Massachusetts Home Inspections

In the Fall of 2009 I joined the real estate industry after graduating college. I had no intention to do so at the time, but with the economy still reeling from the market crash and a the possibility of a relocation, I joined the family brokerage as a Marketing Coordinator. Of course that move was more permanent, but at the time I wasn't planning on representing clients. So I began learning everything I could about residential real estate.

I was fortunate enough to have great team members and role models that all served as mentors, but if that represented 50% of my real estate career development, the other half was knowledge gained from attending home inspections. I always volunteered to accompany our team's clients or for pre-listing inspections. The more I attended, the easier it would become to guide clients through purchases down the road. I'm no home inspector, and don't pretend to be one, but the context I add is critical to my clients and their interests because as you would expect, most of them have never attended one before.

Massachusetts has such an interesting history when it comes to housing. You can find a single family home, next to a multi family, next to a condominium complex, and next to a historical home built in the early 1700s. After attending inspections over the years, you learn to keep an eye out for repeated patterns regarding construction and maintenance of these various homes.

The following is a guide to Massachusetts Home Inspections based on this knowledge, and what my buyer clients are to expect with their purchase of a home. Every home and transaction is unique, so keep that in mind while contemplating your own situation. Enjoy!

By Mike DelRose Jr. - June 6th, 2025 -Watertown, MA- I've never recommended to a home buyer to waive a home inspection on their purchase. There are exceptions of course. Those that are contractors and those willing to accept the risk. Home inspections are not only designed to teach you about your home and how it operates, it really adds value as a risk mitigation tool. Because your agent is not a licensed home inspector, we often preface our comments as agents by saying something along the lines of: "You want to ask your home inspector about this heating system, because it may be older." So there's a degree of helpfulness we can utilize to screen properties for your needs. The home inspector takes this evaluation much further. There is no pass or fail grading system here in Massachusetts, but there's valuable context in great detail. Your inspector cannot see through walls, so ultimately there is always risk to your home purchase. Regardless, that is why the inspection opportunity is so important for a home buyer. Getting to the purchase and sales agreement and beyond with a degree of confidence and knowledge to back it up is important. Things are going to happen: basements flood, pipes burst, and termites eat your home. The inspection is going to significantly reduce the likelihood that these things are currently occurring without the buyer's knowledge prior to closing.

Over the last 15 years or so of my career as a real estate professional, I've seen the market rebound from post-recession to an absolute nightmare of a housing crisis. The result are first time home buyers risking it all and waiving the inspection just to get into the market. In some states home inspections are required for every transaction, but not in Massachusetts. However, times are changing and these inspections have now become a right, which we'll get into further on in the article.

A Renegotiation of Price is Not Guaranteed

Part of my job as a professional is to set expectations long before we encounter common situations in a transaction. The home inspection is no different. Many home buyers, especially first timers or those who haven't been in the market for some time, may have the expectation that money is coming off the sticker price as soon as the inspector sends the report. That's simply not the case.

After the disclosures, if any, from a seller, the listing agent, and viewing the property, the home inspection remains as the one tool for a home buyer to determine if there is anything else effecting the property's value that they weren't aware of at the time the offer was accepted. And let me stress that there will be issues found. So why doesn't that automatically or at least routinely give the buyer the change to haggle? The answer quickly becomes more complicated.

This is where nuance comes in. We know that the inspector will turn up common issues found with every home on the market. But the leverage for a buyer typically only surfaces for major issues. You see, in Massachusetts a home seller is not obligated to change the terms of the current contract. A buyer has the right to ask for repairs, a credit at closing, or a reduction in price. But as soon as those requests are viewed as unreasonable from the seller, they tend to clam up.

This is why buyer's don't have to panic if something is seriously wrong with the property, at least initially. If a seller becomes aware of a major issue, whether it is discovered at inspection or otherwise, it is required by law to disclose that issue to prospective buyers. If you as a buyer walk away after inspection, the seller is left marketing the property as is with the issue, or more likely incentivized to remedy it. There's a cliche but pertinent fact in business that it costs less to generate repeat business than it is to find new customers, and this really applies here. So the seller has a choice to make depending on the size of the buyer's request.

What Are Major Issues?

Major defects to a property will vary, especially when we look at different types of houses in vastly different price ranges. A new heating system is a drop in the bucket for a listing selling over $3.5M, but it could be devastating financially to a buyer attempting to purchase a house at $450,000.

I would consider major issues to be circumstances that affect the systems of the home and are the very things a home inspector is most concerned with. The foundation, structural integrity, the roof, the plumbing, and the electrical. Water management should also have its own consideration, meaning leaks, groundwater, well water, or general water penetration into the property.

So while the gravity of an issue will vary, it may present an opportunity to reasonably make a request to the seller to provide a remedy for the buyer. Examples I have experienced include partial roof replacement, mold remediation, seller closing cost credits, price reductions, heating system servicing, etc.

What Is Not a Major Issue?

Buyers entering a home they plan to purchase for only the second or third time may provide some shock. It's amazing what isn't noticed at that first showing or open house. A buyer might find scratches, paint peeling, stains, outlets that don't work, rusting pipes, cracked pavement, termite bait stations, or a leaky pipe. Some of these issues are more important than others, and could even be negotiable, but the thing to keep in mind is a seller is not required to make the home perfect, and there is an expectation that the buyer is going to be inheriting much of the current condition of the home.

"The home inspection remains as the one tool for a home buyer to determine if there is anything else effecting the property's value that they weren't aware of at the time the offer was accepted."

What Are Home Inspections For?

To discover material defects to the property that the buyer was unaware at time of offer
Home inspections teach home buyers about the systems of their home
Home inspectors share knowledge on short, medium, and long-term maintenance
A risk mitigation tool that allows the buyer to walk away when significant issues are found

What If the Seller Offers To Fix Items In My Report?

Oftentimes in the purchase and sales agreement when dealing with seller remedies, there will be specific language about using a licensed and bonded contractor. All well and good, but as we know from my side of the business not all real estate professionals are created equal either. So who is this seller hiring to remedy an issue?

For most buyers, hiring a contractor after move-in can be a large cost financially, so when offered they prefer to have the seller solve a problem discovered in the inspection. While this certainly makes things easier, buyers should take note that while the problem is out of their hands, they cannot control the quality of that workmanship. There's a risk taken that the problem may not be remedied in a professional way that you want it to be. Sometimes this issue is solved through seller closing cost credits, cash at closing reducing your closing costs that keeps the nominal amount of money in your pocket to cover a repair.

These situations are always dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Your financial situation is tied to my recommendation or your desires. There is not a wrong answer but control versus cost and convenience should be considered.

The Value of An Inspector

Not all home inspectors are created equal. Not even close. If I'm on the listing side, I am not allowed to make recommendations for straightforward reasons. I can only provide the state's database of licensed inspectors to a non-client. So an unrepresented buyer will bring their inspector to a listing and I'm often times in awe at their routine. As a buyer you want someone extremely thorough. My inspectors take three and a half to four hours and that's an average. Of course it depends on how large the property is and other variables. Some homes have additional systems that will add significant time. So when I see an inspector go through a large house in an hour and a half, I'm wondering what the buyer is getting for their dollar.

"A good home inspector is worth their weight in gold"

Can Home Inspectors Make Mistakes?

Of course they can. It adds a degree of uncertainty in some cases that leaves my clients and I nervous. I'm not allowed to question an inspector. It makes sense because I'm not a licensed home inspector after all, what ground do I have to stand on? Also, like Doctors, contractors have different opinions and skillsets as well as recommendations of how to deal with issues found in the home. If necessary, bring in a contractor to confirm an issue and see how they would deal with it. There have certainly been cases where I have seen contractors disagree with a home inspectors findings. At the end of the day, we just need to ensure the issue can be dealt with in the most efficient way.

An Issue That Might Be a Non-Issue

One of the most complicated issues I deal with post-inspection can be common occurrences that unnerve the buyers, but there isn't necessarily a remedy in the transaction itself. I recall a clear example of this when I sold a second and third floor condominium to first time home buyers. At the inspection my best inspector noted that the chimney wasn't two feet above the roofline, and therefore not to building code. The house was built in the early 1900s, and while it did not need to meet current code, the home inspector performed their duty by pointing it out.

The reason the chimney needs to be two feet above the roofline, according to my inspector was to prevent backdrafts that could push carbon monoxide from fire places or heating systems back into the home. The remedy in this case is extending the chimney height, which relatively isn't actually that big of a project. The problem is that the buyers hear safety issue, and the seller has no intention of handling such a project for a problem that has never concerned them.

As a real estate professional, I can't say that it's no big deal. The home inspector has authority here and of course there is a potential for back drafts, as with any chimney. The buyers could easily address this after purchase for a couple of hundred, and not thousands of dollars.

The reason I'm explaining this situation, is because you as a potential buyer need to understand the agent is not going to create liability for themselves by acting as a home inspector and telling their client to ignore an issue. But for the sake of discussion and in this example, you are in a transaction where you want a remedy and its just not there.

This situation takes many different forms, and my advice is this. Do advocate for yourself if there is an issue that you have concerns over. But understand that there may not be a remedy in the transaction. You have a choice, address the issue after closing, or walk away. There's not a wrong answer here and it should be treated on a case by case basis. I'll point out, that leaving a transaction can be costly and it should be noted that the same issues or others will be potentially found at the next property you put under agreement, as prices continue to rise.

Do You Use Your Real Estate Agent's Recommendation For a Home Inspector?

Which brings up another point. I have read advice in real estate forums over the years, and every so often I'll see this same comment: "Never use your real estate agent's home inspector." Now, I'll preface this by saying of course its fine to use your own professionals. Maybe a friend or family member made a recommendation or you found someone you really like. That's fantastic, and more power to you. But if you do not trust your agent's recommendation, then I have to ask-Why did you hire them in the first place? I digress. I want my clients working with inspectors that metaphorically tear apart the house. The more thorough, the better and more prepared they are for their purchase. As I've said to clients in the past, a good home inspector is worth their weight in gold. I understand the mantra though. In the past I know there have been many instances of agent-inspector duos that sign off on a house for the sake of the deal. Add that to the long list of transgressions in my industry. What I don't want is a client of mine making a poor selection and hiring someone that isn't as thorough. I have had the benefit of working with a lot of great ones, and I know we have the right person when the listing agents complain how thorough they are! Their independence from me is also extremely important. The many inspectors who I have worked with send the report directly to the home buyer. The buyer then sends it to me for discussion. There is a degree of separation there that is extremely important for the interests of the buyer not myself. It makes sense, the inspector works for the buyer, not the agent.

If you are hiring an inspector and are given a recommendation, ask what about the professional the referring person likes. Look for references, check out reviews. Hire someone you can confirm is qualified regardless of the circumstances.

End of Useful Life

When reading an inspection report, you are going to see that phrase repeated over and over again. The first condominium I purchased for myself had a heating system for four units that had been there since construction in the 1950s. They really don't build them like they used to. It was still there when I sold years later. Modern systems have certain lifespan. Forced hot water heating systems may be 25-30 years, a water tank may be 6, 8, or 10 years, etc. Once these systems reach maturity, they are at the end of their useful life.

Does it mean they need to be replaced immediately? In most cases, no, with exceptions of course. That's why I had a heating system from the 50s. If your heating system is serviced every year or two and is running fine, there likely isn't a reason to make a large investment. What end of useful life means for me, and by extension my clients, is that the system could break down tomorrow and it would not be a surprise. Depending on the system, I always recommend budgeting for these types of predicted expenses. Home warranties also can add a ton of value on an annual basis, protecting new homeowners from systems breaking down and being a financial burden.

Lead Paint Testing

In my entire career, I have yet to seen a home buyer test for lead paint as part of a home inspection contingency. It's required by law if a child under the age of 6 lives in the property, and I have had clients test after the fact, but never during the inspection period. That's not to say you shouldn't.

Lead Paint is extremely dangerous if consumed or inhaled. It can be found in paint, varnish, and other materials. It was banned in 1975, but a compliance period of three years allowed the use of lead paint if it was already purchased. 1978 was when this paint was no longer allowed to be used.

Lead is sweet, which is why children with lead poisoning could have eaten paint chips. Another way children were being poisoned were older windows. Opening and closing old windows create a dust that could become airborne and inhaled.

Regardless of whether you test for lead as part of an inspection or not, all properties built prior to 1978 require the Lead Paint Property Transfer Notification. This 11-page document provides the law and a warning to home buyers. The last page includes a document that is executed as part of the offer. This page is the seller's disclosure as to whether there is known lead paint or not. If the seller never tested, it is simply unknown.

When I represent buyers, they hear about the dangers of Lead Paint from several sources. Verbally, during our process, and prominently in the Savvy Buyers Series

Do I need a Radon Test?

First of all, what is Radon? Radon is a naturally occurring gas that forms from the breakdown of the earth's crust. It's everywhere. You can purchase testing kits online, or home inspectors can bring an electronic measuring device. A home inspectors device may be a bit more expensive, however the results are more accurate and you obtain them a lot faster, which is important for getting to the purchase and sales agreement on time. Because radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers, it is highly recommended that you test.

🏠 What Do My Radon Test Results Actually Mean?

If you’re testing for radon and staring at a number on a report, here’s the bottom line:

Radon levels are measured in something called picocuries per liter (pCi/L)—but don’t let the sciencey language throw you off.

What you really need to know is this:

📉 The EPA says any level at or above 4.0 pCi/L is a red flag. That’s their official “action level,” and it means your home should be professionally mitigated to reduce radon exposure.

📊 If your results fall between 2.0 and 4.0, it’s not considered “dangerous,” but the EPA still recommends that you consider taking action. Because here’s the truth: no amount of radon is totally risk-free, it’s a radioactive gas, and long-term exposure can increase the risk of lung cancer.

To put it into perspective:

➡️ About 1 in 4 homes in Massachusetts have radon levels high enough to require mitigation. That’s not a scare tactic, it’s just reality in our area.

So if your test comes back above 4.0, don’t panic, but don’t ignore it either. The good news? Radon mitigation systems are effective, relatively affordable, and they can make your home safer for everyone.

🛡️ How Can I Protect My Family from Radon?

The only way to truly know if your home has elevated radon levels is to test. That’s your first and most important step. But if you haven’t tested yet, or you’re unsure about radon in a home you’re living in or considering, there are a few practical things you can do right now to help reduce your exposure:

1. Spend less time in the basement.
Radon levels are usually highest in the lowest part of the home. Try to limit how much time you spend in the basement, especially for things like sleeping or kids' playtime. Move those activities to the main or upper levels when possible.

2. Choose upper floors when renting.
If you’re renting, look for units on the second floor or higher. If you're considering a basement or first-floor unit, ask the landlord to provide radon test results. Only move forward if they can show the levels are safe.

3. Use exhaust fans sparingly.
Constant use of bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans can actually pull more radon into the home from the ground. Use them when needed, but avoid leaving them running for long periods.

4. Close the chimney damper when not using the fireplace.
Leaving the damper open creates a direct path for radon to enter the home. Keep it closed when the fireplace isn't in use.

5. If you smoke, smoke outside.
Smoking and radon exposure together dramatically increase the risk of lung cancer. If you smoke, do it outside to reduce the risk to you and everyone else in the home.

These are smart short-term habits, but they don’t replace testing. Radon isn’t something you can guess your way around—it's invisible and has no smell. A test is the only way to be sure your home is safe.

The best solution is a radon mitigation system. Professionals come out to your home and drill a hole into your basement floor. They place PVC piping down the hole, which include a fan that pulls air up through the pipe and out of your house. A wise investment if your home tests high for the gas.

The Cost of Walking Away

Whether a major defect is simply too much to handle or negotiation over an issue falls apart, sometimes it is just best for the buyer to walk away. There's nothing wrong with it and ultimately it is your right. Buyer's that choose to walk away as a result of the inspection can typically expect their earnest money deposit back. I say typically because there are lawyers involved here and both parties need to agree to release the funds.

With your inspection there's a question I always ask to the inspector for the benefit of my clients: "How does this home compare to the average." This context is extremely important. Without it, you may be making a costly mistake. Not even new construction is perfect, and there is a risk that the next house you purchase can have the same issues, different ones, and may even be more costly. But how are you supposed to know that as a home buyer? We lean on the inspectors expertise here to guide us to the right decision. Remember when I said a good home inspector is worth their weight in gold?

Anecdotally, I had two different clients at different times go through five and six inspections a piece before going forward with a purchase. My best inspectors were on the case each time, and I recall even one of them was a property in near-perfect condition, as close as it could be anyway. In those examples, both buyers weren't ready for commitment, and it was evident. They knew they had to buy, but couldn't get past the normal condition of a home in their price range. In another example, the seller was willing to install all new systems for the buyer. They were willing to go much further than necessary to keep the deal together. The buyer just wasn't comfortable.

Here's what happens if you take that route. Time is money. Five home inspections at an average $600 a pop adds up to $3000 worth of inspections. Add that to the increasing cost of homes throughout the search, which in these cases last months to a year. It's a fast way to paying thousands of dollars more than necessary. The lesson is, take your time until you are ready for commitment, and qualify the house as much as possible prior to entering a transaction.

How Much Does A Home Inspection Cost?

Prices are going to vary, sometimes significantly as inspectors have different rates. The majority of the inspectors I work with have scaling prices based on square footage that translates to more time in the home the larger the home is.

Home inspections will roughly cost $500-$700. I would also budget $150 for additional radon testing also provided by the inspector.

New MA Home Inspection Law Takes Effect October 15, 2025: What Buyers & Sellers Need to Know

🗓️ Implementation Date Extended to October 15, 2025

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has delayed implementation of its sweeping new home inspection law to October 15, 2025—giving industry professionals more time to prepare.

This change provides a critical window to:

Update offer templates and disclosure forms
Train staff and agents on new compliance rules
Recalibrate listing and offer strategies in light of the new legal boundaries

🚪 For Buyers: A Safer, More Equitable Process

Gone are the days of risky, waived inspections just to compete in a tight market. As of October 15, buyers will have a legal right to conduct a home inspection—and sellers are prohibited from accepting any offer that limits or waives that right.

Here’s what this means for buyers:

You’re entitled to an inspection—even if you don’t use it.
You cannot signal your intent to waive it—not in writing, not verbally, not at all.
Competitive advantage now comes from being prepared—not taking unnecessary risks.

This levels the field for first-time buyers, FHA, VA, and anyone who previously felt pushed to skip due diligence.

🏡 For Sellers: Shift From Leverage to Strategy

Sellers can no longer use inspection waivers as a deciding factor. But that doesn’t mean you’re left unprotected. Here’s how to stay competitive and compliant:

Provide a pre-offer inspection report: This can reassure buyers and reduce post-offer surprises.
Use a seller’s disclosure form: Transparent documentation of your home’s condition builds trust.
Avoid any attempt to circumvent the law: Even a buyer’s hint at skipping inspection invalidates their offer.

Penalties for noncompliance can include up to 4% of the purchase price—plus reputational and licensing risks.

📑 Offer Requirements and Deadlines

By October 15:

Every offer must include specific statutory language affirming the buyer’s inspection right.
A separate disclosure form must be signed and delivered to both parties at the time of the first offer.

Skipping these steps isn’t just risky—it may void your transaction entirely.

⚠️ Exemptions Still Apply—but Be Cautious

Exempt transactions include:

Family member sales
Public auctions
Divorce-related transfers
Foreclosures, short sales, and trust transfers

Still, check with legal counsel before assuming you’re exempt.

💡 Why This Matters

This law promotes fairness, transparency, and informed decision-making—values I’ve advocated for my entire career. But change also means preparation.

If you're a buyer, seller, or agent looking to navigate this transition smoothly:

Don’t wait until the fall.
Get your forms, policies, and expectations aligned now.
And remember—good strategy beats shortcuts, every time.

Need help making the shift? Let’s schedule a consultation and build a compliant game plan.