If a condo’s inspection report recommends repairs, start with the same question for each affected location: what happened next? A useful answer connects the original finding to the work performed, any remaining restrictions and the costs that could affect your purchase.
Begin with three decisions. Can you use the home and its outdoor areas as you expect? Is the remaining work and its funding clear enough to evaluate the purchase? Has your lender reviewed the relevant records? Those answers help you decide which questions need resolving before you commit to an offer or move toward closing.
This guide focuses on following repair findings through the records. For the wider review of budgets, insurance, disclosures and other association issues, start with the San Diego condo HOA due-diligence checklist.
Start with the complete report and the locations it covers
The condominium inspection requirement commonly called SB 326 is in California Civil Code section 5551. It covers qualifying wood-supported exterior elevated elements in buildings with three or more attached dwelling units, where the association has maintenance or repair responsibility. The inspection uses a sample evaluated by a licensed structural or civil engineer or architect. California Civil Code section 5551.
State law set the first inspection deadline at January 1, 2025, with inspections at least every nine years thereafter; for buildings with a permit application submitted on or after January 1, 2020, the first inspection is due no later than six years after issuance of the certificate of occupancy.
Ask for the complete report, including its location list, photographs, appendices and later supplements. Find the references for your building, balcony, stairs and any shared walkway you would use. If the report uses an unfamiliar numbering system, ask for the map or explanation that connects it to the property address.
Current law requires the first page to include the inspection date; counts of project units, units with exterior elevated elements, total elements and inspected elements; immediate-threat findings and impacted-unit counts as of the inspection; and the inspector’s sampling certification. These requirements took effect in 2026. Read an older report in light of its date rather than assuming it was originally required to use the current format. SB 410, chaptered amendments, section 5.
Use those counts to understand the report’s reach. A project may have multiple elements serving one unit, and the inspected-element count describes the sample. Ask the inspector how the findings and any recommended follow-up relate to the location you are evaluating. A buyer should not have to guess from a photograph of a similar balcony elsewhere in the development.
For sales covered by Civil Code section 4525, the seller’s required document package now includes the most recent section 5551 inspection report. Request it early enough to pursue the follow-up records through the seller and association. California Civil Code section 4525(a)(11).
Follow each finding through the repair records
Create one short row for each finding that matters to the property or shared areas you would use. Keep the building and element reference consistent as you move between documents. The point is to answer a specific question—such as whether the repair recommended for balcony B-4 was completed—rather than collect a large folder of vaguely related paperwork.
| Record | What to match | The question it should help answer |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection report and supplements | Building, element reference, finding and recommendation | What condition required attention, and where? |
| Repair specification or professional clarification | The same finding and location | What work was recommended, including any further investigation? |
| Signed contract and approved changes | Locations, scope, exclusions and later additions | Does the contracted work cover that recommendation? |
| Funding and assessment records | Approved amount, available funds and the unit’s allocation | How is the work being paid for, and what remains unsettled? |
| Contractor completion records | Work performed, dates and outstanding items | What does the contractor say is finished? |
| Professional follow-up and permit records, as applicable | Original finding, completed scope and required inspections | What review supports the stated completion status? |
| Access notices and agency clearance, where required | The affected element and current restrictions | Can residents use it, and who authorized reopening? |
Treat this as a request framework. The records needed will depend on the finding, the work and applicable local requirements. Ask the responsible professional or local agency which inspection and completion documents apply to the particular repair.
A useful follow-up is precise: “Please identify the document and page that address finding B-4.” If the answer points to a later supplement, keep that supplement with the original report. If the repair changed after work began, ask how the approved change addresses the initial recommendation and any newly discovered condition.
A hypothetical mismatch worth resolving
Suppose an inspection report recommends a waterproofing repair at balcony B-4. The association provides a paid invoice labeled “balcony repairs,” but the attached scope lists B-1 through B-3.
The next request is for the record that connects B-4 to completed work, or for a written explanation of its current status. A revised scope, additional invoice and professional follow-up may supply the missing connection. The original inspector or another appropriate professional may need to clarify how the recommendation was addressed.
This is a hypothetical document mismatch, not a finding about a particular building. Its practical lesson is simple: keep following the same location until the records explain the outcome. A conversation about repairs elsewhere in the project will not answer the question about B-4.
Check what completion means for access to the property
Read the report’s urgency language before focusing on a contractor’s schedule. When an inspector identifies an immediate threat under section 5551, the association must take preventive measures immediately, including restricting access to the affected element until repairs have been inspected and approved by the local enforcement agency. For that situation, obtain the agency’s applicable inspection and approval record. California Civil Code section 5551(g).
Other recommendations may involve maintenance, further investigation or planned repairs. Ask the inspector to explain any unclear urgency or sequencing. Do not translate a technical finding into your own safety conclusion.
For each restriction, identify the location, the current notice and the requirement for lifting it. Then consider how the restriction would affect your actual use of the home: balcony access, a shared route to the unit or construction access through occupied areas. Ask about the expected work hours, access arrangements and unresolved schedule dependencies.
The final record should also identify any remaining work. A project can have a completed phase alongside other open recommendations. Keep those categories separate so that “phase one complete” does not become a general description of every repair in the report.
Connect the remaining work to your purchase budget and loan
Once the scope is clear, compare the repair budget with the latest approved contract and changes. Ask whether the amount being discussed is an early estimate, an accepted price or an updated total. If investigation remains open, ask how the association plans to address additional work and when a firmer cost is expected.
Review the unit’s assessment information alongside the project’s funding records. You want to know what is already due, what has been approved for later payment and what is still being considered. For the detailed purchase and seller-payoff questions, use the guide to buying a condo with a special assessment. The reserve-study guide explains how to compare the broader funding plan with the association’s finances.
Give your lender the report and follow-up records early. Under Fannie Mae’s project standards, unaddressed critical repairs can make a project ineligible. A structural or mechanical inspection completed within three years of the lender’s project review must be reviewed, and critical-repair resolution needs supporting documentation. The guide distinguishes routine work from critical repairs; your lender needs to apply the requirements for your intended loan. Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-2.1-03.
Ask the lender to identify the exact remaining condition, the acceptable evidence and when the project review can be completed. That lets you plan around an identifiable requirement instead of a general assurance that the building has been reviewed. The broader condo mortgage project-approval guide explains how that review fits with your personal preapproval.
Send a request that can be answered document by document
After reading the report, a focused request might say:
Please provide the records addressing the inspection findings for [building and element references], including any supplements, the repair scope and approved changes, completion records, applicable inspections and current access restrictions. Please identify any recommendations that remain open, their planned timing and funding, and the assessments approved for this unit. For any immediate-threat finding, please include the applicable local enforcement agency’s repair inspection and approval record.
Fill in the references before sending it through your transaction team. Ask for an explanation when a requested document is unavailable or does not apply. Keep a short list of the answers still needed, the person responsible for supplying each one and your relevant transaction dates.
At the decision point, return to the three practical questions: expected use of the property, remaining work and cost, and the lender’s requirements. If a material answer is still open, discuss that specific issue with your broker before choosing your next contractual step. Technical interpretation belongs with the appropriate engineer or architect; any dispute over legal responsibility calls for advice directed to that issue.
Frequently asked questions
Does an SB 326 inspection cover every balcony?
Section 5551 uses a statistically significant sample of qualifying exterior elevated elements. Ask the inspector how the report and any follow-up apply to your building and the areas you would use.
Which records show that a recommended repair was completed?
Match the original finding and location to the repair scope, completion records and applicable professional or agency inspections. Ask for clarification when the documents refer to different locations or leave part of the recommendation open.
What should I request if a balcony was closed because of an immediate threat?
Request the current restriction notice and the local enforcement agency’s repair inspection and approval record. Section 5551 requires restricted access in that situation until the agency has inspected and approved the repairs.
Can repair findings affect the condo’s financing?
Yes. Send the inspection and follow-up records to your lender early, and ask which remaining findings require resolution or additional documentation for your intended loan.
What if the report is older than the current first-page requirements?
Read it in light of its inspection date. Request the full report, supplements and an explanation of its coverage; do not assume an older report originally had to follow the format introduced in 2026.