Exterior problems found during a home inspection

Stucco moisture, a pulling deck ledger, a leaning wall and a broken garage spring need a specialist first. What siding and window repairs cost.

UpdatedOctober 30, 2026 · By Ben Sikes

What exterior problems show up on a home inspection, and which are serious?

This list covers 19 exterior problems found during a home inspection, from siding and windows to the deck, garage and yard. Seven need a specialist before your inspection deadline, before you talk money. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the federal garage door opener rule tie them to collapse, injury, fumes, a blocked escape or hidden rot. Most other rows are single-trade repairs. The biggest dollar figures sit on stucco water damage and an extensive French drain.

Key takeaways

Stucco or exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) needs a probe moisture test, $600 to $1,500+ nationally, and the seller's written permission to test.
Your inspector only has to open a representative number of windows. Try every bedroom window yourself.
Two buckled siding sections, two fogged windows and one regraded, resodded wall run $2,095 to $6,080 at national prices.

Finding	What the source says	Cost to fix	Who prices it	Guide
Wet attic insulation, uninsulated hatch	Environmental Protection Agency lists wet fiberglass and cellulose insulation as "Discard and replace"	Remove $0.75 to $3 per sq ft; new insulation $1 to $4 per sq ft (Fixr; TaylorMade Heat and Air, local, Dallas-Fort Worth)	Roofer for the leak, then an insulation contractor	Guide
Poor attic ventilation	Building America Solution Center: repeated condensation "can cause serious structural damage"	Ridge vent $240 to $750; soffit vent $290 to $475 each (Fixr; HomeAdvisor; Roof Medic, local, Charlotte and Raleigh)	Roofing contractor	Guide
Brick mortar, weep holes	Brick Industry Association: worn mortar "does not necessarily warrant immediate repair," but cracks through the brick "often require professional investigation"	$3 to $25 per sq ft; $400 to $2,500 for one 8 by 10 ft wall (HomeAdvisor; Bob Vila)	Mason who does repointing	Guide
Broken garage door spring	Federal opener standard: "Weak or broken springs may allow the door to fall rapidly, causing injury or death"	$100 to $562 per spring (Bob Vila; Homewyse; Quality Overhead Door, local, Toledo, Ohio)	Garage door company	Guide
Deck ledger pulling away	InterNACHI: "About 90% of deck collapses occurred as a result of the separation of the house and the deck ledger board"	$2,000 to $7,000 for ledger repair (Modernize; Fiferum Construction, local, Durham, NC)	Licensed deck contractor	Guide
EIFS or stucco moisture	InterNACHI: "When prolonged moisture intrusion of the wood behind the EIFS reaches 30%, rotting will occur"	Test $600 to $1,500+ (single wall $545 locally); patch repair $200 to $800; water damage in older EIFS $15,000 to $100,000 (Redfin; Structure Tech, local, Minneapolis-St. Paul; Central Indiana Stucco Repair, local, central Indiana)	Stucco moisture tester, then a stucco contractor	Guide
Fogged windows	InterNACHI: a foggy double-pane window "has failed and needs to be repaired or replaced"	Sealed glass unit $100 to $600 or more, plus $150 to $500 labor (Bob Vila); new glass $300 to $880 per window (Fixr); whole window up to $1,200 (Clear Works Glass, local, Portland, OR)	Glass company	Guide
Door from garage to house	InterNACHI: "Any openings at all can allow dangerous fumes, such as carbon monoxide or gasoline vapor, to enter the living area"	Rated door $549 to $725, not installed (Alan's Flooring, Doors & More, local, Columbia, TN; SBMTX, local, Dallas area); closer $46.74 to $102 installed (Homewyse)	Door installer	Guide
Garage floor cracks	InterNACHI: when one side of a crack sits higher, "Vertical displacement creates trip hazards"	$150 per crack to $7,000 for a new slab (The Garage Guide)	Concrete contractor; structural engineer if uneven	Guide
Dishwasher air gap, range anti-tip bracket	CPSC: "From 1980 through 2008, CPSC staff is aware of 38 fatalities associated with range tipovers"	Air gap part $10 to $35, plus $80 to $150 labor (DishwasherInstallationCost.com); GE ships a missing bracket for its ranges at no charge	Plumber; appliance technician	Guide
Leaning retaining wall	InterNACHI: a leaning wall past the middle-third test "is usually considered unsafe"	$1,500 for tiebacks to $15,000+ for full replacement (Reliable Solutions, local, Atlanta metro); anchors $60 to $80 per ft; new wall $3,500 to $10,000 (Fixr)	Structural engineer, then a wall contractor	Guide
Masonite or LP siding	InterNACHI: "Buckling and cracking can be a concern, especially with hardboard siding"	$3 to $14 per sq ft installed (CostOwl; RemodelingExpense)	Siding contractor	Guide
Negative grading	InterNACHI: water "might pool against your foundation, seep into your basement, or saturate the soil until your foundation starts shifting and cracking"	$835 to $3,000 to regrade around a foundation (Lawn Love)	Grading or drainage contractor	Guide
Rotted window sill	InterNACHI: advanced brown rot leaves wood "unable to support much weight"	$150 to $700 per sill (Argo Glass & Windows, local, Chicago, Milwaukee, Charlotte, DC; Rotten Window Repair, local, Chicago suburbs)	Carpenter or window-repair contractor	Guide
Single-pane windows	ENERGY STAR: "Single-pane windows are big energy wasters"	Glass $140 to $250 a pane (Homewyse; Matera Builders, local, Jersey Shore, NJ); storm window $259 to $454 (Homewyse); replacement window about $400 to $1,600 or more (ENERGY STAR)	Glazier or window installer	Guide
Soffit and fascia	This Old House: replace a rotted rafter behind it "to ensure the structural integrity of your roof overhang"	$225 to $600 in labor for a small section (Fixr)	Carpenter or roofer	Guide
Buckling vinyl siding	Vinyl Siding Institute: "Tight nailing, screwing, or stapling will cause the vinyl siding to buckle with changes in temperature"	$150 to $300 per 10 by 10 ft section (Fixr); $2 to $4 per sq ft (HomeAdvisor)	Siding contractor	Guide
Windows painted shut	InterNACHI, quoting the 2006 code: a bedroom escape opening works "without the use of keys or tools or special knowledge"	$35 for a sash cord to $800 for a rotted frame, per window (This Old House; Fixr)	Window repair company	Guide
Standing water in the yard	InterNACHI standards: the inspector checks surface drainage and grading "where they may adversely affect the structure due to moisture intrusion"	$100 for downspout extensions to $18,000 for an extensive French drain system (Rainplan; Bob Vila)	Drainage or landscape contractor	Guide

Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a professional quote.

Which exterior findings should you deal with first?

Start with the rows where the source names injury, fire, fumes or structure. Each needs a specialist's look before your deadline:

Deck ledger pulling away. Keep people off the deck until a licensed deck contractor has looked.
Leaning retaining wall. A structural engineer writes the fix, then a contractor prices it.
Broken garage door spring. Don't run the door or pull the emergency release with the door up.
No range anti-tip bracket. Keep weight and children off the open oven door until it's secured.
Bedroom window painted shut. If it's the room's only way out, it's a fire-escape problem. In a house built before 1978, use a lead-safe certified firm.
Door from the garage to the house. A door installer checks the door and its closer.
Stucco or EIFS. Book the probe test as soon as the seller signs off.

If the report also notes foundation cracks or dampness on the same wall as bad grading or standing water, add a structural engineer.

Do home inspectors check siding and windows?

Yes. Under InterNACHI's standards of practice, the inspector looks at "the exterior wall-covering materials" and "the eaves, soffits and fascia." Inside, it opens only "a representative number of doors and windows by opening and closing them," so some windows go untried.

A home inspection is "a non-invasive, visual examination," so it can't see wet framing behind siding or stucco. The inspector also isn't required to "determine the integrity of multiple-pane window glazing or thermal window seals." Look at every window again at your final walkthrough.

What does it cost to fix exterior problems?

Most rows run a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Say your report lists two buckled vinyl siding sections, two fogged windows and negative grading on one wall:

Siding: 2 × $150 = $300 to 2 × $300 = $600.
Windows, new glass: 2 × $300 = $600 to 2 × $880 = $1,760.
Regrading along one 40-foot wall: $835 to $3,000, plus 400 sq ft of new sod at $0.90 to $1.80: 400 × $0.90 = $360 to 400 × $1.80 = $720. That is $835 + $360 = $1,195 to $3,000 + $720 = $3,720.
Total: $300 + $600 + $1,195 = $2,095 to $600 + $1,760 + $3,720 = $6,080.

A contractor's written bid on each line sets where you land. Kept's methodology lists those lines, regrading and drainage correction among them.

How to use this list before your deadline

Match each line on your report to a row, and mark the ones in the safety list above.
Book trades by group. Ask one siding contractor to price hardboard and vinyl together, and one window company to price fogged glass, sills and stuck sashes on the same visit. How to get repair estimates during the inspection period covers getting bids fast.
Ask for each line by scope, trade and bid, as a repair or a credit.
If the seller says no, counter with a credit or price cut, or cancel inside your window if your contract allows it. Your contract sets the exact dates and terms, so confirm them with your agent or attorney.

Will exterior problems fail a home inspection?

No. The American Society of Home Inspectors New England says an inspector "will not pass or fail a house." The report describes the house and flags defects. InterNACHI's standards list "any window that was obviously fogged or displayed other evidence of broken seals" as a defect to report. On a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) handbook says "Cosmetic or minor repairs are not required." It also says the appraiser "must not identify a room as a bedroom that cannot accommodate ingress or egress in the event of an emergency."

How do I know what my exterior list is worth?

Add a priced figure to every line. Get the specialist bids on the safety rows, and a priced list for the rest.

If your report has a page of exterior findings and a deadline this week, upload it to Kept and spend your remaining days on the bids that need a specialist.

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.