As part of HUD’s NSPIRE inspection standards, cabinets across kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry areas are evaluated for physical condition. While cabinets may not seem like a major concern, they are one of the more common deficiencies found—especially in bathrooms.

What Inspectors Look For

NSPIRE inspections focus on physical damage to cabinets, not cosmetic issues like worn finishes or minor scratches. Examples of deficiencies include:

• Cabinet doors hanging loose or missing
• Drawers that don’t open or close properly
• Broken or missing drawer faces
• Significant structural damage

Threshold: If 50% or more of the cabinet components (doors, drawers) in a given area are damaged, it is recorded as a deficiency.

Understanding the 50% Rule

It’s important to remember that inspectors count each door and drawer separately when applying the 50% rule.

• Kitchen Example: If a kitchen has 8 cabinet doors, 4 would need to be damaged before it’s considered a deficiency. Likewise, if there are 4 drawers, 2 damaged drawers meet the threshold.
• Bathroom Example: Vanities often have just 1–2 doors. That means if even one door is broken, it already meets or exceeds the 50% threshold—making bathroom cabinet deficiencies much more common than kitchen ones.

Storage Requirement

In addition to condition, NSPIRE requires that every kitchen has at least one cabinet for food storage. While most homes meet this standard easily, very small efficiency apartments may need special attention.

Common Issues Seen in Inspections

• Missing or broken vanity doors in bathrooms
• Drawer faces that have fallen off in kitchens
• Doors loose or hanging off hinges
• Entire missing cabinet sections in rare cases

Key Takeaways

• Cosmetic wear (scratches, fading, finish deterioration) is not scored as a deficiency.
• Physical damage is what matters.
• Bathrooms are more prone to deficiencies due to fewer cabinet components.
• At least one functional kitchen cabinet is required.

Conclusion

Cabinets are easy to overlook during routine maintenance, but under NSPIRE, damaged or missing components can quickly add up to deficiencies—especially in bathrooms where just one broken door may cause a failure.

Regular checks and timely repairs will help ensure compliance, preserve storage functionality, and avoid unnecessary inspection findings.