Home inspection repair list: a checklist for buyers
Mark every finding ask, leave off, or specialist first, then attach a page, a photo and a price. A system-by-system repair list you can send in time.
Updated · By 
Ben Sikes
How do you build a home inspection repair list?
Go down your inspection report one finding at a time and mark each one: ask, leave off, or specialist first. Then attach a report page, a photo and a price to every line you plan to ask for. The finished list is the thing you send the seller, so build it as a list of lines, not a letter.
Key takeaways
- Three marks cover every finding: ask, leave off, or specialist first. A hazard such as a rusted flue goes to a specialist before you price it; a missing alarm is a direct ask.
- Your inspector is not required to price repairs, so every ask line needs a price beside it.
- A line with nothing attached is a complaint. With a report page, a photo and a bid or estimate attached, it is a request.
What are the three marks?
| Mark | Use it when | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Ask | The finding is unsafe, broken, or will cost more if you wait | It goes on the list with its attachments |
| Specialist first | You can't tell what the fix is or how bad it is | A licensed pro looks before you decide what to ask |
| Leave off | It is cosmetic, or an old part that still works | It goes on your own to-do list |
The test for "ask" comes from the inspectors' own rules. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) defines a material defect as an issue that "poses an unreasonable risk to people" or hurts the home's value. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) has inspectors report parts that are "not functioning properly, significantly deficient, unsafe, or are near the end of their service lives." Inspectors report all four. Your list asks for the first three and budgets for the last unless a defect is noted. For the reasoning behind what is fair to request, see what to ask for after a home inspection.
Which findings go on the list, system by system?
Run each row against your report. "Specialist first" means a licensed pro in that trade sees it before you put a number on it.
| System | Ask for | Specialist first | Leave off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof and attic | Leaks, missing or damaged shingles, flashing gaps, wet insulation | Widespread damage, sagging, or signs of rot | Moss; an old roof with no damage or leaks noted |
| Electrical | Missing GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlets, open junction boxes, loose or scorched fittings | Burning smell, a panel the inspector flagged, old wiring types | Dated switches, scuffed cover plates |
| Plumbing | Active leaks, failed fixtures, a water heater relief line that stops short | Slow drains in several rooms, sewer line concerns, old pipe materials | A water heater that works but is old, with no defect noted |
| Heating and cooling | A unit that won't run, a failed part, missing disconnects (shut-off switches for an appliance) | Any rusted flue or cracked part | A furnace that works but is old, with no defect noted |
| Structure and water | Standing water, downspouts that dump at the wall, bad grading | Foundation cracks, bowing walls, sagging floors | Hairline cosmetic cracks, unless the report flags them |
| Safety devices | Missing or dead smoke and carbon monoxide alarms | None: a cheap, direct ask | Alarms that only need a battery |
| Environmental | A test the inspector recommended | Radon, mold, asbestos, lead, termites: the lab or licensed pro reports | None |
Smell gas? Pacific Gas and Electric says to "leave the area now and call 9-1-1".
CO alarms: the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends them "on each level outside each sleeping area," as the EPA notes.
Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and flags the few big items that need a contractor quote. Getting estimates during the inspection period shows how to line up those contractor bids fast.
What do you attach to each line?
For each ask or specialist line, check these three. Leave-off lines need none of it:
☐ Finding: the report page and the room or part of the house.
☐ Photo: the inspector's photo, or your own.
☐ Bid: a contractor's written bid or a priced estimate.
The inspector won't price it for you. ASHI's standard says an inspector "is NOT required to determine methods, materials, or costs of corrections," and InterNACHI lists "correction, replacement or repair cost estimates" among things its inspectors need not determine.
What should you leave off?
Paint scuffs, worn caulk, a loose cabinet hinge, dated fixtures. InterNACHI says an inspection "will not deal with aesthetic concerns, or what could be deemed matters of taste, cosmetic defects."
Old parts that still work, with no defect noted, also stay off. A system "near, at, or beyond the end of its normal, useful life" is not, in itself, a material defect. Put the water heater or furnace on your replacement budget instead. If the inspector notes a defect, such as a leak or rust, it goes on as an ask or specialist line.
What are considered major repairs on a house?
The ones that touch safety, structure, water getting in, or a system near the end of its life, which is a major cost to plan for even when it is not a defect to ask about. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says that when major repairs like a new roof are needed, the lender can require them before closing, so these are the lines to price first. Major vs. minor findings sorts them in detail.
How do you turn the checked list into a sent request?
Ask inside your contract's inspection window; the contract sets its length, so read it for the date before you start. The plan below runs inside that window.
☐ First days of the window: mark every finding and book the specialist visits right away, because those lines cannot be priced until the pro reports.
☐ Middle of the window: collect bids and estimates as the specialists report. Total the priced "ask" lines; that sum is your starting request.
☐ Before the window closes: cut the list to the lines you can prove and paste them into the repair request letter, with the attachments behind them. Send it before the last day, not on it.
☐ After the seller agrees: once the seller agrees to something, it goes in writing in a repair addendum.
Do sellers usually fix everything on home inspections?
Not automatically. The CFPB says to "negotiate with the seller about who should make or pay for the repairs." The seller can accept, counter or decline each line, so lead with the lines that matter most to you and drop the rest before you send.
If your window is closing and the list has no prices yet, upload your inspection report to Kept and send the seller numbers, not a wish list.
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.