Buyers & Agents2 min readMay 1, 2026

How to Handle Contractor Bids After a Home Inspection Report

The inspection report comes back.

There are problems. Some you saw coming. Some are a surprise.

Now the buyer needs contractor bids. They use them to ask for repair credits, or to decide if the deal still makes sense.

This is one of the most rushed and costly moments in any home sale.

Getting the bids right matters.

The Inspection Repair Bid Problem

Buyers usually have a short window to get bids after an inspection.

That time crunch means they often cannot get more than one bid. They cannot tell whether a bid is fair. And they can swing too far either way.

Push too hard and they lose the deal. Do not push enough and they leave money on the table.

Get bids from licensed contractors for the exact items in the inspection report.
Make sure each bid is itemized, not just one big number.
Have the bids read by a working super to confirm the price is fair.
Use the reviewed bids as the basis for your repair credit request.
Get everything in writing before you submit it.

A repair credit request backed by a real, reviewed contractor bid carries a lot more weight than a number pulled off an online estimate tool.

When your buyer shows a detailed, itemized bid that a construction pro has read, the seller and the listing agent take it seriously.

It moves the talk from opinion to proof on the page.

Roof repair vs replacement, $500 to $25,000+ depending on size and the work.
Heating and cooling service or replacement, $150 to $8,000+.
Water heater replacement, $1,200 to $3,500 installed.
Electrical panel upgrade, $2,500 to $6,000.
Foundation repairs, this one varies a lot and needs a structural engineer to look at it.
Plumbing repairs, $200 to $5,000+ depending on the work.

Upload the bids you get after the inspection and get a working super's read in minutes.

Know whether the bids are fair before you submit your repair credit request.

Walk into the talk with proof on the page, not just a number.

Buyers & Agents