Handling Home Inspection Requests: A Seller's Guide

Every Inspection Finds Something

A home inspection is a thorough examination of a property's condition — structure, roof, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, appliances, and more. A qualified inspector spends 2-4 hours examining the home and produces a detailed report, often 30-50 pages long with photographs documenting every finding.

Every inspection finds issues. This is normal and does not mean your home is in bad shape. Inspectors are trained and paid to identify every imperfection, no matter how minor. A typical report lists dozens of items — some significant, most cosmetic or routine maintenance. Even brand-new homes have inspection findings. Do not panic when you see the report. Focus on what actually matters, and understand that the buyer knows not every item on the list is a deal-breaker.

The inspection report serves as a tool for the buyer to understand what they are purchasing and to negotiate repairs or credits before finalizing the deal. Your job as the seller is to respond to the buyer's repair request thoughtfully and strategically — not to react emotionally to a long list of findings.

What Home Inspectors Check

A standard home inspection covers the major systems and structural components of the home. Understanding what the inspector evaluates helps you prepare and anticipate what will appear in the report.

Structural components: The inspector examines the foundation for cracks, settling, and water intrusion. They check the framing, load-bearing walls, and any visible structural supports in the basement, crawl space, or attic. Foundation cracks are extremely common — most are cosmetic (hairline cracks from normal settling), but horizontal cracks, stair-step cracks in brick, or cracks wider than a quarter inch may indicate structural problems.

Roof: The inspector evaluates the condition of the roofing material (shingles, tile, or flat roof membrane), flashing around penetrations (chimneys, vents, skylights), gutters and downspouts, and any signs of leaking in the attic. They note the approximate age and remaining lifespan of the roof. A roof nearing the end of its useful life (typically 20-30 years for asphalt shingles) is one of the most common major findings.

Plumbing: Water supply lines, drain lines, water heater, fixtures, and visible pipes are inspected for leaks, corrosion, and proper function. The inspector runs water in every sink, tub, and shower, flushes every toilet, and checks water pressure. Common findings include slow drains, minor leaks under sinks, outdated galvanized pipes, and water heaters that are near the end of their lifespan or missing required safety features (temperature and pressure relief valve, seismic strapping in California, proper venting).

Electrical: The inspector checks the electrical panel for proper wiring, labeling, and capacity. They test outlets throughout the home for proper grounding and polarity, check for GFCI protection in wet areas (kitchens, bathrooms, garages, outdoor outlets), and look for any exposed wiring, double-tapped breakers, or code violations. Older homes frequently have findings related to outdated wiring, insufficient grounding, or panels that need upgrading.

HVAC: Heating and cooling systems are tested for function, and the inspector notes the age, condition, and type of equipment. They check air filters, ductwork (where accessible), thermostat function, and overall performance. An HVAC system older than 15-20 years is likely to be flagged as nearing the end of its useful life.

Additional items include windows and doors (operation, seals, locks), insulation and ventilation in the attic, interior walls and ceilings (cracks, stains, signs of water damage), exterior siding and trim (rot, damage, gaps), grading and drainage around the foundation, garage (including the door, opener, and fire separation), and all built-in appliances.

Specialized Inspections

Beyond the standard home inspection, buyers may order specialized inspections for specific concerns. These are conducted by specialists and focus on areas the general inspector identifies as needing further evaluation — or areas the buyer wants to investigate proactively.

Pest inspection (also called a wood-destroying organism or WDO report): A licensed pest inspector examines the home for termites, wood-boring beetles, dry rot, and fungal damage. In California, the pest report divides findings into Section 1 items (active infestations and infections requiring treatment) and Section 2 items (conditions that could lead to future damage). Many lenders require a clear pest report — or at least clearance of Section 1 items — before funding the loan.

Sewer line inspection: A plumber sends a camera through the main sewer line from the home to the street connection. This reveals root intrusion, pipe deterioration, bellies (low spots where waste collects), offsets, and potential blockages. Sewer line replacement costs $5,000-$20,000 or more depending on depth and length, so this inspection is important for older homes with clay or cast-iron drain lines.

Chimney inspection: A certified chimney inspector evaluates the firebox, flue liner, damper, cap, and exterior structure. Common findings include cracked flue liners (which are a fire hazard), missing chimney caps (which allow water and animal intrusion), and deteriorated mortar joints. Chimney repairs range from a few hundred dollars for a new cap to several thousand for a new flue liner.

Pool and spa inspection: A pool inspector evaluates the pool shell (plaster, pebble, or fiberglass), decking, equipment (pump, filter, heater, salt cell), plumbing, electrical connections, safety features (fencing, gate latches, drain covers), and overall water quality. Pool equipment typically has a 7-15 year lifespan, and re-plastering costs $5,000-$15,000 depending on pool size and material.

Other specialized inspections include roof inspections by a licensed roofing contractor (more detailed than the general inspector's assessment), mold testing, radon testing, well and septic inspections for rural properties, and structural engineer evaluations for foundation concerns.

What Buyers Typically Ask For

After reviewing the inspection report, buyers typically submit a Request for Repair asking the seller to address specific items. Common requests fall into three categories.

Safety issues: these are items that pose a health or safety risk — exposed wiring, missing GFCI outlets in bathrooms and kitchens, water heater strapping (required in California for earthquake safety), missing or non-functional smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, gas leaks, mold, or structural concerns. Buyers almost always ask for safety issues to be addressed, and most sellers agree — these items are typically inexpensive to fix and refusing them creates an adversarial tone.

Major system issues: problems with the roof, foundation, HVAC, plumbing, or electrical system. These are expensive to repair and affect the home's habitability and insurability. Buyers reasonably expect sellers to address these or provide a credit toward repairs. Common examples include a roof that needs replacement, an HVAC system that is not functioning properly, a water heater that is past its lifespan, and plumbing issues that affect water pressure or drainage.

Cosmetic and minor items: peeling paint, loose doorknobs, cracked tiles, minor caulking, worn weatherstripping, and similar items. Some buyers include an extensive list of cosmetic items in their request; experienced sellers push back on these since they are not structural or safety-related and were visible during the showing.

How Lender-Required Repairs Work

Some inspection findings are not just the buyer's concern — the buyer's lender may require certain repairs before they will fund the loan. This is especially common with FHA and VA loans, which have specific property condition requirements.

FHA loans require that the property meet HUD's Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs). Common items that trigger FHA-required repairs include peeling paint on homes built before 1978 (lead paint concern), missing handrails on stairs with more than three risers, broken windows, exposed electrical wiring, roof leaks, standing water in the crawl space, and non-functional heating systems.

VA loans have similar requirements through their Minimum Property Requirements, including adequate roofing, functioning mechanical systems, safe electrical and plumbing, and absence of wood-destroying insect damage. A VA appraiser may flag items that the general inspection did not, and these must be resolved before the loan can close.

Conventional loans are generally less strict about property conditions, but the appraiser can still flag health and safety issues that must be addressed. If the appraisal report notes a condition that affects the property's value or safety, the lender may require it to be corrected.

When a lender requires a repair, it is not optional — the loan will not fund until the issue is resolved and the lender's appraiser verifies the repair. This gives you less negotiating room on these specific items. If you refuse to make a lender-required repair, the buyer may need to switch to a different loan program, bring additional cash, or cancel the transaction.

Your Options When You Receive a Repair Request

You have three basic options: agree to all requested repairs, agree to some and decline others, or decline all repairs. Each approach has implications for how the transaction proceeds.

Agreeing to everything is rarely necessary. Buyers and their agents often ask for more than they expect to receive — the repair request is a negotiation starting point, not a final demand. A reasonable approach is to agree to safety items and lender-required repairs (since these must be done for the loan to close), negotiate on major system items, and push back on cosmetic items.

Offering a credit (a dollar amount deducted from the sale price or contributed at closing toward the buyer's costs) is often preferable to making repairs yourself. Credits let the buyer handle repairs after closing with their own contractors at their own standards. You avoid the hassle of coordinating work on a tight timeline before closing and the risk of the buyer being dissatisfied with your contractor's work. A common phrasing is "Seller agrees to a credit of $X toward buyer's closing costs in lieu of repairs."

If you decline all repairs, the buyer can either accept the property in its current condition, continue negotiating, or cancel the transaction during their inspection contingency period and receive their earnest money deposit back. In a strong seller's market, some buyers waive inspection repairs entirely to make their offer more competitive. In a buyer's market, declining all repairs is riskier because the buyer has more leverage and alternative options.

Real Examples of Repair Request Negotiations

Understanding how repair negotiations play out in practice helps you calibrate your response. Here are common scenarios.

Scenario 1: The buyer's inspection reveals a roof with 2-3 years of remaining life, an HVAC system that works but is 18 years old, three outlets missing GFCI protection, and a list of 15 cosmetic items. A reasonable seller response: agree to install GFCI outlets (cost: $150-$300), decline all cosmetic items, and offer a $2,000 credit toward the buyer's future roof and HVAC expenses rather than making repairs on aging systems that are still functional.

Scenario 2: The pest inspection finds active subterranean termites requiring treatment ($800-$1,500) and minor dry rot in a bathroom subfloor ($1,500-$3,000 to repair). Since most lenders require Section 1 pest clearance, the seller agrees to the termite treatment and offers a $2,500 credit for the dry rot repair in lieu of making the repair before closing.

Scenario 3: The sewer line camera inspection reveals significant root intrusion and a partially collapsed clay pipe, with an estimated replacement cost of $12,000-$18,000. This is a major finding that the buyer did not know about before the inspection. The negotiation often involves splitting the cost — perhaps a $7,500-$10,000 credit — or reducing the purchase price. If the seller refuses to negotiate, the buyer will likely cancel during their contingency period.

Scenario 4: The inspection reveals no major issues — just a list of minor items (loose doorknob, small caulking gap, dripping faucet). The buyer submits a modest repair request. The seller agrees to fix the dripping faucet and declines the rest. The buyer accepts and removes their inspection contingency. This is the most common outcome in homes that are well-maintained.

When to Walk Away vs. When to Negotiate

Not every repair request warrants a negotiation. If the buyer is asking for reasonable repairs on legitimate safety and major system issues — and the total amount is proportional to the sale price — negotiate in good faith. Most transactions survive the inspection negotiation phase. The goal is to reach a resolution that both sides can live with, not to win every point.

Consider walking away (or calling the buyer's bluff) when the repair request is grossly disproportionate to the actual issues, the buyer is demanding a full repair or replacement of a system that is still functional (asking for a new roof when the current one has 5-10 years of life left), the buyer is clearly using the inspection as an excuse to renegotiate the price rather than address genuine concerns, or the total credits and repairs requested would make the deal financially unviable for you.

Consider being more flexible when you are in a buyer's market with limited demand, when the inspection found a legitimate surprise that neither party knew about (sewer line, foundation issue), when the buyer's loan requires specific repairs that cannot be avoided, or when you have already invested significant time in the transaction and starting over would be costly and uncertain.

If the buyer cancels during their inspection contingency because you declined their repair request, they get their earnest money back and you relist the property. The inspection findings may resurface with the next buyer, so factor that into your decision. If a significant issue was found, the next buyer will likely find the same thing. Sometimes it is better to negotiate with the current buyer than to deal with the same issue again with a new one.

The Re-Inspection Process

If you agree to make specific repairs before closing, the buyer may request a re-inspection to verify the work was completed properly. This is a reasonable request, and you should cooperate with it. The re-inspection is typically limited in scope — the inspector only checks the items that were repaired, not the entire home again.

Re-inspections cost the buyer $100-$200 and take 30 minutes to an hour. Schedule them as soon as repairs are complete to avoid delaying the closing timeline. Have all receipts, invoices, and permits (if applicable) available for the inspector to review. Work done by licensed contractors with documentation is far more credible than work done by the homeowner without receipts.

If the re-inspection reveals that a repair was not completed properly or was not completed at all, the buyer can request that the work be redone before closing. This can delay the closing and create tension in the transaction. To avoid re-inspection failures, use qualified contractors, follow the agreed-upon scope of work exactly, and make sure the repair matches what was described in the repair agreement.

For items where you provided a credit instead of making repairs, no re-inspection is needed because the buyer is accepting the condition as-is and handling the work themselves after closing. This is another advantage of offering credits — they simplify the process and avoid the re-inspection step entirely.

Pre-Listing Inspections: A Proactive Approach

Some sellers order their own inspection before listing the home. This costs $300-$500 and gives you a significant strategic advantage. You learn about issues before buyers do, which lets you fix problems on your own timeline and budget (when you are not under pressure from contingency deadlines), price the home accurately factoring in any needed repairs, disclose known issues upfront which builds buyer trust and reduces the chance of surprises derailing the deal later, and position yourself as a transparent and well-prepared seller.

A pre-listing inspection does not replace the buyer's inspection — buyers will still order their own, and their inspector may find additional items. But it eliminates the biggest surprises and puts you in a stronger negotiating position. Buyers are less likely to make aggressive repair demands when they can see you already knew about the issues, addressed what needed addressing, and priced the home accordingly.

The cost of a pre-listing inspection is one of the best investments a seller can make. Discovering a $15,000 foundation issue before listing is very different from discovering it during the buyer's inspection contingency period when you are under pressure to negotiate and the deal is at risk. With advance knowledge, you can get multiple repair estimates, complete the work at a fair price, and market the home with the issue already resolved.