Who Can See Your Report? Learn About Home Inspection Report Privacy.

Many home buyers start to feel like they are under a microscope during the buying process.  The bank demands a hundred years of tax returns, monthly statements, and wants you to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you sold a lawnmower to account for that cash deposit made 3 months ago.  That’s why I’m not surprised whenever a buyer asks me who can see their home inspection report.

Many buyers are afraid that the home inspection report that they booked and paid for will hurt them more than help.  They are afraid they won’t be able to buy a home that isn’t “up to code” even though they’re perfectly comfortable doing the work after taking possession.  Many buyers are concerned that the deal will be dead as soon as the county assessor/banker/underwriter/miscellaneous government official sees the report and “red tags” the house.  I’ve even been asked to leave items off the report by buyers with some of these all too common fears.

Allow me to clear up some of this confusion: Your home inspection belongs to you and you alone. Period.  The report can only help you by giving you a better understanding of your purchase.  It can never hurt you by causing some bureaucrat to cancel the sale.  I will never send your report to anybody without your permission.  I have had banks call me asking for report copies and I tell them the same thing every time:  If they want your report they will have to get it from you.  If they want a report from me they will have to order and pay for their own inspection.

Your home inspection report is created to empower you as a home buyer.  You can use it to negotiate a lower price, ask for repairs, or just as a to do list for when you own the home.  No home is perfect and I guarantee I will find things that need attention, but it’s better to know about them ahead of time than be surprised three weeks after closing.  This is why it’s best to have the most complete report possible.  There’s no advantage to leaving something off, and significant advantage in being as knowledgeable as possible.  Since you own the report, you can send it to anybody you want, but you’re entitled to privacy and if anybody else wants a copy of your report they won’t be getting it from me without your permission.