How to write a home inspection report.

Who reads the report.

A general-inspection report has three primary readers, and they each skim differently:

• The buyer. Reads the summary first. Wants to know what matters, what is urgent, and what the biggest surprises are.
• The buyer's agent. Skims for anything they will need to address in the response phase of the contract. Values clean language they can quote in a repair addendum without translation.
• The seller and listing agent. Reads only what the buyer asks them to fix. Cares that the report is factual, sourced, and hard to argue with.

A trade contractor or specialist may also read the section that names their trade. Write those sections so a licensed roofer, electrician, or HVAC technician can act on them without another site visit.

The structure that works.

Most reports that hold up under scrutiny follow this order:

1. Cover. Property address, inspection date, inspector name and license number, client name, and the report ID.
2. Summary. Grouped by severity: safety, deficiencies (or "major"), and maintenance. Each summary item deep-links to the full finding below.
3. Scope and limitations. One page. Names the SoP, the systems in scope, any conditions that limited the inspection (weather, snow cover, occupancy), and what is not included.
4. Sections. Site and grading, roof, exterior, structure, insulation and ventilation, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, interior, and installed appliances. Standardize the order so returning readers can navigate quickly.
5. Findings. Under each section, list findings in the order you observed them or in severity order. Each finding is its own atomic block (see below).
6. Attachments. Manufacturer stickers on major systems, panel photos, and any third-party reports that were included by reference.

Interactive digital reports (severity filters, section navigation, expandable evidence photos) do the same job faster than static PDFs. Both are legitimate. Deliver whatever your client asks for.

How to write a single finding.

Every finding has the same four parts, in this order:

1. Component and observation. "Water heater. Basement electric water heater inspected under normal operating conditions." Name what you looked at and how.
2. Condition. What you observed and why it matters. "The temperature-and-pressure relief valve has no discharge extension. Hot-water discharge at this height can cause scalding."
3. Recommendation. A short, actionable next step. "Have a licensed plumber install a full-size rigid discharge pipe terminating at a safe, visible location."
4. Severity classification. Safety, deficiency (or major), or maintenance. Use a small number of levels consistently.

Cutting any of the four leaves the reader guessing. A recommendation without a condition sounds arbitrary. A condition without a recommendation leaves the buyer to figure out the next step alone.

Photos and evidence.

A finding without a photo is easy to argue about. A finding with a clear, well-lit, in-context photo is not. Guidelines:

• Show context first, then close-up. A shot of the panel from three feet, then the double-tapped breaker close up. Readers who do not know your trade need both frames.
• Use flash and steady hands. Blur is not evidence. Retake the picture if it is not sharp.
• Do not annotate photos with cost or blame. Arrows, circles, and short labels are fine. "Seller ignored this for years" is not.
• Include a subject photo of the home on the cover so the buyer can tell which report is which.

Tone, voice, and legalese.

The tone that lands: neutral, specific, respectful. A few rules that experienced inspectors settle on:

• Observe, do not litigate. "The panel has two conductors under one breaker lug" not "The panel is unsafe and should be condemned."
• Name the trade, not the negotiation. "Have a licensed electrician evaluate and correct." Do not tell the buyer to demand a credit.
• Use plain English. A first-time buyer should not need a dictionary to understand the summary. Reserve technical terms for the section body where they belong.
• Stay in scope. If the SoP says visual and readily accessible, do not speculate about hidden conditions.

Standards to reference.

Every general home inspection should reference a Standards of Practice. The two most widely adopted are the InterNACHI Standards of Practice and the ASHI Standards of Practice. Many state licensing boards adopt one of these by reference and add state-specific requirements. Include a line at the beginning of the scope section stating which SoP the inspection was performed under. If your state has additional requirements, name the state statute or rule and the version.

Pre-delivery checklist.

Before you send a report:

• The summary matches the findings below (no orphan items).
• Every finding has a photo where a photo would help.
• Severity classifications are consistent across sections.
• Client and property addresses are correct.
• Your license number and insurance information are present.
• The scope section names the SoP and any limitations.
• Recommendations point at the right trade.

Software should make the checklist run itself. On HomeInspector.com, the client receives a branded web report with a PDF download, and setup includes bringing over your existing templates and narratives so the tone stays yours. See the sample report.