as context.

The free estimate & invoice generator works for the repair-cost section.

Paperwork and liability

Authorization. You’re working on a car the customer doesn’t own yet. Get the seller’s permission to inspect and road-test it, and the buyer’s written authorization of your fee and scope. In California, BAR’s documentation rules require customer authorization recorded on the estimate before work (BAR, Write It Right). A PPI is still a repair-business transaction if your state regulates repair dealers; see license requirements.
No teardown without consent. If you need to remove anything beyond basic covers, California requires a teardown estimate first (same BAR source). Elsewhere it’s still good practice.
Insurance. NAIC notes that standard general liability does not cover professional errors and omissions (NAIC, Small business). A missed defect claim may fall into that gap. Ask your agent whether your policy covers inspection services or whether you need E&O, and confirm coverage for road-testing a vehicle you don’t own. See mobile mechanic insurance types.
Report wording. State the date, mileage, scope and limits (“visual and road-test inspection; no disassembly”), and that the report reflects the car’s condition at the time of inspection.

Getting PPI customers

PPIs are a strong service to list on your Google Business Profile. See our GBP guide and how to get your first customers.

Sources

FTC, Buying a used car from a dealer: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/buying-used-car-dealer
RepairPal, Pre-purchase car inspection cost estimate (updated Sept. 3, 2026): https://repairpal.com/estimator/pre-purchase-car-inspection-cost
California BAR, Write It Right: https://bar.ca.gov/wir
NAIC, Small business insurance: https://content.naic.org/consumer/small-business.htm