Does the Seller Have to Make Repairs After a Home Inspection in Texas?
The short answer
No. Under a standard Texas resale contract, the seller only has to make repairs they agree to in writing. After the inspection, the buyer can negotiate repairs or a credit, accept items as-is, or terminate during the option period.
Why Inspection Reports Look So Alarming
An inspector’s job is to find things, so even a well-kept home can produce a long report. In Texas, inspectors use TREC’s standard inspection report, and some items can be marked Deficient even if they met building codes when the home was built, because they’re considered hazardous by today’s standards. Common examples include missing GFCI or AFCI electrical protection and missing electrical or gas-line bonding.
A long report doesn’t automatically mean a bad house. It means you have information.
What the Texas Contract Says About Repairs
- Under the standard TREC resale contract, the buyer accepts the property As Is, unless the contract lists specific repairs the seller has agreed to make at the seller’s expense.
- Repairs requested after the inspection are a negotiation. Anything agreed should be put in writing, usually as an amendment signed by both buyer and seller.
- Unless otherwise agreed, the seller completes agreed repairs before closing.
- Lender-required repairs are handled differently. Neither party has to pay for them unless they agree in writing. If no one agrees, the contract terminates and the earnest money is refunded, and if those repairs cost more than 5% of the sales price, the buyer may terminate.
Your Options After the Inspection
- Ask for repairs on the items that matter most.
- Ask for a credit or a lower price in lieu of repairs. This option allows the the buyer to use their own contractor to complete the work after closing. If you’re financing, your lender may limit how much the seller can contribute, so check first.
- Accept certain items as-is, especially small or cosmetic deficiencies.
- Terminate during the option period if there’s an issue you’re not comfortable with. The seller keeps the option fee, and your earnest money is released.
How We Sort Through the Report
During your option period, we go through the report with you and separate the little things from the things that really matter: safety concerns and major systems like the roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. When an item needs a closer look, we help you get an estimate or a second opinion from the right specialist while there’s still time to negotiate.
The inspection gives us information. Information is power. Then we decide what to do with it.
Related: What Is the Option Period in Texas? · How we guide buyers · Talk to us about your search
General information about the standard TREC resale contract (TREC No. 20-18), not legal advice. The terms of your own contract control.
Read the video transcript
Real question from a buyer:
"The inspection found a bunch of things wrong with the house. Does the seller have to fix all of this?"
No—and this is where buyers can get overwhelmed.
You loved the house yesterday, and then today somebody hands you a 60-page report with red marks everywhere.
But remember: the inspector's JOB is to find things.
That doesn't mean every item is a major problem, and it doesn't automatically mean the seller has to repair it.
During your option period, we're going to look at the report and separate the little things from the things that really matter.
Then, depending on your contract and the situation, we may negotiate repairs, ask for a credit, accept certain things as-is, or decide there's an issue you're just not comfortable with.
The inspection gives us information. Information is power. Then we decide what to do with it.
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