Repair Re-Inspection in Metro Detroit
A return visit to verify the seller actually completed the agreed-upon repairs — before you close.
15% off for active and retired military, first responders, nurses, and teachers. Any inspection — just mention it when you book.
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What It Is
What a re-inspection covers.
A re-inspection is a return visit after your original inspection, done to verify that the repairs the seller agreed to were actually completed — and completed correctly. It's the step that turns a repair promise into confirmed fact before you sign.
Here's how it fits the deal: your inspection turns up defects, you and your agent negotiate repairs into the purchase agreement, and the seller hires contractors to address them. A re-inspection is where I come back, pull up the original report, and check each agreed-upon item — confirming the work was done, done properly, and didn't create a new problem in the process.
This matters more than people expect. Repairs get rushed before closing, cut corners are common, and sometimes the 'fix' is cosmetic over a problem that's still there. Taking the seller's word — or a receipt — isn't the same as a trained inspector confirming it with his own eyes and camera.
You receive an updated written report with photo documentation of each verified item, cross-referenced to the original findings, so you and your agent walk into closing knowing exactly what got resolved and what didn't.
Re-inspections are billed at a flat $199 and should be scheduled with enough lead time before your closing date to leave room if something still isn't right.
Scope
What we verify
When You Need One
When a receipt isn't proof.
A re-inspection makes sense any time the purchase agreement says the seller will fix something and you're about to close on the strength of their word. The most common situations:
- Negotiated repairs in the addendum. The seller agreed to a list. Someone should confirm the list got done before the money changes hands.
- Seller or handyman work. "We took care of it" covers everything from a licensed electrician to a tube of caulk. I can tell the difference; you may not be able to.
- Major-system replacements. New roof, new furnace, new water heater, new panel, sewer repair. Big-ticket work is where an invoice and a correct installation part ways most often.
- Work that needed a permit. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and structural repairs usually do. I'll ask for the permit and the final inspection sign-off, and I'll tell you if there isn't one.
- Anything safety-related. Panel defects, gas leaks, missing GFCI protection, flue and venting problems. These get verified, not assumed.
A re-inspection is scoped to the agreed repair list. It's not a second full inspection — though if I see something new on the way to a repair item, it goes in the report.
What I Check
"Fixed" versus fixed right.
Repairs before closing get rushed, and the same shortcuts show up again and again. The water heater is new, but there's no expansion tank and the relief line ends a foot off the floor. The panel was replaced, but the double-taps got moved to the new breakers. The roof was "repaired" with a smear of caulk over the flashing that was supposed to be re-set. The bath fan now has a duct, but it still terminates in the attic. The GFCI outlet was installed, but it's wired so it doesn't trip.
For every item on your repair list I confirm three things: that it was done, that it was done the way it was supposed to be done, and that doing it didn't create a new problem. Where I can test operation — outlets, fixtures, fans, appliances, the sump pump — I test it. Where a permit was required, I ask for it. Where the work is hidden, I document what's visible and tell you what I can't verify.
You get an updated report with a photo of each item, cross-referenced to the original finding, with a plain status: verified, not done, or done wrong. Your agent uses it to close, re-negotiate, or hold money in escrow. My job is to make sure the decision is based on facts.
Process & Pricing
How it works and what it costs.
1. Send me the list
The signed repair addendum plus any receipts, invoices, or permits the seller provided. Book online or call 586-522-8733.
2. Schedule it early
Three to five business days before closing. If something isn't right, you need time to deal with it, not a closing table surprise.
3. The visit
Thirty to ninety minutes depending on the list. I bring the original report and work through it item by item.
4. Updated report in 24 hours
Each item photographed and marked verified, not done, or done wrong, cross-referenced to the original.
5. Close with facts
Your agent takes it from there. Most re-inspections confirm the work. The ones that don't are the reason you booked it.
Re-inspections are a flat $199, regardless of how many items are on the list. If another inspector did the original, I can still do the re-inspection — just send me their report and the repair list. Active and retired military, first responders, nurses, and teachers get a permanent 15% Heroes Discount.
See the full price list — every size tier, the older-home and distance adjustments, add-ons and the Heroes Discount.
Questions
Re-inspection questions.
Is a re-inspection required?
No. It's your choice, and it's the cheapest insurance in the transaction. A receipt shows someone was paid. It doesn't show the work was done correctly, or at all.
How long does it take?
Thirty to ninety minutes for most lists. It scales with the number of items and how much of the work needs to be operated or tested rather than just looked at.
What if the repairs weren't done, or were done wrong?
It's documented with photos and a plain status on each item, and your agent handles the rest: a credit, an escrow holdback, a delayed closing, or a demand that it be corrected. What you don't do is inherit the problem.
Can you re-inspect if you weren't the original inspector?
Yes. Send me the original report and the agreed repair list. Having the original photos makes the comparison straightforward, and the fee is the same flat $199.
Is it a new full inspection?
No. A re-inspection covers the items on the repair list. If you want the whole house looked at again — say, months have passed or the home was vacant through a winter — that's a full inspection, and I'll tell you which one you actually need.
Do I need to be there?
Not required, but it's short and worth attending if you can. Seeing a repair that wasn't done makes the next conversation with the seller a lot easier.
Service Area
Available across Southeast Michigan
Schedule your inspection.
Most requests answered same day.
Or send the details and I’ll quote it.