Is There a Trip Fee for Mold Inspections in Oklahoma?
The Question Everyone Wants to Ask But Feels Weird About
You're 45 minutes from Oklahoma City. Or an hour. Or you're in one of those smaller towns that doesn't show up on every inspector's service list — the kind of place where the nearest Starbucks is a concept rather than a location. And you're wondering the thing everyone in your position wonders: is this going to cost me extra just because of where I live?
Fair question. And the reason you feel weird asking it is that most businesses make pricing feel like a negotiation rather than a fact. You've probably been burned before by the "we'll figure that out when we get there" approach to pricing.
So let me give you a straight answer. Not a marketing answer. An actual answer.
The Short Version: For most locations within an hour of central OKC, there's no additional trip fee — travel is built into standard pricing. For locations significantly outside the metro, we discuss pricing transparently before scheduling. The price I quote is the price you pay. Not the price plus applicable fees. Not the base rate, travel additional. The actual price.
Why "Trip Fees" Even Exist
Let me defend the concept before I explain how I handle it differently. Some inspection companies charge trip fees because:
- Travel time is work time — I can't inspect someone else's house while I'm driving to yours. An hour each way is two hours of schedule I can't fill
- Fuel and vehicle costs are real — I drive a lot of miles in a work year. Gas, tires, maintenance, insurance. These aren't imaginary expenses
- Distant appointments affect daily scheduling — a single inspection two hours out means that's my only inspection that day. The math changes
These are legitimate business considerations. They're real costs that have to go somewhere. The question isn't whether those costs exist — it's whether companies are honest about how they handle them.
And the answer varies enormously. From transparent and fair to buried-in-the-fine-print and punitive. From "here's your total" to "well, there's the inspection fee, and then the travel surcharge, and then the after-hours rate because we couldn't schedule you during peak hours because of the drive time, and..."
How I Handle It
Primary Service Area: No Trip Fee. Period.
The Oklahoma City metro and surrounding communities — Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman, Moore, Yukon, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, and the constellation of communities around them — are my primary service area. Inspections in these areas have no additional trip fee.
The quoted price is the price. Not "the price plus travel." Not "the price, subject to adjustment based on exact location." The price.
Extended Service Area: Almost Always No Fee
For communities further from central OKC — Chickasha, Guthrie, El Reno, and similar distances — I evaluate on a case-by-case basis. Most of these locations don't have additional fees, especially when I can schedule other inspections in the area the same day. And I often can, because these communities aren't as isolated as Google Maps makes them look.
Distant Locations: Transparent Before You Commit
For locations significantly beyond the metro — two hours or more from OKC — there may be additional travel considerations. But here's the non-negotiable part of how I handle it:
- I tell you upfront, before scheduling — not after driving out, not on the invoice, not as a "by the way" when I arrive
- Amount is based on actual distance — not a flat "travel surcharge" that charges rural Blanchard the same premium as someone in Tulsa
- You agree to pricing before the appointment is confirmed — you get the full number, you decide whether it works for you
- No surprise line items on your invoice — the invoice matches the quote. Every time. That's not clever business. That's just how pricing should work
If you're far enough out that statewide service applies — Tulsa metro, Lawton, or beyond — we'll discuss that openly before scheduling.
What I Won't Do
Hidden Fees
I won't quote you one price and then add travel charges after the fact. This happens more than you'd think in the inspection industry. You get a quote over the phone, agree to schedule, and then the invoice has a line item that wasn't discussed. "Administrative fee." "Equipment transport." "Extended service area surcharge."
No. What I quote is what you pay. If I couldn't make the math work at that price, I wouldn't have quoted it.
Arbitrary Pricing
I won't charge Shawnee customers more than Norman customers just because Shawnee is slightly further from my office. Both are in the metro service area. Both get the same price. The notion that every mile deserves its own line item is the kind of creative accounting that makes people distrust contractors — and I'd prefer not to be lumped in with that.
Punitive Distance Charges
Some companies charge significant premiums for any location outside the city center. As if living in Harrah instead of downtown OKC makes you a harder customer to serve. I live and work in central Oklahoma. Serving the communities around me is my entire business model, not an inconvenience to be penalized.
This is part of the same philosophy behind our approach to the conflict of interest in mold testing: if you can't be straightforward about money, people stop trusting you about mold too. And they should.
How to Know Your Price Before Scheduling
The process is embarrassingly simple:
- Provide your property address — exact location, not "somewhere near Blanchard"
- Describe your inspection needs — what you're concerned about, how large the property is, any specific areas of focus
- I provide complete pricing — everything inclusive. Inspection, sampling, travel, lab fees, report. One number
- You decide whether to proceed — based on full information, not a partial quote that grows later
No back-and-forth. No "we'll determine that when we arrive." No invoice surprises. The fact that this needs to be said explicitly tells you something about what other people's experiences have been.
Your Specific Situation
If you're wondering about your specific location, here's the framework:
| Your Location | Trip Fee? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inside OKC metro | No fee. Period. | Standard pricing, no exceptions |
| Within ~45 min of OKC | Almost certainly no fee | Chickasha, Guthrie, Chandler range |
| Within ~90 min of OKC | Usually no fee | Ask when scheduling — I'll tell you immediately |
| Beyond 90 min | Let's discuss | Pricing will be transparent and agreed upon first |
The easiest way to know? Just ask. I'll tell you immediately what your inspection will cost, all-in. Not a range. Not "starting at." The price.
Not sure if you're in the service area at all? See What If My City Isn't Listed?
Serving Oklahoma, Not Just Oklahoma City
I serve communities throughout central Oklahoma because that's where people need inspection services. Not just where it's convenient. Not just where the per-inspection revenue justifies the drive. Where people actually live and actually have mold concerns.
Residents in Harrah deserve the same access to professional mold inspection as residents in Edmond. Rural Blanchard acreage owners deserve objective environmental assessment just like downtown OKC condo owners. A family in Meeker with a musty crawlspace shouldn't have to drive an hour to find someone who'll take the appointment.
My pricing reflects that philosophy. You shouldn't pay a premium for living where you live.
Ready to Get Your Price?
Contact me with your location and needs. Complete pricing — no surprises, no follow-up fees.
Schedule Your Inspection →