The three most expensive words in an inspection report
Most of a 40-page inspection report is loose doorstops. Three words are different: roof, sewer, and foundation. Each can cost five figures, none shows in listing photos, and all three can be partly predicted before you bid from county records and a sewer scope.
Why these three
Dark = typical range, light = upper scenarios cited by the same guides. Sources: HomeAdvisor cost guides for roof replacement (updated 2026-06-17), sewer main repair/replacement (updated 2026-06-19), foundation repair (updated 2026-06-20). National figures, for orientation only.
The rest of the report is measured in hundreds. These three are measured in thousands and add nothing a buyer can see at resale. Every dollar here comes out of your margin.
Roof: "end of service life"Permit portal · 3 min
A roof at the end of its life is a known number. A roof that has already leaked is that number plus everything under it.
Full replacement $5,902–$13,373, average $9,607, roughly $4–$11 per square foot; tear-off and disposal add $1,500–$4,500 (HomeAdvisor, updated 2026-06-17). Steep pitch, multiple layers, and premium materials push above the range.
Open the county or city permit portal (Tacoma example: Accela). A re-roof permit gives you the year; the assessor's year built (Tacoma: Pierce County ATIP) tells you how many roofs the house has probably had. No permit and no invoice: price it as original.
Sewer: "recommend further evaluation"Sewer scope · $150–500
The lateral is the buyer's pipe until it reaches the main. Old clay and Orangeburg lines fail at the joints, and replacement means digging up whatever sits on top: lawn, driveway, or porch.
Repair or replacement $1,388–$5,323, average $3,319, but priced at $50–$250 per foot; trenchless lining $90–$250 per foot (HomeAdvisor, updated 2026-06-19). A 60-foot lateral under a driveway can land well above the "typical" range.
Year built before about 1970 plus mature trees in the front yard means assume clay. Then buy the scope: a camera run typically costs a few hundred dollars (public 2026 cost guides quote roughly $150–$500 stand-alone; less when bundled with the general inspection). Cheapest insurance in the process.
Foundation: "settlement" and "structural"Engineer · $340–780
HomeAdvisor foundation repair cost guide, updated 2026-06-20; typical overall range $2,225–$8,133, average $5,175. National figures, for orientation only.
A crack is cheap; movement is not. When the inspector pairs "foundation" with "settlement," "bowing," or "structural," stop reading the cost guide and get a structural engineer's letter. That letter is what a contractor bids from, and what your buyer's lender will ask for later.
County records show year built and foundation type; older post-and-pier or unreinforced concrete on a slope earns a closer look. In the walkthrough: doors that stick, sloping floors, stair-step cracks in block, gaps at trim. Any of those, and the offer assumes piers.
The pre-bid checklist: what is free, what is paid
The free rows set the offer. The paid rows, done inside the inspection period, confirm or correct it.
Our discipline on a flip is simple and works for owner-occupants too. If county records or the walkthrough raise any of the three words, the offer deducts the worst-case repair for that item. The inspection period then tests the assumption. When the sewer scope comes back clean, the deal got better; when it shows a collapsed line, the bid was already in the price, and the seller either accepts the number or the buyer walks away with the earnest money refunded.
Cosmetics photograph well and cost the least. The expensive parts are underground, overhead, and behind the drywall. Point your money there first.
Why a flipper would publish this. Every house we underwrite starts with the same three questions, answered from the public record before we spend a dollar on inspections. Our methodology shows the sources we pull and the order we check them.
Related reading
Sources
- Pierce County ATIP (Assessor-Treasurer Information Portal) — County record for year built, finished area and building details (Tacoma example). Accessed 2026-08-27.
- City of Tacoma permit portal (Accela) — Re-roof, plumbing and structural permit history (Tacoma example). Accessed 2026-08-27.
- NWMLS (Northwest Multiple Listing Service) — Form 35 inspection addendum is a member form with no public page; this is the organization's site. Accessed 2026-08-26.
- HomeAdvisor cost guides — roof replacement (updated 2026-06-17), sewer main repair/replacement (updated 2026-06-19), foundation repair (updated 2026-06-20). National figures, for orientation only.
Please read. Cost ranges are national figures from public cost guides on the dates shown, for orientation only; real bids vary widely. Not an inspection, appraisal, or legal, tax, or investment advice. Hire licensed inspectors, engineers, and contractors before any real estate decision.
FAQ
Does a standard home inspection include the sewer line?
Usually not. A general inspector checks visible plumbing and drains but does not run a camera through the underground lateral. A sewer scope is a separate service, typically a few hundred dollars, and in Washington the NWMLS Form 35 inspection addendum expressly allows it.
Is every foundation crack a structural problem?
No. Hairline shrinkage cracks in poured concrete are common and cheap to seal. The expensive words are settlement, bowing, and structural, especially when doors stick, floors slope, or cracks are wide, stepped, or growing. Those call for a structural engineer before you price the deal.
How do I know the roof's real age before I make an offer?
Check the county or city permit portal for a re-roof permit, then compare with the listing's claim. No permit does not prove no work, but a listing that says new roof with no permit and no invoice should be priced as an old roof.
Are the cost ranges in this article quotes?
No. They are national ranges from public cost guides on the dates noted, provided for orientation only. Regional labor rates, access, materials, and scope move real bids far outside these ranges. Get local written bids before you rely on any number.
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Get a free sample analysisPublished 2026-08-26 · Updated 2026-08-26 · PropDossier Research