Home re-inspection after repairs: when, cost, who pays
Book one if a seller's repair touches safety, water or a major system. Small jobs can pass on invoice and photos. Many inspectors charge $100 to $300.
Updated · By 
Ben Sikes
Do you need a re-inspection after seller repairs?
You don't need a re-inspection after every seller repair, but book one when a repair touches safety, water or a major system. It is a short paid visit where your original inspector checks each repair the seller agreed to. For a small job you can see in a photo, a paid invoice and dated photos can be enough. Decide which proof each item needs, and put it in writing before you sign the repair agreement.
Key takeaways
- Mortgage lender AmeriSave says many inspectors charge $100 to $300 for the visit, and the buyer usually pays it.
- Book the visit a few days before closing, never the morning of, so you still have room to react.
- If a repair fails, ask for a redo, a credit or a lower price before closing. After closing, most fixes are yours to pay.
What does a re-inspection check?
A re-inspection checks only the items on your signed repair list. The inspector confirms each one was done, done correctly, and didn't create a new problem. It is not a second full inspection.
A Philadelphia-area inspection company says most visits take 60 to 90 minutes, sometimes less. Its follow-up letter marks each item resolved, partially resolved or not addressed. If you can't attend, the letter and photos arrive within 24 hours. Items that were never on your list are out of scope.
For where this step falls in the whole process, see what happens after a home inspection.
Which repairs need your inspector back?
The Philadelphia-area company tells buyers to book the visit without hesitating in five cases, from safety repairs to work the seller or a relative did. Match each repair on your list to a row.
| Repair | Proof to ask for |
|---|---|
| Safety item, such as a missing ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) near water, a double-tapped breaker or gas-line corrosion | Return visit, plus the licensed trade's paperwork |
| Water (roof leak, grading, sump pump, leak under a sink) | Return visit that traces the fix back to the cause |
| Big mechanical work (water heater, panel upgrade, sewer line) | Return visit, invoice, and the permit sign-off where one is required |
| The seller or a relative did the work | Return visit |
| Repair to a system original to an older home | Return visit |
| Small item you can see in one photo (handrail, downspout extension, caulking) | Dated before and after photos plus a paid invoice |
For a small repair by a licensed contractor, the Philadelphia-area company says you can skip the visit, and many buyers do. A receipt shows the work was paid for, not that it was installed correctly, and that company notes that licensed is not the same as the right person for the job.
How much does a re-inspection cost, and who pays?
Many inspectors charge $100 to $300 for a re-inspection, according to mortgage lender AmeriSave. The Philadelphia-area company prices by home size and the number of items, and bills only once the visit is complete. Send your inspector the repair list and ask for a quote before you book.
That company's test is whether the visit is small next to the cost of getting a repair wrong. A water heater, for example, runs $800 to $2,500 installed, according to AmeriSave, and one visit checks every item on your list. To run the test on your own list, you need a price for each repair. Kept prices every line of your inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours (how Kept prices a line).
The Philadelphia-area company says the buyer pays in almost every transaction it sees, and that a buyer occasionally negotiates the fee into the closing credits, but that it is not standard. If you want the seller to cover it, write that into your request.
What should your repair agreement say?
For each item, the agreement should say who does the work, what proof you get, and whether your inspector checks it. Ask for:
- A licensed trade for each repair, not the seller.
- The repair person's scope of work and proof of payment.
- Permits and final sign-offs where the work needed one.
- Warranties transferred to you at closing.
- Before and after photos from the person who did the work.
Some standard contracts already require part of this. Texas's standard resale contract has the seller use licensed repair people and provide "documentation from the repair person(s) showing the scope of work and payment for the work completed". Your own contract sets the exact terms and dates, so confirm them with your agent or attorney.
The Philadelphia-area company says to book the visit as soon as the seller confirms the work is finished and you have the receipts, ideally three to five business days before closing. Not the morning of closing: you want room to react if something is wrong. The repair request letter shows how to word the request.
What if the re-inspection finds repairs that aren't done?
Send your agent the inspector's letter and photos. Ask for one of three things: the work redone before closing, a credit at closing, or a lower price. Those are the options the Philadelphia-area company says a seller usually has at this stage. Repairs vs. credit vs. price reduction weighs them.
If the seller refuses, ask your agent whether your contingency still lets you walk away. See when to walk away after a home inspection. Raise every gap before closing, because after closing the same company says most fixes come out of the buyer's pocket. If an unfinished repair turns up at the final walkthrough instead, raise it with your agent before you sign.
Should you ask for a credit instead of seller repairs?
A credit takes the seller's workmanship out of the question. When the seller makes the repair, the American Society of Home Inspectors notes, "you lose control over who does the work and how it is done." With a credit, you hire the trade and keep the receipts. A credit needs a dollar figure for each repair you'd fix yourself.
If you're sizing a credit, before the seller starts or after a repair fails, upload your inspection report to Kept and put a number on each repair.
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.