What to Do If Your Home Inspector Missed a Major Problem

Many homebuyers rely on inspections to find existing and potential future problems with a house they’re serious about purchasing. And while it’s important to keep in mind that inspectors probably, every single thing that’s wrong with the home, it is fair to expect them to identify the major problems. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Here’s what to do if you find yourself in that situation.

What to do if your home inspector missed a major problem

Even if you do everything right and take all recommended precautions, it’s possible that you could end up finding a significant problem with your home after closing that your inspector had somehow missed. Maybe it’s the roof, or termite damage, or a structural issue: Whatever it is, it’s not something you expected to deal with in your new home.

Instead, your best bet is to contact your home inspector as soon as you come across the problem. The more time that passes between the initial inspection and reporting the issue, the harder it will be to prove that it’s something the inspector actually missed.

Your inspection contract should outline your options for recourse if the inspector missed a problem—including specifying whether the inspector has liability insurance.

“Adequate insurance coverage protects the inspector and their clients in case of errors, omissions, or negligence during an inspection, It also provides coverage for any resulting damages or financial losses.”

That said, the terms of insurance policies vary, so you’ll need to check the details to find out if your issue is covered.