One of the questions buyers sometimes ask me near the end of an inspection is, “Did the house pass?”

I understand the question. Your car can pass or fail an inspection, and many municipal inspections work the same way. A home inspection is different.

There really isn’t a passing or failing grade.

My job as a home inspector isn’t to decide whether a house is good enough for you to buy. My job is to help you understand the condition of the house so you can make that decision for yourself.

Every house has problems. Houses age, materials wear out, things loosen, water sometimes gets where it shouldn’t, and repairs and modifications are made over the years. Even brand-new houses can have defects.

So if I inspect a house and find an older furnace, a few plumbing repairs, missing GFCI protection, deteriorated exterior caulking, a cracked walkway and an aging roof, that doesn’t mean the house failed its inspection.

It means there are conditions the buyer should know about.

What matters is the significance of those conditions and what they mean when considered together.

Not Every Problem Carries the Same Weight

This is where buyers can become overwhelmed by an inspection report.

A detailed report may contain a lot of comments, but counting defects doesn’t tell you very much about the overall condition of a house. Twenty minor maintenance items may be far less important than one significant problem.

A loose doorknob is a defect. So is a deteriorated sewer line. Obviously, those two things shouldn’t carry the same weight.

The same applies throughout the house. Peeling paint on exterior trim is very different from repeated water entering a basement. A minor electrical correction is very different from widespread unsafe wiring. A small concrete crack may mean very little, while cracking accompanied by displacement or other evidence of movement may deserve much more attention.

Part of a good home inspection is putting those findings into perspective.

Some things are simply part of owning a house. Caulking deteriorates. Gutters need cleaning. Exterior wood needs painting. Doors need adjustment. Plumbing fixtures wear out. Driveways crack.

Those conditions still belong in an inspection report, but they shouldn’t be confused with major defects.

The same is true of aging equipment. An older furnace that is operating properly isn’t automatically a failed furnace. An older roof isn’t necessarily a failed roof.

What I want the buyer to understand is the actual condition of that equipment and the possibility that repair or replacement may be coming. I can’t tell someone exactly when an older furnace will fail or exactly how many years an aging roof has left. Nobody can. But I can explain what I’m seeing so the buyer can plan accordingly.

Some Findings Change the Picture

Other conditions deserve considerably more attention.

Safety concerns, significant structural movement, repeated water intrusion, major sewer problems, widespread electrical deficiencies or a major system that isn’t functioning properly can have a very different impact on a purchase.

Even then, I don’t consider the entire house to have “failed.”

I want to understand the extent of the problem. What is happening? What has been affected? Is the condition isolated or widespread? Is more information needed? What may be involved in correcting it?

Those answers are much more useful to a buyer than a pass-or-fail label.

Sometimes the biggest concern isn’t one major defect at all. It’s the accumulation of problems.

I may inspect a house with an older roof, older heating and cooling equipment, aging windows, drainage problems, plumbing repairs, electrical improvements and a driveway or deck needing substantial work.

None of those conditions by itself necessarily makes the house unreasonable to purchase. Put enough of them together, however, and the buyer may be looking at considerable repairs and expenses during the first several years of ownership.

That changes the overall picture, and it’s something the buyer needs to understand before closing.

The Same House Can Be Right for One Buyer and Wrong for Another

This is another reason I don’t believe houses pass or fail home inspections.

Two buyers can look at exactly the same inspection findings and reasonably reach different conclusions.

One buyer may have substantial financial reserves, enjoy working on houses and already be planning renovations. Another may be stretching financially to purchase the home and wants very few major expenses during the first several years.

The house hasn’t changed. The inspection hasn’t changed. The buyers’ circumstances have.

That’s why I don’t believe an inspector should make the purchasing decision for the client.

I can explain what I found, which conditions concern me, what appears to be ordinary maintenance, which systems are getting older and where additional information or repair estimates would be useful.

Then the buyer has to decide whether those conditions fit the house they want to own and the responsibilities they’re willing to take on.

A Long Report Doesn’t Mean a Bad House

This is particularly important for first-time buyers.

Receiving a detailed inspection report can be intimidating. There may be many pages of photographs, observations, maintenance recommendations and repair items.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve chosen a bad house.

Don’t judge the house by the thickness of the report.

Read the explanations and concentrate on what actually matters. Understand the significant defects, safety concerns, water or structural issues, aging major systems and repairs that could involve substantial expense. Separate those from normal maintenance and smaller repairs that come with owning almost any house.

If something significant is discovered, use your inspection contingency period to get the information you need. Talk to your inspector. Obtain additional information or repair estimates when appropriate, and discuss your contractual options with your attorney and real estate professionals.

The purpose isn’t to turn every item in the report into a seller repair request.

It’s to understand the important conditions before they become your responsibility.

So, Did the House Pass?

At the end of an inspection, it would probably be easier if I could simply say yes or no.

But houses are too complicated for that.

A house can be structurally sound and need an expensive roof. It can have newer mechanical systems and still have a serious water problem. It can be fifty years old, have a long list of maintenance items and still be a very good house.

It can also look beautiful on the surface while having significant problems that aren’t obvious to the buyer.

A home inspection isn’t about giving a house a grade.

It’s about helping the buyer understand what they’re buying.

When the inspection is finished, I want my client to understand the important defects, the condition of the major systems, the safety concerns, the maintenance the house will need and the likely responsibilities that come with owning it.

Then the question isn’t:

“Did the house pass?”

The better question is:

“Knowing what I know now, is this the right house for me?”

That’s ultimately what a good home inspection should help you answer.

About John Martino

John Martino is a Board-Certified Master Inspector and owner of LookSmart Home Inspections in East Hanover, New Jersey. A New Jersey licensed home inspector since 2002, John provides independent home inspections for buyers throughout Northern and Central New Jersey.

John’s approach to home inspection is educational and straightforward. He believes buyers should understand not only what was found during an inspection, but why it matters, which conditions deserve greater attention, what can reasonably be expected as a house ages, and what responsibilities may come with owning the property.

Through the LookSmart Home Inspections Learning Center, John also writes about the questions and concerns that regularly come up during real home inspections, including roofing, foundations, water intrusion, electrical systems, heating and cooling equipment, sewer lines, older homes, maintenance, and the home inspection process itself.

His goal is not to tell buyers whether they should or shouldn’t purchase a particular house. It is to provide clear, practical information that helps them understand the home they are considering and make an informed decision.