Inspection repair planner
Work down your own inspection report. The filled rows are an invented example, labelled below. Nothing here describes your home, and none of it replaces your own inspector, contractor, agent, attorney or lender.
Filled example Fictional example
| Report page | Item | What the report says | Confirmed or unknown | Question to ask | Next action / who | Written quote: source + date | Next review | Completed work + receipt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| p. 12 | Main panel | Two conductors under one breaker terminal; electrician recommended | Confirmed condition, unknown extent | Is this the only terminal like this, and what does correcting it involve? | Licensed electrician | — (waiting on written quote) | After correction | Invoice + photo of corrected panel |
| p. 21 | Roof, south slope | Granule loss and lifted shingles; no active leakage observed | Unknown remaining life | Repair or replacement, and what is included in each? | Roofing contractor | — | Next heavy rain | |
| p. 8 | Upstairs hallway smoke alarm | Did not respond to test | Confirmed | Is this alarm past its manufacture date? | Me — device instructions | n/a | Monthly test | Replaced 2026-09-15, receipt saved |
The five buckets
- Immediate safety
- Negotiation & credit decisions
- Major near-term systems
- Routine maintenance
- Monitor & watch
Evaluation by a specialist is a next step, not a bucket. A professional's written finding can move an item between buckets — that is the point of getting it.
Your findings
Finding 1
Finding 2
Finding 3
Finding 4
Finding 5
Finding 6
Finding 7
Finding 8
Three questions to ask whoever you call
- What did you find, and how does it compare with what the report described?
- What exactly is included in the work you are quoting, and what is not?
- What would you want to look at again, and when?
Worked examples for reference Fictional example
| System | Bucket | What the report says | Still unknown | Who verifies | How a pro finding can change it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | Bucket 1 — Immediate safety | “Two conductors observed under a single breaker terminal in the main panel. Recommend evaluation and correction by a licensed electrician.” | Whether anything else in the panel shares the same condition, and what correcting it involves here. | Licensed electrician, with the panel photo and report page in hand. | If the electrician finds the condition is isolated and simple, it stays a safety correction and closes. If they find wider panel problems, the cost and scope may also make it a Bucket 2 conversation with the seller. |
| Roof | Bucket 2 — Negotiation & credit decisions | “Granule loss and lifted shingles observed on the south slope. Active leakage not observed at time of inspection. Recommend evaluation by a roofing contractor.” | Whether the underlayment or decking is affected, and whether this is a repair or a replacement. Visible wear does not establish remaining life. | Roofing contractor, asked for a written scope and price for repair and for replacement. | A roofer's written scope is what decides this. A small, defined repair may drop it to Bucket 4. Evidence of water entry can move it to Bucket 1 or Bucket 3. |
| Foundation | Bucket 2 — Negotiation & credit decisions | “Stepped cracking noted in the masonry at the northeast corner. Cause not determined. Recommend evaluation by a structural engineer.” | The cause, whether it is moving, and what if anything it requires. Crack width alone does not answer this. | Licensed structural engineer, for a written opinion with a defined scope. | Evaluation is the next step, not a category of its own. The engineer's written opinion is what places this: stable and cosmetic points to Bucket 5, active movement points to Bucket 3 and changes what you ask for. |
| Heating and cooling | Bucket 5 — Monitor & watch | “Condensing unit data plate illegible. Equipment responded to thermostat call at time of inspection. Service history not available.” | Its installation date, model and service record. An unreadable label is missing information, not evidence that the unit is old, and a working system of unknown age is not automatically a near-term replacement. | HVAC contractor, for an inspection that identifies the equipment and reports its condition. | A contractor's condition report can move this either way: a fault or failing component makes it Bucket 3, a clean report leaves it a watch item with a service record attached. |
| Drainage | Bucket 4 — Routine maintenance | “Downspout at the rear elevation discharges within one foot of the foundation. Soil slopes toward the structure at this location.” | Whether it has caused anything inside. The report does not claim that it has. | You, first: photograph the area during and after rain. A landscaper or contractor if regrading or an extension is needed. | If you find interior moisture at the same corner, this stops being routine and belongs with the foundation question instead. |
| Life safety alarms | Bucket 1 — Immediate safety | “Smoke alarm in the upstairs hallway did not respond to test button. No carbon monoxide alarm observed on the lower level.” | Whether other alarms are past their manufacture dates, and what your local requirements are. | You, following the device instructions; a licensed electrician for hardwired or interconnected units. | Nothing here waits on a negotiation outcome. Working detection is restored first, and the record is written afterwards. |
HomeScore printable worksheet · myhomescore.app/inspection/what-to-do-after-home-inspection-report · Guidance reference: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "Schedule a home inspection" (consumerfinance.gov). Examples are fictional. No cost, age or timeline figure here is a prediction for your home.