LOCAL RULES

Wisconsin home inspection report requirements

Your Wisconsin home inspection report has 7 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • The method used to observe the roof
  • Any material adverse facts you know of or observed
  • The type and condition of each listed item
Start free: draft your Wisconsin report

ReportDraft Inspection from $19 a month. 14-day free trial with your first report and up to 5 template downloads. Card required, nothing charged today, cancel anytime. Need just one? One home inspection report for $39, no subscription.

Wisconsin puts more of the home inspection report into law than most states. Section 440.975 of the Wisconsin Statutes and chapter SPS 131 of the Administrative Code require a summary page with three statements printed word for word, the word "defect" used only in its statutory sense, the list of items the rule requires and which were inspected, who prepared the report and when, and any material adverse facts. Here is each rule with a link to the official text, and how field notes become a Wisconsin report.

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

Home inspectionWISCONSIN / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 149 words

Client: Dana Whitfield
Inspector: Sam Ortega
Date: October 3, 2026
1408 Larkspur Lane, Madison, WI
Weather: clear, 74F. Occupied. Built 1987.
...
FREE PREVIEW OF THESE NOTES
69%of your draft is ready from these notes

We sorted 13 items into 7 sections and flagged 4 to fix first.

  • Fix firstElectrical systems

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

  • Fix firstElectrical systems

    No GFCI protection at the kitchen counter outlets.

  • Fix firstExteriors

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

7 Wisconsin rules on your checklist, including the method used to observe the roof.

Still to add

  • Wisconsin lawNames of the individuals who prepared the report
  • Wisconsin lawDate the report was prepared
  • RecommendedNotes for interiors

Filled in for you

Client nameDana Whitfield
Property address1408 Larkspur Lane, Madison, WI
Inspection dateOct 3, 2026
Home inspector who conducted the inspectionSam Ortega
Start free and draft yours

14 days free, nothing to pay today. After your first report, your name, license and company details fill in by themselves. Or preview your own notes first, no sign-up.

What Wisconsin requires

  • The report lists the items the rule requires a home inspector to inspect and those actually inspected, and describes the condition of eachWis. Admin. Code SPS 131.33 (1) (a) to (c) · Wis. Stat. s. 440.975 (3) (a), (b)
  • The report states the property address, the name of the inspector who conducted the inspection, the inspection date, the names of the individuals who prepared the report, the date it was prepared and, if it was revised, the revision dateWis. Stat. s. 440.975 (3) (bm)
  • The date the report was prepared is on the reportWis. Admin. Code SPS 131.33 (1) (bm)
  • Each defect detected is described, using the word "defect" for any condition the inspector believes meets the statutory definition: it would significantly impair occupants' health or safety, or, unless repaired, removed or replaced, would significantly shorten or adversely affect the component's expected normal lifeWis. Stat. s. 440.975 (3) (cm) · Wis. Stat. s. 440.97 (2m)
  • The report includes a summary page listing conditions labeled as defects, then the other components needing repairs or further evaluation, items to monitor and maintenance items, with references to the heading in the full report, and the three statements the statute prescribes word for wordWis. Stat. s. 440.975 (3) (cr) · Wis. Admin. Code SPS 131.33 (1) (f)
  • The report describes the methods used to observe the roof; walking on the roofing is not requiredWis. Admin. Code SPS 131.32 (4) (b), (c)
  • The report lists any material adverse facts the inspector knows of or observedWis. Admin. Code SPS 131.33 (1) (e)
  • The inspector observes and describes the type and condition of the items present: foundations, columns, flooring systems, roofs, exteriors, plumbing, electrical, interiors, heating, central air conditioning, and insulation and ventilation, as the rule lists themWis. Admin. Code SPS 131.32
  • A home inspector may not report, in writing or verbally, on the property's market value or marketability, or on whether it should or should not be purchasedWis. Stat. s. 440.975 (5)
  • A home inspector is not required to report on life expectancy, the cause of the need for a major repair, how to make a repair or what it costs, suitability for a specialized use, or compliance with regulatory requirementsWis. Stat. s. 440.975 (4)
  • A home inspector may not deliver the report to anyone other than the client without the client's consent, inspect where they or their family or business has an interest adverse to the client without written consent, take pay from more than one party without everyone's written consent, or pay or take referral fees from people who are not home inspectorsWis. Stat. s. 440.975
  • An inspection agreement may not disclaim or cap the inspector's liability for failing to meet the standards of practice, and a claim must be brought within 2 years after the inspection, a period that an agreement cannot shortenWis. Stat. s. 440.976 · Wis. Stat. s. 440.977 (1)
  • A home inspector performs a reasonably competent and diligent inspection to detect observable conditions; it need not be technically exhaustive, and access panels normally removed by an occupant are the only disassembly requiredWis. Stat. s. 440.975 (2)

The summary page

Every report includes a summary page. It lists the conditions labeled as defects, then, apart from them, components needing repairs or further evaluation, items to monitor and maintenance items, each with a reference to the page, heading or item in the full report.

The summary page also carries three statements word for word: that it is provided for convenience and is not a substitute for reading the entire report, the statutory definition of "defect", and that a home inspector may not report on market value or marketability or whether the property should be purchased. ReportDraft prints all three at the top of the summary page, lists defects first with a reference to each item's heading, and starts the full report on the next page.

What counts as a defect

A defect is a condition that, in your judgment on the day of the inspection, would significantly impair the health or safety of occupants, or, if not repaired, removed or replaced, would significantly shorten or adversely affect the expected normal life of the component. Use the word "defect" for those conditions. A condition that only affects value may not be labeled a defect unless it meets that definition.

ReportDraft labels findings "Defect (health or safety)" or "Defect (component life)" for the two parts of the definition, and everything else "Repair, evaluate, monitor or maintain".

What the report lists and states

The report lists the items chapter SPS 131 requires you to inspect, which of them you inspected, and the condition of each, and describes the type of foundations, columns, flooring systems, roof coverings and wall claddings, among others. Items not on the property are marked not present. The report describes how you observed the roof; walking it is not required.

It states the property address, the inspector who did the inspection, the inspection date, the names of everyone who prepared the report, the date it was prepared and any revision date, and it lists any material adverse facts you know of or observed.

What a Wisconsin report leaves out

You may not report, in writing or out loud, on market value, marketability or whether to buy. You are not required to report on life expectancy, the cause of a major repair, how to repair something or what it costs, suitability for a specialized use, or code compliance. The inspection is reasonably competent and diligent, not technically exhaustive.

Agreements, consent and conflicts

The report goes only to the client unless the client consents. You may not inspect where you, your family or your business has an interest adverse to the client without written consent, take pay from more than one party without everyone's written consent, or pay or take referral fees from people who are not home inspectors.

An inspection agreement may not disclaim or cap your liability for failing to meet the standards of practice, and a claim must be brought within 2 years after the inspection; an agreement cannot shorten that.

From field notes to a finished Wisconsin report

Note each item as you go, including how you observed the roof and anything the seller told you that matters. ReportDraft drafts the report on Wisconsin's own list of items, marks what is not present, keeps the word "defect" for conditions that meet the definition, and builds the summary page with its three statements and references.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving out the summary page, or rewording any of its three required statements.
  • Calling something a defect that does not meet the statutory definition, or describing a real defect without the word.
  • Not naming everyone who prepared the report and the date it was prepared.
  • Not describing how the roof was observed.
  • Commenting on the property's value or whether to buy it.

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.