What repairs should I ask for after a home inspection in Utah?

Focus on safety issues (electrical hazards, structural problems, gas leaks), major systems near end of life (failing HVAC, leaking water heater, roof at end of useful life), and major water damage. Skip cosmetic issues, minor wear, and items you already saw during showings.

Can I ask for everything in the inspection report?

You can ask, but you'll often lose the deal or strain the relationship. Smart buyers prioritize 3-7 significant items rather than 30 minor ones. Sellers respond better to focused requests than laundry lists.

Is a repair credit better than seller repairs?

Often yes. Credits let you choose your own contractor, control quality, and avoid seller cutting corners with cheap fixes. Sellers also prefer credits because they avoid managing repairs on a home they're leaving.

What can I do if the seller won't repair anything?

Three options: accept the home as-is (if no deal-breakers exist), exercise the inspection contingency and terminate, or negotiate a price reduction instead of repairs. The leverage depends on how competitive the offer environment was.

How long do I have to negotiate inspection items in Utah?

Standard Utah Real Estate Purchase Contract gives buyers a due diligence period (typically 7-14 days) to inspect AND respond. Within that window, you must deliver a Notice of Buyer's Objections detailing requests. Sellers then have a few days to respond.

Home Inspection Negotiations in Salt Lake County: Which Repairs to Ask For

Inspection negotiations in Salt Lake County reward focus. Ask for major safety, structural, or systems issues — not cosmetic items. A 3-7 item focused request typically gets concessions; a 30-item laundry list typically gets refused. The path between “missing real problems” and “killing the deal with over-asking” runs through experience and the right priorities.

What inspections find — and what to ask for

Inspection reports typically flag 20-50 items. Most don’t matter. Sort them into four buckets:

Bucket 1: Always negotiate

Major issues that affect safety, function, or major cost:

Roof at end of useful life or actively leaking ($12K-$25K replacement)
HVAC system failing or beyond useful life ($8K-$15K replacement)
Foundation settling, cracking, or water intrusion
Electrical panel outdated, undersized, or with safety issues (Federal Pacific, Zinsco, knob-and-tube)
Plumbing leaks, polybutylene piping, or major drain issues
Sewer line issues found on scope (clay pipe deterioration, root intrusion)
Major water damage (active leaks, mold, foundation moisture)
Gas leaks of any size
Structural issues (sagging floors, foundation cracks beyond hairline)

Bucket 2: Sometimes negotiate (depends on price, market, severity)

Water heater near end of life (8-12 years) — $1,500-$3,000
Windows with seal failure on multiple units
Driveway or major hardscape cracking
Pool equipment issues if home has a pool
Radon levels above 4 pCi/L (Utah has elevated radon — testing important)

Bucket 3: Rarely negotiate

Worn carpet or paint
Door alignment issues
Caulking condition
Minor wear anywhere
Items you saw during showing (the chip in the counter you already knew about)

Bucket 4: Never negotiate

Aesthetic preferences (“I don’t like the kitchen layout”)
Code upgrades for older homes (current code doesn’t apply to grandfathered homes)
Maintenance items the home’s age makes normal

How to structure the request

A focused request looks like this:

Based on the inspection findings, we request the following:

Sewer line repair (root intrusion at approximately 22 feet) — buyer estimates $4,500-$6,500

Furnace replacement (32 years old, multiple deficiencies noted) — buyer requests $5,000 credit

Electrical panel update from Federal Pacific to current Square D or Eaton — buyer requests $2,500 credit

Roof certification by licensed roofer (current shingles 22 years old)

That’s four items, each tied to specific findings, with clear cost reasoning. Compare to:

Per inspection, please repair: caulking around bathtub, replace worn carpet in upstairs hallway, fix doorbell, paint touch-up in master closet, replace bathroom exhaust fan, repaint exterior trim…

The second approach loses the negotiation immediately because it signals lack of focus and poor priorities.

Repair credit vs seller-completed repairs

For most issues, repair credits work better than asking sellers to complete repairs:

Approach	Pro	Con
Seller completes repair	Done before you close	Quality often inconsistent, cheapest contractor used
Credit at closing	You control quality and timing	Reduces seller’s net but lets you negotiate items as cash equivalents
Reduced purchase price	Simple	Affects appraisal and loan amount; less flexible

Credits are particularly valuable for items where you have specific preferences (HVAC brand, roofing style) or where seller’s time pressure would create rushed, poor-quality work.

What sellers typically accept

In a balanced 2026 Salt Lake County market, expect:

Major safety items — usually granted
Major systems at end of life — often shared or credit offered
Discoverable items the seller knew about — should be granted (legal disclosure issues)
Routine maintenance items — usually rejected
Cosmetic items — almost always rejected

In hot markets (peak spring 2026), sellers are tighter on concessions. In slower markets (winter), more flexibility exists.

When to walk away

Three scenarios that justify walking away even from a home you love:

Foundation issues that aren’t easily resolved

Cracks beyond hairline, water intrusion in basement, settling that affects multiple parts of the home. These are five-figure repair problems that often have hidden additional cost.

Multiple major systems near end of life simultaneously

Roof, HVAC, water heater, and electrical all aging into replacement at the same time can mean $40K-$80K in cost over the first 3-5 years. Sometimes the math doesn’t work even with concessions.

Discoverable issues the seller failed to disclose

If inspection reveals issues the seller clearly knew about but didn’t disclose, the trust foundation of the deal is broken. Even with repair concessions, walking away is often the right call.

Common buyer mistakes

Four patterns that reduce buyer leverage:

Asking for everything in the report — sellers stop reading and reject all
Asking for cosmetic items — signals inexperience, weakens position on real issues
Being adversarial in tone — even valid requests get rejected when wrapped in attitude
Missing the deadline — Utah due diligence period is firm. Late requests have no leverage.

What sellers should expect

Sellers should:

Get a pre-listing inspection to know what buyers will find
Address obvious safety items before listing
Prepare to offer concessions on systems beyond their useful life
Know what they won’t budge on (cosmetic items, maintenance)

A seller who walks into inspection expecting zero concessions is usually disappointed. A seller who walks in expecting $3K-$15K in concessions is usually accurate.

What to do next

If you’re a buyer about to enter due diligence, talk to your agent before the inspection about which items will and won’t matter. Smart agents prioritize before the report lands.

If you’re a seller, consider a pre-listing inspection. Knowing what buyers will find lets you proactively address issues — or price accordingly.

Reach out to Andrew for inspection-period guidance specific to your transaction. We negotiate inspection items every week and know what Salt Lake County sellers actually concede vs reject.

Search Salt Lake County homes for sale when you’re ready to start looking — and bring a strategic eye to every showing, not just inspection day.

Inspection isn’t a chance to renegotiate the price. It’s a chance to address real issues with focused requests. The buyers who get the most concessions are the ones who ask for the right things.