Inspection Negotiation
What’s a fair concession ask after inspection?
Market condition
In hot markets sellers can refuse asks; in cold markets buyers have leverage.
Contract contingency type
Pure as-is = no concessions allowed (only walk).
Recommended ask
$7,575(1.38% of price)
Open with $11,363 to leave room to negotiate down. Conservative floor: $5,303. Total findings come to $8,950 but cosmetic/minor items typically don’t move the negotiation. In a balanced market, you can expect a good-faith split.
Total inspection findings
$8,950
3 items
Safety issues
$600
almost always negotiable
Major repairs
$8,000
typically negotiable
Minor / cosmetic
$350
usually buyer absorbs
Tactics for getting concessions
Credit at closing > price reduction > repairs done by seller. A credit puts cash in your pocket (helps with down payment friction). Sellers prefer price reductions for tax reasons but credits are equivalent value to you. Avoid having the seller do repairs — they’ll hire the cheapest contractor.
Lead with safety items, not cosmetics: sellers tune out long laundry-list asks. Focus your written request on 2-4 substantive items with bid quotes attached, not 30 nitpicks.
Get bid quotes for items > $1k: "the inspector said the roof needs attention" is weaker than "Joe’s Roofing quoted $8,200 to replace; here’s the bid." Quotes anchor the negotiation in fact.
The cap on credits matters: lender-imposed seller-credit limits (typically 3-6% depending on loan type and down payment) cap how much closing-cost credit you can take. Above the cap requires price reduction.
Walking is a real option: if you’re within the inspection contingency window, you can walk for any reason and get earnest money back. The credible threat of walking is your biggest leverage.
Severity weights used: Safety 100% • Major 85% • Minor 50% • Cosmetic 0%. Market multipliers: Cold 1.3× • Balanced 1.0× • Hot 0.5×. Contingency multipliers: Standard 1.0× • As-is informational 0.6× • Pure as-is 0×.