LOCAL RULES: 266 CMR

Massachusetts home inspection report requirements

Your Massachusetts home inspection report has 10 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • Any obstruction or condition that prevented an inspection
  • The identifications the standards list for each system
  • How the roof, crawl space and attic were observed
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Massachusetts licenses home inspectors through the Board of Registration of Home Inspectors, and its Standards of Practice, 266 CMR 6.00 (current text dated February 13, 2026), spell out what the written report records: start and finish times, weather, what was not inspected and why, what each system is made of, and when more investigation is needed. They also forbid determining the cost of repairs. Here is each rule with a link to the official text, and how field notes become a Massachusetts report.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Home inspectionMASSACHUSETTS / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 149 words

Client: Dana Whitfield
Inspector: Sam Ortega
Date: October 3, 2026
1408 Larkspur Lane, Boston, MA
Weather: clear, 74F. Occupied. Built 1987.
...
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68%of your draft is ready from these notes

We sorted 14 items into 8 sections and flagged 4 to fix first.

  • Fix firstElectrical

    Main panel has a double tapped breaker and an open splice in the attic junction box.

  • Fix firstElectrical

    No GFCI protection at the kitchen counter outlets.

  • Fix firstGarage

    Garage door opener did not reverse when it hit the test board.

10 Massachusetts rules on your checklist, including any obstruction or condition that prevented an inspection.

Still to add

  • Massachusetts lawOn-site finish time
  • NeededOn-site start time
  • RecommendedNotes for cooling

Filled in for you

Client nameDana Whitfield
Property address1408 Larkspur Lane, Boston, MA
Inspection dateOct 3, 2026
Home inspector's nameSam Ortega
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What Massachusetts requires

  • The report identifies the components the standards list, indicates which systems and components present and designated for inspection were not inspected, and gives the condition of those inspected, including any needing repair266 CMR 6.03 (1) (c) 1. to 3.
  • The report records the on-site inspection start and finish times266 CMR 6.03 (1) (c) 6.
  • The report records the weather conditions at the time of the inspection266 CMR 6.03 (1) (c) 7.
  • The report records the inspector's name (and the trainee's, if any), the client's name and the address of the property266 CMR 6.03 (1) (c) 4., 5.
  • The report records any obstructions or conditions that prevented systems and components from being inspected266 CMR 6.03 (1) (c) 8.
  • The report tells the client when additional investigation is required: when the scope of a repair is unknown, concealed damage is suspected, or the matter is beyond the inspector's expertise266 CMR 6.03 (3)
  • Home inspectors are prohibited from determining the cost of repairs of any item in their report266 CMR 6.06 (4), Prohibitions
  • For each system the report identifies what the standards list, such as roof covering type, cladding materials, foundation materials, overhead or underground service, wiring type, main disconnect ampacity, piping types, water heater type and nameplate capacity, the main shut-off location, heating energy source and distribution, and bathroom ventilation other than windows266 CMR 6.04
  • The report notes the methods used to observe the roofing, under-floor crawl spaces and attics, and any signs of previous or active leaks and water penetration266 CMR 6.04 (1) (c), (3) (c)
  • The report notes the absence of an installed heat source in habitable rooms including kitchens and bathrooms, exposed flues in a smoke chamber used by other appliances, abandoned oil tanks, and observed evidence of underground fuel storage tanks266 CMR 6.04 (6) (c)
  • Inspectors may not operate a system that is shut down or inoperable, or turn on a shut-off electrical or fuel supply; they recommend that the seller or seller's representative demonstrate those systems are functional266 CMR 6.06 (7), (8)
  • Inspectors give clients buying a single-family home, a building with fewer than five units, or a condominium unit in one, the Board's document on the procedures and benefits of a home energy audit, at or before closing and without any extra fee266 CMR 6.07
  • Inspectors may not report on market value, marketability or suitability for any use, advise on whether to buy, or offer to repair a dwelling their firm inspected266 CMR 6.06 (1), (2), (5)
  • The inspector uses a written or digital contract, gives the contract only to the client unless the client authorizes otherwise in writing, and timely submits a confidential written report only to the client266 CMR 6.03 (1) (a), (c)
  • No one may conduct a home inspection for compensation in Massachusetts unless licensed by the Board and unless they provide a written reportM.G.L. c. 112, s. 222 (a)
  • Home inspectors carry errors and omissions insurance of at least 250,000 dollars in the aggregate, and any action arising from a home inspection must be started within 2 years after the completed written reportM.G.L. c. 112, s. 225

What every Massachusetts report records

The report identifies the components the standards list, indicates which systems and components present and designated for inspection were not inspected, and gives the condition of those inspected, including any needing repair. It records the inspector's name (and any trainee's), the client's name and the property address, the on-site start and finish times, the weather, and any obstruction or condition that prevented an inspection.

It goes, in confidence and in a timely way, only to the client.

System by system

The standards say what to identify in each system: the roof covering type, roof drainage and chimney materials; wall cladding, deck and porch materials; foundation materials and the basement floor; whether the service is overhead or underground, the wiring type and the main disconnect's ampacity; piping types, the water heater's type and nameplate capacity, and the main shut-off location; the heating energy source, equipment and distribution; the cooling distribution; and whether bathrooms have ventilation other than a window.

Note how you observed the roofing, the crawl space and the attic, signs of leaks and water penetration, the absence of a heat source in any habitable room including kitchens and bathrooms, abandoned oil tanks, and any evidence of underground fuel storage tanks.

Further investigation, shut-down systems and costs

The report tells the client when additional investigation is required: the scope of a repair is unknown, concealed damage is suspected, or the matter is beyond your expertise. Do not operate a system that is shut down or inoperable; recommend that the seller demonstrate it works.

You may not determine the cost of repairs. ReportDraft leaves prices out of Massachusetts drafts and flags any before you sign.

The home energy audit document

Clients buying a single-family home, a building with fewer than five units, or a condominium unit in one must receive the Board's document on the procedures and benefits of a home energy audit, at or before closing, with no extra fee.

Licensing, conduct and claims

No one may inspect for pay without a Board license and a written report. You may not report on market value, marketability or suitability for a use, advise on whether to buy, or offer repairs on a dwelling your firm inspected. You carry errors and omissions insurance of at least 250,000 dollars, and a claim arising from an inspection must be started within 2 years after the completed written report.

From field notes to a finished Massachusetts report

Note the start and finish times, the weather, how you got onto the roof and into the crawl space and attic, what blocked anything, and the details the standards ask you to identify. ReportDraft records them, puts the main shut-off location in its own item, recommends further investigation where it is needed, and keeps repair costs out.

Common mistakes

  • Including a repair cost: Massachusetts inspectors may not determine one.
  • Leaving off the finish time or the weather.
  • Not recording what blocked access to a system that was not inspected.
  • Turning on a shut-down system instead of recommending the seller demonstrate it.
  • Forgetting the Board's home energy audit document for a buyer client.

Sources

Last reviewed October 10, 2026. Next review due January 10, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.