What a mold inspection costs, and what changes the price
There is no single price, because "inspection" covers anything from a twenty-minute visual walkthrough to a multi-room assessment with lab-analyzed samples.
What actually drives the number
Square footage and how many areas are involved. Whether sampling is included, and how many samples go to a lab, lab analysis is usually billed per sample and is often the largest single line.
Whether the source is visible or has to be found. Locating hidden moisture takes longer than confirming something you can already see.
Whether you need a written report suitable for a third party. A report you will hand to a buyer, a landlord or a carrier takes more work than a verbal summary.
And the property itself. A compact condominium and a large detached house are not the same afternoon: the older detached stock around Orange and Tustin has additions and crawl access that take time to read, while the coastal properties through Newport Beach add finishes that nobody wants opened speculatively. Ask what the quoted time assumes before comparing two numbers.
What you may not need
If growth is visible and the water source is known, species testing rarely changes the plan, the EPA says as much. Paying for sampling in that situation buys documentation, not information.
Where sampling earns its cost is the opposite case: a smell with no visible source, or a dispute where you need something in writing.
One thing worth asking
Ask whether the company that inspects also performs remediation. Some do both, some deliberately do not. Neither is wrong, but knowing which you are dealing with tells you how to read the recommendation.
Next step: Mold inspection in Orange County
If there is water in the home right now, that changes the priority: start here instead.
Pricing is set by the independent inspector you are connected with. Nothing here is a quote.