Home Inspection Report Checklist
Five things to check in your report before you trust any of it.
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- Five checks that take fifteen minutes with the report open
- Catches gaps between the walkthrough and the written report
- Where to look next when something doesn't add up
What's inside
- Confirm every space you'd expect is actually in the report.Attic, crawl space, basement, electrical panel. If the listing or the inspector mentioned it out loud, it should show up in writing somewhere.
- Check whether the report's length matches how long the inspection took.A three-hour walkthrough that turns into two pages is a mismatch worth a phone call.
- Compare what the inspector said out loud to what ended up in writing.If you took notes during the walkthrough, pull them out and read both side by side.
“This gets you far enough to know when to ask a harder question. It won't tell you whether ‘recommend monitoring’ is really nothing or really something, how to read a structural engineer’s report, or what a finding is actually worth at the negotiating table. That’s the difference between noticing a report was softened and knowing what it was softened from. That’s Don’t Use Their Inspector.”
Questions buyers ask
What should I do if my home inspection report seems incomplete?
Compare the report against what the inspector actually said during the walkthrough, and confirm expected spaces like the attic, crawl space, basement, and electrical panel appear in writing. Under ASHI's Standard of Practice, inspectors can skip crawl spaces under 24 inches of clearance or attics blocked by insulation, so ask why a gap exists before assuming it's an oversight.
What does “recommend monitoring” mean in an inspection report?
Hedge phrases like “recommend monitoring” or “consider at your discretion” are vague by design, and can mean anything from a non-issue to a real problem the inspector wasn't willing to state plainly. If a finding worried you during the walkthrough, don't let softened language talk you out of that reaction.
Can I get a second home inspection or a specialist evaluation?
Yes, and it's common to schedule one within your inspection contingency window if the general inspector flags something outside their expertise, like a sewer line, roof, or foundation concern. Get a written estimate from a contractor before accepting a seller's verbal assurance that a finding “isn't a big deal.”
Sources
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One click to download. The full Don't Use Their Inspector is also free if you want to go deeper.