Average repair costs after a home inspection
National averages run from $624 for gutters to $12,000 for a new HVAC system. A sample 27-finding report priced out at $13,760. Price yours first.
Updated · By 
Ben Sikes
What is the average repair cost after a home inspection?
At national averages, common inspection repairs run from $624 for new gutters to $5,000 to $12,000 for a new heating and cooling system. A sample report Kept priced in full, 27 sample findings at a sample address priced for Franklin, Tennessee, came to $13,760. Your total depends on your own report and local prices, so price it line by line before you ask the seller for anything.
Key takeaways
- Safety findings go to a licensed specialist before you talk money.
- A system at the end of its normal life isn't a defect for that reason alone. Budget for it; don't build your ask on it.
- A price cut or a low appraisal also shrinks the cap on your seller credit.
Which findings count toward the total?
Not every line the inspector wrote down. Under the Standards of Practice from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), a material defect is a specific problem with a system or component. It may significantly hurt the home's value, or it poses an unreasonable risk to people. The same standards say a system near, at or past the end of its normal life isn't a material defect for that reason alone.
Sort your report into three piles before you price anything:
- Safety first. Gas, carbon monoxide, electrical hazards, active leaks and structural items. These go to a licensed specialist before your deadline, and their written findings set the scope and the price. If you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility or 911. If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says to "get outside to fresh air immediately, and then call 911."
- Price and ask. Material defects, big systems included, like a roof that leaks or a water heater that's failing.
- Budget, don't ask. Old systems that still work, and cosmetic wear. Fannie Mae's rule of thumb is to budget 1% to 4% of your home's value a year for maintenance, repairs and replacements included.
If you're unsure which pile a line belongs in, major vs. minor findings on an inspection report shows how to read the wording.
What do the big repairs cost?
A 2023 National Association of Realtors (NAR) guide to common inspection findings lists national averages for some of the big ones:
| Finding | National average |
|---|---|
| Replace heating and cooling (HVAC) | $5,000 to $12,000 |
| Replace an electrical panel | $2,400 |
| Repair a foundation | $2,175 to $7,823 |
| Install gutters | $624 to $1,705 |
These are a first look, not a number to send. Your metro's labor and material prices, and the scope on your own report, move every line.
How is a full report priced?
Line by line, by trade. The 27-finding sample above is a worked example, not an average. Three of its lines, a rear roof slope repair, a water heater replacement and downspout extensions, come to $4,107, and 24 more items make up the other $9,653. Kept prices your report the same way for $79, usually under 4 hours, and flags any line that needs an engineer to define the repair. Each finding becomes the work a contractor would actually do, with the trade named. Labor is the local hourly rate for that trade from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, and materials are priced at what a contractor pays locally. The full method is public.
Your total will differ from the sample's in three ways: how many findings are material defects, whether a big system needs replacing, and your local prices. Foundation movement needs an engineer's written scope before anyone can price it, so book that visit first.
How do you turn the total into an ask?
A seller credit covers closing costs, which frees your own cash for repairs. Your loan program caps it. On a home you'll live in, Fannie Mae's Selling Guide sets the cap by how much you put down, figured on the price or appraised value, whichever is lower:
| Down payment | Seller credit limit |
|---|---|
| Under 10% | 3% |
| 10% to under 25% | 6% |
| 25% or more | 9% |
The credit also "must be equal to or less than the sum of the borrower's closing costs." On a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or Veterans Affairs (VA) loan, ask your loan officer for your program's cap.
For example, say you're buying a $400,000 home with 5% down, and your priced list matches the sample's $13,760. The 3% cap is $12,000, which leaves $1,760 if your closing costs cover the full cap.
Your real credit limit is the lower of that cap and your actual closing costs. If your closing costs come in under the cap, the leftover grows by the difference. You can split it: a credit up to that limit, and the rest as a seller repair on specific lines or as a price cut. A price cut lowers the price the cap is figured on, and so does a low appraisal. If the home appraises at $390,000, the cap drops to $11,700. Have your loan officer confirm the cap and your closing costs on your Loan Estimate, and ask your agent which form the seller is likely to accept.
Repairs vs. credit vs. price reduction compares the three. The buyer repair request letter template shows a dollar figure on every line. If a failing big system is on your list, see asking the seller to replace a roof, HVAC, or water heater.
What if the seller says no?
Keep the safety items. Rank the other material defects by dollars and cut from the bottom, starting with small fixes you can handle after you move in.
If the market favors the seller, ask for less from the start. Negotiating repairs in a seller's market shows how to trim. If a large line still has no real number when your deadline arrives, read when to walk away after a home inspection first. Your contract sets the exact dates and terms, so confirm them with your agent.
Do sellers usually fix everything on a home inspection?
Don't plan on it. Ask for the lines that matter, each with a dollar figure, not a request to "address all inspection items." What to ask for after a home inspection covers which items are worth asking about.
Should you get contractor quotes instead?
Get them for the biggest lines if you have time. A written bid from a roofer or plumber is the firmest number you can bring. Inside a short window, price every line first, then chase bids on the largest ones.
If your window is closing and you need a total before you send your ask, upload your inspection report to Kept and get dollar figures you can put in the request.
Sources
Cost figures are modeled from public wage and materials data unless a line says observed. Kept is accountable for the numbers on this page, and corrections go to support@usekept.com. How we price.