Major vs. minor inspection issues: red flags vs. cosmetic

What is considered a major defect in a home inspection?

A major issue is one that could hurt someone, let water in, or point to structural trouble, plus any system that didn't work. Those are the red flags. Get a licensed specialist on them before your deadline, and ask the seller only about them. Small fixes, cosmetic flaws and old parts that still work are minor.

Key takeaways

• Your report won't say "major." Look for "material defect," "unsafe," "not functioning properly" and "further evaluation."
• A working system past its expected life is a budget line, unless the report raises a gas, carbon monoxide or venting concern.
• The inspector isn't required to price anything, so a specialist's bid or a priced line sets each finding's size.

Which findings are major, and which are minor?

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) standard lists what an inspector must report. Here is how those items sort.

Deal with safety before money. If you suspect carbon monoxide, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says to get outside to fresh air and then call 911. If you smell gas, leave the area, call 911 or the gas utility from well away, then have a licensed professional find the source. Stop using an outlet that sparks or runs hot until an electrician has looked.

Age is where buyers get stuck. InterNACHI's standard says a system near or past the end of its useful life is not, on that fact alone, a material defect. Its life expectancy chart gives a conventional water heater 6 to 12 years, central air 7 to 15 and a 3-tab asphalt shingle roof 20. The chart calls these guidelines, not guarantees. Any gas, carbon monoxide or venting concern goes to a licensed specialist before your deadline, whatever the appliance's age.

Take a report with four lines: a fogged bedroom window, an outlet showing signs of excessive heat, a furnace that didn't run, and a 14-year-old water heater that works. The outlet and the furnace are major, so an electrician and a heating technician go on your calendar this week. The water heater is past the chart's range, and age alone isn't a material defect, so it goes in your budget, not your request. If the report notes a leak at it, it moves up to the water tier. The window waits until you move in, and your request has two lines, not four.

Which report words mean major?

Neither national standard defines "major" or "minor." Match the report's words to the tiers above.

• Material defect. InterNACHI defines it as an issue that "may have a significant, adverse impact on the value of the property, or that poses an unreasonable risk to people." Safety, water or structure tier.
• Unsafe. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) standard ties this to a risk of "serious bodily injury" during normal, day-to-day use. Safety tier.
• Not functioning properly or significantly deficient. Something is broken or badly wrong. Dead systems land here.
• Further evaluation. ASHI defines it as analysis "by a qualified professional, tradesman, or service technician" beyond a home inspection. Treat it as major until that specialist says otherwise.
• Monitor. Watch it and plan a later fix. A budget line, not an ask.

How much does a major finding cost?

Ask the person who would do the work, not the report: neither standard requires the inspector to price a fix. The gap between a repair and a replacement is wide: the average HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) repair runs $775, and a full replacement averages $8,209. Each uncertain line needs its own specialist:

• Possible foundation movement: a structural engineer's written report.
• Arcing or heat at an outlet: a licensed electrician's written quote.
• A furnace that didn't run: a heating technician's diagnosis and quote.
• A roof leak: a roofer's on-roof bid.

Call them as soon as you have the report. If one can't come before your deadline, tell your agent that day. For the lines that don't need a specialist, Kept prices most lines of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a professional's quote.

How do you write up the major lines?

Put a written bid or a priced line next to each one. If the list is long and you're rattled, start with what to do when your inspection came back bad. What to ask for after a home inspection shows what a normal ask looks like. For each line, decide between the repair itself, a credit, or a price cut; repairs vs. credit vs. price reduction walks through that choice. The buyer repair request letter template gives you the wording.

What if the seller won't fix a major finding?

You have three moves: accept the house as is, take a credit instead of the repair, or cancel under your inspection contingency if you're still inside the window. Canceling makes the most sense when a safety or structural line still has no bid and no known scope. That unknown, not the word "major," is the real question in when to walk away after a home inspection. Your contract sets the exact dates and terms, so confirm them with your agent.

Do home inspectors look for cosmetic issues?

No. InterNACHI's standard says an inspection "will not deal with aesthetic concerns." ASHI's standard doesn't require inspectors to report cosmetic flaws that don't affect how a part works. Scuffs, dated finishes and paint belong on your own to-do list, not the request.

What is considered a minor repair?

Neither standard defines it, and the report's wording doesn't set the size of the job. A furnace that didn't run can need a repair near the $775 average or a replacement near $8,209. Only a written quote or a priced line tells you which.

If your report mixes major and minor lines and your deadline is close, upload it to Kept and see which lines are worth asking for.

Sources

• InterNACHI Standards of Practice for Performing a General Home Inspection
• ASHI Standard of Practice for Home Inspection
• InterNACHI Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes
• Consumer Product Safety Commission, Carbon Monoxide Information Center
• PHMSA, "Recognizing and Responding to Pipeline Emergencies"
• This Old House, "HVAC Replacement Cost"