{"id":6931,"date":"2026-06-08T04:26:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T11:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=6931"},"modified":"2026-06-08T07:17:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T14:17:03","slug":"home-inspection-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/home-inspection-report\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Decipher a Home Inspection Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

For sellers, the home inspection can often feel like the ultimate judgment day for their property. Did you do everything you were supposed to over the years? Did major issues happen right under your nose?<\/p>\n

As nerve-wracking as it might seem, understanding the home inspection report will help you to differentiate between small matters and larger issues<\/a> that will cost you thousands of dollars in profit.<\/p>\n

We asked the founder of one of the nation\u2019s largest inspector associations, a certified professional home inspector, and a top-performing real estate agent what goes into a home inspection report for your house and what to make of it after the fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Prepare for a home inspection with a top-rated agent<\/h3>\n

HomeLight has analyzed over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which agent is best for you based on your needs. It takes just two minutes to match clients with the best real estate agents, who will help you be ready for your home inspection.<\/p>\n

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What is a home inspection report?<\/h2>\n

Before closing, most buyers will get a home inspection<\/a> to make sure there are no issues with the property. While home inspectors follow the same general format to confirm every inch of the home is covered in the report, no two home inspection reports are the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cHome inspectors should not have a bunch of pre-printed material,\u201d says Nick Gromicko, founder of InterNACHI<\/a>, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. \u201cThey should include photos of the home and the defects found.\u201d<\/p>\n

A typical home inspection<\/a> takes two to four hours, depending on the size of the home. Then, it takes a few more hours to write up the exhaustive report. According to Bill Hirsch, a highly acclaimed certified home inspector and owner of Total Home Inspection<\/a> in Fairfield County, Connecticut, the entire process takes at least one full day to complete.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost buyers will request 10-15 days to get an inspector out to the property. The inspection takes about a few hours and then 1-3 days to write the report up and get it to the buyer,\u201d says Thomas Day<\/a>, a top real estate agent in Pompano Beach, Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Home inspections typically cost between $300 to $500<\/a>, which includes the visual inspection and the written report. Typically, the cost of a home inspection comes out of the buyer\u2019s pocket.<\/p>\n

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What is included in a home inspection report?<\/h2>\n

A home inspection report is no small task; a complete report<\/a> can be anywhere from 15 pages for small homes to 70 pages for larger homes. Every page is chock-full of factors that can affect the outcome of your home sale<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break down the parts of a home inspection report and look at some examples.<\/p>\n

\u00a01. General information about the house and the inspection conditions<\/h3>\n

The first few pages of the report introduce the property address, information about the inspection according to the state\u2019s standards of practice, home inspector information, and a comment key or definitions.<\/p>\n

The home inspector will provide information to help the buyer (or seller if it\u2019s a pre-inspection<\/a>) understand what each different element of the report means. They\u2019ll give a key of symbols or codes, which they\u2019ll use throughout the report to identify the severity of each issue.<\/p>\n

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For example, most home inspection reports will include, but are not limited to, a variation of the following codes:<\/p>\n