Paid $200 for my private back in '99, $450 for my IFR and $350 each for Comm and Multi engine. The guy who charged $450 failed me purposly on a maint. logbook issue and asked that I pay $250 for the next checkride. Thing is, we never even took a check ride!! I told him to shove it where the sun don't shine, wrote a letter to the FAA about his poor conduct/bad temper and took it with another DE, who only charged me $200. I better stop before I start venting on this experience.

DE's are suppose to charge "a reasonable and fair amount" for a checkride. I know DEs are only allowed 2 checkrides a day but still, anything over $300 is absolute highway robbery.

By the way, don't you have to take your CFI initial with the FAA anyway? I know in Florida you can take it with a DE but California I'm not so sure of.