08/09/2026
We went back through 154 inspection-repair jobs and counted what actually shows up.
Not what people assume shows up. What we were actually called out to fix, across three years of Indianapolis-area transactions.
How often each trade appeared on a job:
Exterior envelope and siding — 47%
Electrical — 45%
Roofing — 44%
Plumbing — 42%
Interior finish — 41%
Foundation and structural — 35%
HVAC — 33%
Windows and doors — 32%
Gutters — 28%
Moisture and environmental — 28%
Two things worth pulling out of that.
First: electrical shows up on nearly half of them and it is almost never the expensive item. It's the item that holds up the whole response because it needs a licensed hand and a permit, and somebody has to go get one.
Second: nothing here is above 50%. There is no such thing as a typical inspection list. Which is why a flat per-item price from somebody who hasn't read the report is a guess wearing a suit.
By dollars it flips — roofing is 25% of everything we've quoted in this lane, and interior finish is 22%. The stuff that shows up most often is not the stuff that costs most.
Save this one for the next report that lands on your desk.