Am I asking for too much after a home inspection?

Am I asking for too much after a home inspection?

Probably not, if every line is a safety, health or structural problem, or a system that doesn't work. Length isn't the problem; padding is. Cut cheap nuisance fixes, old parts that still work and anything you knew about before your offer, then put your walk-away items at the top. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) tells buyers to focus on the serious issues they would walk away over.

Key takeaways

• Your inspector isn't required to price anything, so every serious line needs a written bid or a priced line.
• Leave off what you saw before your offer. Your offer price already accounted for it.
• If the seller counters, keep your top lines and trade away the bottom ones.

What belongs at the top of the list?

Sort each finding you care about into ASHI's five groups. Its examples make the line easy to see.

The first three rows are the red flags. Put first the issues serious enough to make you walk away if the seller won't repair them or give a concession. Next come the ones that should be fixed but that you'd accept as-is if pushed. Last come the ones you'd take on yourself.

Get a licensed specialist on every safety, health or structural line before your deadline. A roofer, electrician or HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) contractor can write down the fix and bid it, and ASHI says a second professional's report backs up the repair you're asking for.

What should come off the list?

Skip three kinds of lines. They make a request look padded. If you haven't sorted your report at all yet, start with what to do when an inspection comes back bad.

• Things you knew before your offer. ASHI says your offer should already have accounted for them.
• Small nuisance items. ASHI tells buyers to skip "little nuisance issues that cost little or no money to fix."
• Old parts that still work. ASHI calls an old roof that isn't leaking serviceable, and a leaking one a failure. A maxed-out 100-amp panel that "services the home safely" is adequate, but one with water leaking in from the weatherhead "is dangerous." An electrician, not you, decides which one you have.

How do you know what each line costs?

Your inspector won't tell you. The ASHI Standard of Practice says the inspector is not required to determine the costs of corrections. ASHI also notes that buyers often assume a repair costs more than it does, and that some repairs cost very little.

Get a contractor's written bid for the big items. Kept prices most lines of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a contractor's quote (how the pricing works). Once each line has a number, the cheap ones are easy to drop or do yourself.

How should each line be written?

Be specific. ASHI's weak example is "fix roof prior to closing." Its better version names the leak, points to the report and asks for a licensed roofer with permits pulled. Here is one line in that shape:

Page 9 of the inspection report notes an active leak at the rear roof slope. Request: repair by a licensed roofer with permits pulled, $[your roofer's bid amount] per the attached bid. Invoice, permit and warranty to the buyer before closing.

Swap in your report's words and your own number. For scale, roof repairs average $1,150 nationally, but that average is a sanity check, not a figure to send.

To pick the remedy for each line, see repairs vs. credit vs. price reduction. The buyer repair request letter template has the full letter.

How hard can you push?

Check the three things ASHI says set how aggressive you can be.

• The market. In a hot seller's market, the seller may tell you to step aside for the next buyer. A buyer's market gives you more room to ask. See negotiating repairs in a seller's market.
• The price. The house may already be discounted for the work it needs.
• The listing. If the home was presented as perfect, ASHI says to be more aggressive in your requests.

Ask your agent which of these fits your house before you send.

What if the seller says no or counters?

ASHI is plain about it: a seller can negotiate, or "shut down any negotiations and say take it or leave it." That's why the order matters. If the seller counters, hold your top lines and give up the ones you'd accept as-is.

If the seller refuses a line you'd walk away over, weigh walking away while your contingency is still open. Your contract sets the deadline and your right to cancel, so confirm both with your agent.

Is it normal to negotiate after an inspection?

Yes. ASHI describes a repair request as "renegotiating or counter-offering" after the inspection. For what a normal ask looks like, see what to ask for after a home inspection.

Is it common for buyers to back out after an inspection?

It happens. Redfin counted 14% of U.S. homebuying deals falling through in July 2026, the highest share since November 2023. It names an inspection that uncovers problems as one reason buyers walk away, along with a low appraisal or a seller who won't agree to concessions.

Should I drop a serious item to keep the deal?

No. ASHI's advice cuts both ways: don't lose a good house over a few minor issues you can fix yourself, but don't accept costly repairs or safety and health concerns. You can only tell which lines are costly once each one has a price.

If your list is long and your deadline is close, upload your inspection report to Kept and see what each line is worth before you decide what to cut.

Sources

• American Society of Home Inspectors, "Tips on Negotiating Repairs After a Home Inspection"
• ASHI Standard of Practice for Home Inspection
• Fixr, "Roof Replacement Cost"
• Redfin, "Home-Purchase Cancellations Hit Highest Level in Nearly 3 Years"