Once your inspection report lands, work through it in four steps: read the full report (not just the summary), separate safety and major-system issues from cosmetic ones, decide whether to request repairs or a credit, and act before your inspection contingency expires. In a standard California purchase, the clock is already running, so move deliberately but quickly.
Read the whole report, not just the summary
A good inspection report can run 40 to 80 pages with dozens of photos. It is tempting to skim the summary page and panic at the red items, but the summary is shorthand. The detail sections explain why something was flagged, how serious it is, and whether the inspector is recommending monitoring, repair, or further evaluation by a specialist. If you have never seen what one looks like, browse our sample reports so the format is familiar before yours arrives.
As you read, sort every finding into three buckets in your head:
- Safety – things that can hurt someone: exposed wiring, missing GFCI protection near water, gas leaks, failed water heater straps (a real issue in earthquake country), trip hazards, or non-functioning smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Major systems and structure – the expensive stuff: roof, foundation, electrical panel, HVAC, plumbing supply and drain lines, and water intrusion.
- Cosmetic and maintenance – a sticking door, worn caulk, a cracked switch plate, tired paint. Real, but not deal-shaping.
Phrases like “recommend further evaluation” are not the inspector dodging – a general home inspection is visual and non-invasive, so when something is hidden behind a wall or outside our scope, the responsible call is to bring in the right licensed trade. Take those recommendations seriously; they often point to the questions worth answering before you remove your contingency.
Prioritize major issues over cosmetic ones
The biggest mistake San Diego buyers make is treating a 60-item report as 60 equal problems. It is not. A seller is far more likely to negotiate on a single $9,000 roof concern than on a list of 40 small fixes, and burying your real concerns in a long wish list weakens your position.
Focus your energy where the money and risk are. In our market, that usually means:
- Roofs – many homes here have flat or low-slope sections and aging tile that may not survive the next wet winter. If the report flags the roof, that is a priority. Our guide to a San Diego roof inspection before the rains explains what failing roofs tend to show.
- Drainage and moisture – coastal humidity and clay soils make grading, slab moisture, and hidden leaks worth understanding. Thermal imaging during the inspection can reveal moisture you would never spot by eye.
- Older systems – if you are buying a mid-century or older home in a neighborhood like Kensington, North Park, or La Mesa, original electrical panels, galvanized supply lines, and cast-iron drains deserve scrutiny. Our piece on 4-point inspections for older San Diego homes covers the four systems insurers and lenders care about most.
Cosmetic items belong on a to-do list for after you own the home, not in a negotiation. Keep them out of the formal request so the seller takes your major asks seriously.
Repairs vs. credits: how to ask
In California, buyers typically respond with a Request for Repairs (the standard C.A.R. form is the RR). You generally have three levers:
- Ask the seller to repair before closing. Upside: it gets fixed without you managing it. Downside: you do not control who does the work or the quality, and sellers preparing to move are not always motivated to hire the best contractor.
- Ask for a credit or price reduction. A closing-cost credit or reduced sale price lets you handle the repair your way, with a contractor you choose, after you have keys. Many experienced buyers prefer this for major items because it puts them in control.
- Ask for proof and documentation – for example, receipts, permits, or a specialist’s report – rather than the repair itself, when you mainly need to confirm the scope and cost.
A few practical notes. Lender-required repairs (common with FHA and VA loans) sometimes have to be completed before closing, which can limit the credit route. Credits are also capped by your loan program, so an unusually large concession may need to be structured as a price reduction instead. And remember the seller can say no, counter, or do nothing – this is a negotiation, not a checklist they must satisfy. Your agent should help you frame the ask around the findings that genuinely affect value and safety.
When a re-inspection makes sense
If the seller agrees to make repairs, do not assume “done” means “done right.” A re-inspection – the inspector returning to verify the agreed work – is worth it when the repairs are significant or technical, like electrical corrections, roof patching, plumbing leaks, or anything tied to a safety item. For a handful of minor fixes, photos and receipts may be enough.
If you want a re-inspection, build it into your repair agreement and your timeline from the start. Schedule it with enough buffer to act on the results before your contingency closes, and keep the original report handy so each agreed item can be checked off. Our San Diego home inspection checklist is a useful reference for tracking what was promised against what actually got done.
Mind the contingency timeline
This is the part that trips up buyers under pressure. In a standard California purchase, the inspection or investigation contingency gives you a defined window – often around 17 days from acceptance, though your specific contract controls – to investigate the property and either move forward or back out. Until you remove that contingency in writing, your earnest money deposit is generally protected. Once you remove it, walking away later can put that deposit at risk.
So the after-inspection sequence usually looks like this:
- Get and read the report well inside your contingency period.
- Order any recommended specialist evaluations early – a sewer scope, a roofer, a foundation engineer – because they take time to schedule.
- Submit your Request for Repairs with time left for the seller to respond and negotiate.
- If you need a re-inspection or an extension, ask in writing before the deadline, not after.
One San Diego-specific item worth catching early: if you are buying a condo or unit in a building with elevated walkways or balconies, ask about the building’s compliance with California’s balcony inspection laws (SB-326 for condo and HOA buildings, SB-721 for apartment buildings of three or more units). It is an HOA-level issue rather than a single-unit repair, but it can affect future special assessments, so it is better understood before you remove contingencies than after.
The bottom line for San Diego buyers
Read everything, fight the battles that matter, choose the repair-or-credit path that keeps you in control, verify big fixes with a re-inspection, and never let the contingency deadline sneak up on you. If you are still early in the process, our overview of buyer’s inspections explains what the inspection itself covers, and the first-time buyer inspection guide walks through the steps leading up to this point.
Have questions about a report – yours or one you are about to order? Joseph Romeo and the team at The Real Estate Inspection Company are happy to talk it through. Call (619) 752-4399 and we will help you understand what the findings actually mean for your purchase.
