What Repairs Must a Seller Make After a Home Inspection? A Complete 2026 Guide

At 8:00 p.m. on day 8 of your inspection period, the deal feels stable until the buyer sends a repair request for $11,400. Their inspector found a roof leak, a tripping GFCI outlet, and a cracked furnace heat exchanger. You listed the house as-is, so you assume the answer is no. The buyer thinks safety issues make the repairs mandatory. You both have part of the answer. Most inspection items stay negotiable, especially cosmetic ones, but your contract, your disclosure duties, and the buyer’s lender can turn a repair request into something you need to address with a repair, a credit, or a price cut.

The short answer: the inspection report does not force repairs by itself

Most sellers do not have to fix every defect in an inspection report. The report gives the buyer a list of issues and a reason to negotiate. It does not create a legal duty on its own.

You usually need to act only when one of three things applies:

1. Your purchase contract requires a repair, credit, or response
2. Your state disclosure rules or your prior disclosures cover the defect
3. The buyer’s lender or appraiser requires the issue to be fixed before closing

That is why an as-is listing helps, but does not end the conversation. It may help you resist cosmetic requests. It does not wipe out disclosure rules, safety problems tied to financing, or deadlines in the contract.

What actually makes an inspection item “required”?

If you remember one thing, remember this: the inspection report starts the negotiation, but the contract, your disclosures, and the loan program decide what carries real weight.

What happens during the inspection contingency

Most resale contracts give the buyer a short inspection window, often 5 to 10 days, and a deadline to ask for repairs, credits, or a cancellation. Once that clock starts, your job is to separate real obligations from wish-list items.

Home inspections show up in most resale deals. The 2024 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reported that 91% of buyers used a home inspection. That figure reflects buyer behavior in 2024, not 2026 local contract terms, so verify how your state and market handle contingency timing now.

A practical timeline you can use

Your contract controls the exact dates, but this script fits many deals.

1. Day 0 to Day 2
   The buyer schedules inspections. You keep utilities on and make sure the inspector can access the attic, crawlspace, electrical panel, HVAC, and garage.

2. Day 2 to Day 5
   The buyer reviews the report. Their agent or attorney starts sorting the findings into safety issues, system defects, and cosmetic notes.

3. Day 5 to Day 8
   The buyer sends a written request for repairs, credits, or a price reduction. Many requests bundle everything together, from a roof leak to chipped tile.

4. Day 6 to Day 9
   You pull the purchase contract, seller disclosures, and any addenda. You check whether the buyer’s financing may trigger repair conditions beyond the inspection itself.

5. Day 7 to Day 10
   You get two repair bids for the expensive or safety-related items. Ask contractors for itemized scopes, not just a one-line total.

6. Day 8 to Day 12
   You respond in writing. You can accept, reject, counter, offer a credit, or narrow the scope.

7. Before the contingency deadline
   Both sides sign an amendment, extend the contingency, or let the buyer decide whether to proceed or cancel under the contract.

What reduces surprises on both sides

• The buyer should tie requests to contract language, known defects, and lender concerns.
• You should tie your response to actual bids, your disclosure forms, and the loan program if you know it.
• Both sides should put the agreement in writing before the deadline. A text thread does not clean up a vague amendment later.

Repairs and credits you may need to address under contract or law

Most post-inspection fights fall into the same pattern. The buyer points to safety. You point to as-is. The answer sits in the details.

Safety and function issues that often force a real response

These issues tend to carry more weight because they affect habitability, major systems, or underwriting:

• Roof leaks or active water intrusion
• Electrical safety defects, including a tripping GFCI outlet, exposed wiring, or unsafe panel conditions
• HVAC safety problems, including a cracked heat exchanger
• Plumbing leaks or signs of repeated moisture damage
• Missing handrails, guardrails, or other safety components
• No working heat where the loan program expects a functional heating system

You may not need to fix every one of these items yourself, but you should expect the buyer to push hard on them. If the buyer uses FHA, VA, or certain conventional loans, the lender may push too.

Cosmetic issues that usually stay negotiable

Cosmetic items still show up on repair requests because buyers test how much you will give. You can push back on these unless your contract says otherwise.

Common cosmetic requests include:

• Paint scuffs and touch-up work
• Minor drywall cracks or nail pops
• Worn flooring
• Small tile chips
• Loose cabinet hardware
• Caulk refreshes that do not affect water intrusion
• Older but still working fixtures

Cosmetic defects can still matter in negotiation. If the buyer already feels stretched, a modest credit for a few visible items might keep the deal alive. But you should not treat cosmetic notes like mandatory work orders.

Pre-1978 homes and lead-based paint

If your home was built before 1978, federal lead-based paint disclosure rules apply. That does not mean you must repaint the house from top to bottom. It does mean you should verify that your disclosure paperwork is complete and that you handle any peeling paint or flagged hazard carefully.

Older homes also draw extra lender attention when appraisers see peeling paint, especially on FHA and VA files. The key steps are practical:

• confirm what your contract requires
• review the lead disclosure forms already signed
• ask whether the lender wants a repair, further evaluation, or documentation

What common inspection repairs cost in May 2026

You need numbers before you answer a repair request. The table below gives broad U.S. ballpark ranges for May 2026. Local labor, permits, access, and code upgrades can move these numbers a lot, so get current bids in your area.

That cost spread explains why a buyer might ask for $11,400 even when only three issues appear on the report. A single roof or furnace item can eat most of the budget.

When lenders and appraisals matter more than the inspection report

A buyer’s inspection report does not fund the transaction. The lender does. That difference matters.

FHA, VA, and some conventional loan files often require repairs tied to safety, soundness, and habitability. The appraiser or underwriter may flag issues even if the buyer barely mentioned them. They may also ignore cosmetic items that the buyer made a big deal about.

Issues lenders commonly care about

Loan programs vary, but lenders often focus on:

• Active roof leaks
• Exposed or unsafe wiring
• Missing handrails
• Broken steps or guardrails
• Peeling paint, especially where lead-based paint rules may apply
• Unsafe HVAC conditions
• Water intrusion or obvious structural concerns

If the buyer uses FHA or VA financing, start checking these items early. Review the purchase contract, then ask the buyer’s side what loan type they are using and whether appraisal conditions have come back.

Inspection items and appraisal items do not match perfectly

You can see three different lists in the same deal:

That mismatch creates a common seller mistake. You reject the buyer’s request because it feels padded, then the appraisal comes back and forces repairs anyway. If you spot likely lender issues first, you can shape the negotiation before the file stalls.

Can you offer a credit instead of making repairs?

Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.

A seller credit works best when:

• the contract allows it
• the lender accepts it
• the issue does not violate a loan program’s property condition standard
• both sides spell out the amount in a signed amendment

A credit may not solve the problem if the lender requires the repair itself. A cracked heat exchanger, unsafe electrical issue, or active leak often falls into that category.

How to answer a repair request without guessing

The cleanest response is a documented one. Start with the contract, sort the items, get bids, then price your response.

A six-step framework you can use

1. Pull the contract and inspection contingency
   Check the deadline, remedy language, and whether the contract mentions repair limits, credits, or rights to cancel.

2. Sort every item into four buckets
   Use the same four: lender-required, legal disclosure, safety or function, cosmetic.

3. Get two bids for the costly items
   Do this for anything expensive or safety-related. Two bids help you challenge inflated requests and set a realistic credit.

4. Match the credit to a real scope of work
   Do not offer a vague “inspection credit.” Tie the credit to the roof leak, electrical repair, or HVAC issue.

5. Check lender acceptability early
   If the buyer uses FHA, VA, or another repair-sensitive program, ask whether the lender will accept a credit or insist on repairs before closing.

6. Respond in writing before the deadline
   Your response should list the exact items, repair scope, dollar amounts, and timing.

The $11,400 repair request, broken down

Say the buyer asks for $11,400 to cover:

• roof leak
• tripping GFCI outlet
• cracked heat exchanger

You collect bids and get the following:

Now run the math:

This is where sellers get tripped up. A credit of $4,675 might satisfy the buyer on paper. It might not satisfy underwriting if the lender treats the cracked heat exchanger as a safety defect that needs repair before closing.

Common mistakes that kill inspection negotiations

Deals rarely fall apart because one side found a single bad outlet. They fall apart because the process gets sloppy.

Mistakes you should avoid

• Treating “as-is” like a complete shield
  It helps with cosmetics. It does not erase disclosures or lender conditions.

• Answering late
  If the contingency deadline passes without a signed agreement or proper extension, you create leverage for the buyer or chaos for both sides.

• Accepting the buyer’s number without bids
  The request may bundle required repairs with cosmetic extras. You need real pricing.

• Offering a vague credit
  Lenders, buyers, and final walk-throughs all go better when the amendment names the item and amount.

• Ignoring the loan type
  FHA and VA files often care about property condition in ways cash buyers do not.

• Promising repairs you cannot complete before closing
  Contractor schedules matter. If you cannot get the work done, negotiate a realistic plan instead of making a promise that drifts into default.

A process fix that saves time

Track each item from report to bid to response. If you sell on your own or you run a solo listing desk, Sellable gives you a cleaner place to log inspection requests, upload quotes, and track amendment terms without chasing them through email threads. You can start selling free if you want a simple workflow for one deal, or review Sellable pricing if you handle this across multiple listings.

Where to verify the real rule for your deal

National advice helps, but your actual answer sits in your documents and the buyer’s financing.

Check these first

• Your purchase contract
  Read the inspection contingency, repair language, deadlines, and amendment requirements.

• Your seller disclosure forms
  Compare the inspection findings to what you already disclosed, especially with water, roof, HVAC, electrical, or recurring issues.

• State real estate commission forms
  Local forms often define how repair requests, credits, and disclosures work.

• Loan program guidance and lender conditions
  Look at FHA appraisal guidance, VA minimum property requirement materials, and any lender repair list or appraisal conditions.

• Lead-based paint rules for pre-1978 homes
  Verify the required disclosures and whether peeling paint creates a repair issue in your deal.

• Local contractor bids
  National estimates help you plan, but local bids decide whether a $3,000 request is fair or padded.

Seller checklist for the last week of the inspection period

Before you answer the buyer, pull four things: the purchase contract, the inspection contingency, your seller disclosure forms, and any lender or appraisal repair list already in the file. Then sort each issue into four buckets: lender-required, legal disclosure, safety or function, and cosmetic. Get two bids for the costly items. Compare the credit request to the actual repair cost. Then send your response in writing before the contingency deadline, with exact dollar amounts, scope, and timing.

If you are selling on your own or running a small listing operation, Sellable works well as a simple desk for tracking inspection requests, quotes, follow-up, and amendment notes in one place. Use it to stay organized and keep dates straight. Then have your agent or attorney confirm the state-specific duties that apply to your contract and your buyer’s financing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do sellers have to make repairs after a home inspection?

Usually, no. You only need to make repairs when the contract requires them, your disclosure duties cover the defect, or the buyer’s lender conditions the loan on the repair. Cosmetic items usually stay negotiable.

What repairs do sellers most often end up handling?

You will most often deal with repairs tied to safety, function, or financing. Common examples include active leaks, unsafe electrical issues, cracked heat exchangers, missing handrails, and some peeling paint issues in pre-1978 homes when the loan program flags them.

Can you refuse to fix inspection items in an as-is sale?

Yes, you can refuse items that the contract and lender do not require. But an as-is sale does not cancel your disclosure duties, and it does not stop a lender from requiring certain repairs before closing.

Is it better to offer a credit or make the repair yourself?

It depends on the item. A credit often works well for negotiable repairs when the lender accepts it. A repair makes more sense when the issue affects safety, habitability, or underwriting, or when the buyer’s contractor pricing looks inflated.

What should you do first after getting a repair request?

Pull the contract and check the contingency deadline. Then sort each issue into lender-required, legal disclosure, safety or function, or cosmetic. Get two bids for the major items and respond in writing with a specific scope, amount, and timeline.