How to find hidden home defects after buying
Standard general home inspectors routinely miss major issues like uninstalled roof components, faulty electrical work, and plumbing failures. Relying on them leaves buyers facing massive, unexpected repair projects and damages after they have already moved in.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- Most of it landed at once — the busiest month was September 2026, with 19 people.
- This comes up 11.9× more often in r/homeowners than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1pushing harder on original buildersDid this help you?
- 2having a roofing company inspect the areaDid this help you?
- 3having the builder come out and inspectDid this help you?
- 4Contacting the inspector to request a discount or reimbursementDid this help you?
- 5Filing claims through the inspector's errors and omissions insuranceDid this help you?
- 6Hiring multiple independent trade specialists instead of a general home inspectorDid this help you?
- 7Sistering boards and making DIY structural repairsDid this help you?
- 8Hiring an inspector to check the entire house before the warranty period ends.Did this help you?
- 9Only making warranty claims if there are existing visual defects or known problems.Did this help you?
- 10living with the unpermitted addition for now without bringing it up to codeDid this help you?
- 11pulling up the floor to sister joists and add insulation manuallyDid this help you?
- 12saving money over time to eventually fix or rebuild the structureDid this help you?
- 13isolating the room from the main house to manage energy efficiencyDid this help you?
- 14paying out of pocket for a plumber or repairsDid this help you?
- 15consulting a lawyer to review sales paperwork and potential fraudDid this help you?
- 16Scraping off roots, applying root killer around the flange, and re-setting the toilet with a new sealDid this help you?
- 17Getting a sewer scope inspectionDid this help you?
- 18Leaving the back of the toilet un-caulked to detect leaks earlyDid this help you?
- 19Hiring a qualified plumber instead of relying solely on a home inspectorDid this help you?
- 20Reviewing home insurance policies to see if coverableDid this help you?
- 21Considering whether to call home insuranceDid this help you?
- 22Attempting DIY fixes like laying out uninstalled attic insulationDid this help you?
- 23Crawling all over the house, attic, and crawlspaces personallyDid this help you?
- 24Visiting the home right after it rains to check for leaksDid this help you?
- 25Paying out of pocket for repairs as issues arise over timeDid this help you?
- 26considering buying an RV and attempting DIY remediationDid this help you?
- 27considering letting the house foreclose and walking awayDid this help you?
- 28Scrolling through pest control online forumsDid this help you?
- 29Contacting the landlord and managementDid this help you?
- 30Waiting for an assigned exterminatorDid this help you?
- 31Having strata or property management hire independent plumbersDid this help you?
- 32Checking local building codes independentlyDid this help you?
- 33Trying to fix issues before attempting to sellDid this help you?
- 34Considering selling the home as-is for just over the remaining mortgage amountDid this help you?
- 35Waiting for the housing market conditions to changeDid this help you?
- 36checking warranty policy coverageDid this help you?
- 37modifying the installationDid this help you?
- 38Hiring a lawyer to potentially recover damagesDid this help you?
- 39Getting a trained eye to look at the damage in person instead of doing further demoingDid this help you?
- 40calling the installation company back out to inspect and fix the workDid this help you?
- 41inspecting the physical setup and wiring yourselfDid this help you?
- 42Budgeting an extra 10 to 20% on top of estimated house needsDid this help you?
- 43Assuming every update is cosmetic until opening it up to inspectDid this help you?
- 44Replacing window trim and recaulking frames independentlyDid this help you?
- 45Hiring an independent structural engineer instead of relying on someone sent by the builderDid this help you?
- 46Having a roofing professional map and photograph the exact locations of the damageDid this help you?
- 47Documenting all issues in writing with dated photos to build a paper trail for a warranty claimDid this help you?
- 48Hiring a structural engineer to determine the exact causeDid this help you?
- 49Filing a claim with the builder's warrantyDid this help you?
- 50Monitoring the cracks by marking their ends with a pencil to track progressionDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Just bought a house, went to replace the downstairs toilet and this is what I just found.”source ↗
“My home inspector did the same. Then I found 3” of sewage in my crawl space because of a crack… void in my cast iron.”source ↗
“I wish I could go back and sue mine after the egregious electrical, plumbing, hvac, and roofing problems I found in the subsequent 24 months after I moved in to my house”source ↗
“Developer and their plumbing company denying anything wrong, what can I do about this??”source ↗
“I called a roofer (who was GREAT), and it was his opinion that NO shingles were ever laid in this spot. He cited, “no adhesive residue from ice and water shield, no staples from underlayment, no nail holes””source ↗
“As someone who bought an old house and made the mistake of hiring a general home inspector, I concur. Wish I had hired an electrician, a plumber and a roofer instead.”source ↗
“Once I found electrical problems he missed I called some other trades people I knew and I now I have a massive project list and damages to be repaired. 😬”source ↗
“We have cracks stacked in the home in same spot on each level, top floor, middle (main) level, and basement. Warping wood floor in kitchen and buckling around built in fridge that’s separating.”source ↗
“Prior to purchasing home our inspection showed issues on the roof… one year old at that time. Lifted shingles, a hole, multiple areas of damage, uncaulked rusted nails. These repairs were never made (builder assured us they were and we closed).”source ↗
“I’ve got the structural engineer scheduled. Very anxious to hear what’s causing what. I assume all these issues are related. What would be a typical repair for this? Also, worried about mold growing who knows where”source ↗
“Now before we closed I pulled the online permits for the home. The addition wasnt there but it was old enough it likely wouldnt be in the online permits.”source ↗
“Turns out those fucking permit records were pulling the sq footage from the MLS listing, not the county records. Again totally my fault for not verifying but I thought those were the official records. This sunroom was absolutely not permitted.”source ↗
“I have no idea what to do. Id love to get it permitted but I cant imagine thay will be possible because the crawl space code is 18 inches min so we'd have to raise the floor or dig out the crawl space.”source ↗
“Then the kitchen sink leaked. Under the cabinet were four different pipe fittings cobbled together and the plumber just stared.”source ↗
“Six months after closing the ceiling below the shower started bubbling. New tile but no waterproofing membrane.”source ↗
“The previous owner hung these heavy blackout curtains that were hiding water stains along the frame. Once we took everything down two of the sills had soft spots.”source ↗
“My house is full of mold and I don’t know what to do”source ↗
“We feel stuck with no good options, and are not sure where to turn.”source ↗
“do you recommend contract a inspector to check the all house so if find any problem i can claim warranty?”source ↗
“Bought our home 7 years ago, and all of the shortcuts made by whoever "flipped" this house are showing up.”source ↗
“SOOOOOO a lot is happening with the house, and it is all looking expensive and time consuming to address.”source ↗
“I think we are 110% fucked with humidity and potential for rotting wood.”source ↗
“I am almost three years into owning my home and I regret it.”source ↗
“Now I desperately want to sell but I’m worried that I won’t get what I have left on my mortgage from it”source ↗
“This house was a flipped house and the longer I live here the more things pop out that should have been found in the inspection”source ↗
“This house was my pride and joy and now I feel almost trapped because who would want to buy a house in this condition?”source ↗
“Only the floor in one room that makes a squeak and when I walk in that room the doors shake”source ↗
“Hello we recently bought a house 3 months ago it looked super nice but it’s turned into a nightmare. We found foundation cracks that were behind the wall and all the windows have water intrusions.”source ↗
“Our inspector didn’t catch any of this. I feel so demoralized…”source ↗
“Builder put the hood range exhaust right against the bottom of the top cabinet (1st and 2nd image).”source ↗
“Because the cabinet's Face Frame is a roughly an inch lower than the floor, trim pieces (3rd image) were used to install the microwave vent.”source ↗
“Just bought a townhouse from the 50's in Scandinavia. We couldn't see the concrete floor on the first viewing of the house, but after we bought I found the cracks on the concrete floor, and one crack in the wall (last two pictures), in the cellar. Would you complain about this to the seller, or just leave it be?”source ↗
“Recently seeing more and more of what looks like structural damage? It’s getting worse over time.”source ↗
“There is hairline cracks throughout the ceilings of the house that’s I didn’t include, haven’t checked the outside perimeter yet.”source ↗
“What should my next steps be?”source ↗
“My home inspector turned on the hot water to check the temp. It passed. Unfortunately it only lasted for approximately one minute but we didn’t find that out until we moved in.”source ↗
“Main drain had about 1/4" of clearance after calcium build up. Water heater was failing, HVAC was dead, electric panel was fire hazard (master house shut off didnt actually turn power off to the house). All fixes cost me almost 100K”source ↗
“Old 3” vent pipe through the roof that was connected to nothing and not capped off or removed and sealed. Rain water poured into it until Sheetrock in the bathroom collapsed.”source ↗
“Yesterday, after nearly a month, I’m not living there yet so my sister and I went into the unit to measure and we saw 3 roaches.”source ↗
“I am so severely upset I couldn’t sleep all night thinking about it and I don’t even live there yet.”source ↗
“Please if anyone has any success stories or advice I need it I’m in severe distress over it.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 27How to tell if home repair work is actually bad
- 17Unexplained holes or damage inside the house
- 5What to do if your rental house has severe structural damage
- 4Home inspector missed obvious problems
- 5How to spot hidden subfloor damage covered by new OSB
- 6Landlords using cheap handymen and accordion drains