What share of foundation inspections pass first time in Wake County?

78% pass on the first visit. Across 52,633 foundation inspections between 1996 and 2026, 21.7% failed or required a re-inspection.

Does the pass rate depend on which inspector attends?

It varies considerably. Across the 37 inspectors with at least 200 foundation inspections on record, first-time failure ranges from 3.7% to 56.5%, with a median of 16.7%. Some of that reflects which areas and which builders an inspector covers rather than how they inspect.

Where does this data come from?

Public inspection records from Wake County. Only the first inspection of each permit and type is counted, so a job that fails and later passes counts once as a first-time failure. Cancelled and rescheduled visits are excluded because they are not outcomes.

Foundation inspections in Wake County

52,633 inspections, 1996 to 2026.

Pass on the first visit

78%

21.7% fail or need a re-inspection, across 52,633 inspections.

How much it varies by inspector

37 inspectors have at least 200 of these on record.

Lowest: 3.7%
Lower quartile: 11.7%
Median: 16.7%
Highest: 56.5%

Inspectors grouped by their first-time failure rate, in ten-point bands. The number above each bar is how many inspectors sit in it.

What is being counted. Only the first inspection of each permit and type. A job that fails, gets corrected and then passes counts once, as a first-time failure. Cancelled and rescheduled visits are left out because they are not outcomes.

Why inspectors are not named here. Inspection records are public, but this page is about the work, not about individuals. Inspectors are not assigned at random: they cover areas, and areas differ in what gets built and by whom. A share of the spread above is that, not how anyone inspects.

For contractors

A business account shows which inspectors cover a given address for this inspection, their own records, and how your first-time rate compares with the inspectors who actually attend your jobs.

See business plans How it works

Other inspections in Wake County

Building Final56% first-time pass
Electrical Final67% first-time pass
Framing64% first-time pass
Electrical Rough81% first-time pass
Footing or Monolithic Slab83% first-time pass
Mechanical Final66% first-time pass
Insulation74% first-time pass
Mechanical Rough76% first-time pass
Plumbing Final74% first-time pass
Plumbing Rough75% first-time pass
Sewer Connection93% first-time pass
Temp Const Pole90% first-time pass