FAQ · Pre-listing
My home inspector flagged moisture before closing — what now?
First: don’t panic. Most pre-closing moisture findings are fixable inside two weeks, with paperwork your buyer’s lender will accept.
Short answer
First, breathe. Most moisture findings are fixable in 3–10 days with lender-accepted clearance paperwork. Call us for a free inspection — we’ll tell you straight whether it’s a small ventilation fix or a meaningful remediation, and we provide paperwork your buyer’s lender will accept.
The full picture
If you’re reading this in a parking lot after a phone call with your realtor, here’s the part that matters: this is solvable, and the timeline almost certainly works for your closing. Most pre-listing moisture issues get resolved in well under two weeks, including the paperwork.
What “moisture” in an inspection report actually means
Inspectors are required to flag anything they can’t verify is dry and structurally sound. The label covers a wide range:
- Surface humidity — high relative humidity reading on a basement wall. Often a ventilation or dehumidifier issue. Frequently a low-cost correction.
- Efflorescence — white, chalky residue on block or stone. It’s salt left behind as water evaporated. Cosmetic in itself, but a tell that water is moving through the wall.
- Visible water staining or seepage — needs a real waterproofing solution, not a sealant patch.
- Suspected mold — the most loaded finding for buyers and lenders. Almost always remediable; the lender will want a third-party clearance test.
- Foundation cracks — range from harmless settling to structural. The inspector is rarely qualified to tell which.
What we do when you call
- Free inspection on site. A specialist walks every foundation wall with a flashlight and moisture meter, looks at what the inspector flagged, and asks what you’re dealing with on the closing timeline.
- Written estimate within 24 hours. If it’s a $200 ventilation fix, we’ll tell you. If it’s a $3,000–$8,000 remediation, we’ll tell you that too — with the actual number, in writing, before you commit to anything.
- Realistic timeline. Most jobs run 3–10 days from estimate to lender-accepted clearance paperwork. If your closing is tight, say so on the call — we’ll prioritize.
- Lender-accepted paperwork. Third-party post-treatment clearance test (for mold), written transferable warranty (for waterproofing), contractor’s letter documenting scope. All three on letterhead, all three on every relevant project.
The thing we won’t do
We won’t talk you into a bigger job than your situation needs. If the inspector flagged surface humidity in a 1950s ranch and the real fix is a $300 dehumidifier and a written ventilation plan, that’s the estimate you’ll get — not a $15,000 perimeter drain pitch.
Free inspection. Written estimate within 24 hours.
No verbal guesses. No high-pressure follow-up. Just a specialist who shows up on time.