Her are several answers to what has been queries on this thread.
1) In PA., the PICS check has a charge that dealers MUST pay and this gets passed on to the customer. It's more nominal than many dealers charge, though. The NICS check that other states use has no fee. Any fees charged here are on the dealer.
2) In Pa., the background check in a CCW application is part of the total charge for the permit. As there is no national standard and even none within some states, it's hard to say what is charged elsewhere. You'd have to ask the particular jurisdiction you are applying in how they charge and for what.
3) As a result of becoming an FFL, you do consent to unscheduled and unannounced checks of your business by ATF. If you have a home based business like mine, they can come into the dwelling, but I believe that they would have to limit their business to the office/shop part of the dwelling. They require that the business part of the home be separate from any other part and thusly would make it extremely difficult for them to arbitrarily go into any other part of the dwelling without the potential for reprocussion. When I was inspected for compliance while the process was ongoing, the agent went straight into the office, make no gestures or attempts to even look anywhere else, and exited when we were done through the same door he entered through. He made a point, it seemed, to avoid any other areas of the dwelling intentionally. My gut says that they are instructed to behave this way and I'd be surprised to see it not be the same for subsequent compliance inspections. FYI, going class 3 does put you under more scrutiny than just becoming a class 1. I am a class 1 dealer because I just chose not to deal with the auto stuff, no other reasons. Here, though, worrying about getting knocks on your door at 3am is pretty much a non issue. The only way they'd do that is if they had a warrant because there was evidence that you were involved in some criminal activity. Odds are that it would happen within your posted hours of operation. You must have hours of operation when you apply. These can be subject to change, though you cannot do business strictly on a "by appointment only" basis.
4) I used a guide site that charged for the service when I was in the process of getting my act together for an FFL. It was very helpful, but the bottom line is that the info is available through ATF and elsewhere for free. It just takes more time and effort to find it all. I have had contact with the ATF licensing center in W. Va. while I was in progress to be approved and they seem to be very friendly and helpful, not at all as one might expect. All forms and much info can be obtained through them. The phone number for the FFLC is 888-662-2750. I would be happy to pass along what I have learned to anyone planning on going into business.
I have to admit that while there are hoops to jump through like any venture, this one wasn't really painful at all, at least for me. Expect to be inspected prior to your FBI background check being done during the licensing process by an ATF representative. They have to make sure that you meet the minimum letter of the law for a business, home based or not. They also go over the paperwork, both federal and state. My experience was very good. My agent was pretty cool and spent a long time with me answering my questions, going over how to correctly fill out the paperwork like the 4473, etc., and just making sure the prospective new dealer is familiar with what he/she needs to know. No complaints at all here.