If you’ve called around asking what a pre-purchase inspection costs, you’ve probably gotten a different number every time. One shop quotes you a low figure, then tacks on charges for a scan or a road test. Another gives you a big round number and never explains what you actually get. It’s confusing on purpose, and I don’t blame you for being frustrated.
I’ve spent a lot of years on the other side of the counter, so let me lay out plainly what drives the price of an inspection, and how we handle it.
What normally drives the price
A few things move the cost of a pre-purchase inspection up or down, and none of them are complicated once you see them:
- How thorough the inspection actually is. A quick walk-around and a look under the hood is cheap because it’s shallow. A real inspection puts the car on a road test, gets under it, and pulls codes from the computer. More time and more skill cost more money.
- Whether it’s mobile. A shop that makes you tow or drive the car to them has lower overhead per job. Someone who comes to where the car is parked is saving you a huge hassle, and that convenience is part of the price.
- Add-on pricing. This is where the games happen. A low headline number turns into a bigger bill once you add the diagnostic scan, the history check, or a “premium” tier. The advertised price and the price you pay end up being two different things.
- The technician’s experience. A seasoned tech spots trouble a checklist-follower walks right past. You’re not paying for a form to get filled out. You’re paying for judgment.
Once you understand those levers, the wildly different quotes start to make sense. The cheap ones are usually cheap because they leave things out.
Our price: one flat $199, everything included
We charge $199. One rate. Everything’s in it. There’s no basic tier, no premium tier, no separate line item for the scan or the road test or the Vehicle History Review. The number I tell you on the phone is the number you pay.
That $199 covers the full job:
- A road test to feel how it drives, shifts, brakes, and tracks
- A look underneath for leaks, rust, prior collision work, and worn suspension
- A computer scan for stored and pending trouble codes
- A Vehicle History Review to line up what’s been reported with what we find in person
- A plain-English report you can actually use to make a decision or negotiate
You can see the full breakdown of what’s included and an example of the report you’ll get.
Why we keep the pricing simple
Simplicity isn’t a gimmick here. It’s the point.
When you’re buying a used car, you already have enough moving parts to worry about. The last thing you need is an inspection company adding its own layer of fine print. Flat pricing means you’re not doing math in your head about whether the “good” package is worth it, or whether the cheap one skips the thing that actually matters. It all matters, so it’s all in there.
A confusing price is usually hiding something. A flat price has nothing to hide.
It also means the same car gets the same inspection every time. A diesel dually and a Corolla both get the complete treatment for $199. We don’t upcharge trucks, diesels, or anything else. The vehicle doesn’t change how carefully we do the work.
The math that actually matters
Here’s the comparison worth sitting with. Not $199 against some other shop’s quote, but $199 against the repair you might not see coming.
Most used cars, especially private-party sales, are sold as-is. Once the money changes hands, whatever’s wrong with that car is your problem. There’s usually no warranty and no going back. A single hidden repair, a failing transmission, a head gasket, hidden collision damage, can cost thousands to put right.
Against that, $199 is small. Either we find something and you renegotiate or walk away, or we don’t and you buy with confidence. Both outcomes are worth far more than what the inspection costs. If you’re still weighing it, I wrote a longer piece on whether a pre-purchase inspection is worth it for different kinds of buyers.
Where we work and when
We’re a mobile service covering Northern Utah, from Brigham City to North Salt Lake, across Box Elder, Weber, and Davis Counties. You can check the full service area to confirm we reach you.
We offer weekday evening and Saturday appointments to work around a normal schedule, and same-day is sometimes possible depending on how the calendar looks, though I’d never promise it. When you find a car worth looking at, book an inspection and we’ll come to it.
The price is $199. That’s the whole story, and that’s the way I like it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pre-purchase inspection cost in Utah?
Auto Ally charges one flat rate of $199 for a full mobile pre-purchase inspection in Northern Utah. That price includes the road test, the under-vehicle check, a computer scan, and a Vehicle History Review. No tiers, no add-ons.
Is a pre-purchase inspection worth the money?
One hidden repair on a used car can cost thousands. Paying $199 to find that out before you buy, or to walk away with peace of mind, is cheap insurance compared to inheriting someone else's problem.
Do I have to pay extra for a diesel or a truck?
No. The $199 rate is the same whether it's a commuter sedan, a lifted truck, or a diesel. One price covers the whole inspection.
Do you come to the car or do I bring it to you?
We come to the vehicle, wherever it's parked in our Northern Utah service area, from Brigham City to North Salt Lake. That's the whole point of a mobile inspection.
Independent inspection, $199 flat, across Northern Utah.