The Repair Contractor Checklist Every DFW Agent Should Run Before the Next Deal

Most DFW agents evaluate their repair contractor after a bad experience. The closing was delayed. The re-inspection failed. The documentation was missing at the title table. Only then does the agent ask the questions that would have revealed the problem before the deal started.

This post gives agents a specific checklist to run on any repair contractor before the next deal goes under contract. It is framed as genuinely useful regardless of which contractor the agent is evaluating. An agent who runs this checklist on their current contractor and gets strong answers has confidence in that relationship. An agent who runs it and gets weak answers now knows what they did not know before — before a deal is at stake.

The financial case for why contractor selection based on price produces the worst outcomes is at fixbeforeclosing.com/cheapest-repair-contractor-dfw-sellers/. This post is the forward-looking version: what to evaluate before price even enters the conversation.

1. Why Agents Evaluate Contractors Too Late

The pattern is consistent. A deal goes under contract. The inspection happens. The amendment arrives. The agent needs a contractor immediately. They call the first contractor they can reach, or they use the contractor the seller already knows, or they Google and call whoever answers. The contractor gets the job based on availability and price, not on any systematic evaluation.

The evaluation happens after — when the work fails re-inspection, when the documentation does not satisfy the lender, or when the contractor disappears before providing receipts. By then the damage is already embedded in the transaction. The closing delay is already in motion.

Agents who evaluate contractor relationships before they need them under pressure make better decisions and get better outcomes. The checklist takes thirty minutes to run. It reveals more about a contractor than any review or referral ever will.

2. The Six-Criteria Checklist

These six criteria are the ones that determine whether a repair contractor will protect a DFW closing or create problems at it. Run every criterion on every contractor relationship before relying on them in a transaction.

Criterion 1: Licensing by Trade

Every licensed trade performed on a repair amendment requires a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation license number. Electrical work requires a licensed electrician. Plumbing requires a licensed plumber. HVAC requires a licensed HVAC technician. Roofing licenses vary by municipality but documentation of work should always come from a licensed contractor.

The question: What is your TDLR license number for [specific trade]? Can I verify it?

A contractor who cannot provide a license number for licensed trade work cannot produce the documentation FHA and VA lenders require. Their work is not acceptable on government-backed loans regardless of quality.

Criterion 2: Documentation Package at Job Completion

Ask specifically what documentation the contractor provides at job completion. The answer should be specific: itemized receipts per trade with license numbers, HVAC service certificates, water heater compliance certificates, permit documentation where applicable, and completion photos for safety and structural items.

A contractor who says they will provide receipts if you ask for them is not the same as a contractor who delivers a complete package at job completion without being asked. The closing file needs the documentation before re-inspection, not after the closing date is set.

Criterion 3: Closing Deadline Experience

Ask how many repair amendment jobs the contractor has completed under DFW real estate closing deadlines in the past twelve months. A contractor with real estate closing experience understands that the closing date does not move for their schedule. A contractor without it treats the job like any other home repair project with a flexible timeline.

The specific question: How many repair amendment jobs have you completed for real estate transactions in DFW in the last year? Can you give me a reference from an agent you worked with?

Criterion 4: Re-Inspection Track Record

Ask whether the contractor’s work has ever failed re-inspection and what their process is when it does. A contractor who has been doing real estate repair work for any length of time has encountered re-inspection. The ones worth trusting have a process for addressing failures quickly. The ones who are vague about re-inspection history are the ones whose work fails most often.

A contractor who says their work never fails re-inspection without elaborating is either new to real estate repair work or not being straight with you.

Criterion 5: Workmanship Guarantee

Ask for the workmanship guarantee in writing. A one-year workmanship guarantee on all completed work indicates the contractor is confident enough in their quality to stand behind it. No guarantee means if the work fails after the closing, the seller has no recourse with the contractor.

Confirm the guarantee is in writing and covers all trades, not just the trade the contractor considers their primary specialty.

Criterion 6: Single-Point Trade Coordination

Ask whether the contractor handles all trades on a repair amendment or whether you need to coordinate separate contractors for each trade. An agent managing three separate contractors for one amendment is managing three separate timelines, three separate documentation processes, and three separate communication channels. Any one of them failing creates a gap that threatens the closing.

The question: If my amendment has electrical, plumbing, and HVAC items, do you handle all three or do I need to coordinate separately?

Criterion	Question to Ask	Strong Answer	Weak Answer	Risk if Weak
1. Licensing	What is your TDLR license number for [trade]?	Provides specific license number. Invites verification.	Says they are licensed but cannot provide number.	FHA/VA work rejected. Documentation gap at closing.
2. Documentation	What documentation do you provide at job completion?	Describes specific package: receipts, certificates, photos, permits.	Says they will send receipts if asked.	Closing file incomplete. Chase begins at title table.
3. Closing deadline experience	How many amendment jobs have you completed in the last year?	Gives a real number. Can provide agent references.	Cannot name a number or reference.	Timeline management unreliable. Work not prioritized for closing date.
4. Re-inspection history	Has your work ever failed re-inspection?	Acknowledges it happens. Describes their process for fast correction.	Says it never happens or cannot explain what they would do.	High re-inspection failure risk. No recovery process.
5. Workmanship guarantee	Can I get your guarantee in writing?	Provides written one-year guarantee covering all trades.	Offers verbal assurance only or short guarantee period.	No recourse if work fails post-closing.
6. Trade coordination	Do you handle all trades or do I coordinate separately?	Handles all trades under one submission. One project manager.	Handles one trade. Agent coordinates the rest.	Multiple contractor timelines. Gap risk on multi-trade amendments.

3. How to Ask These Questions Without Feeling Awkward

Some agents feel uncomfortable asking contractors direct evaluation questions. The framing that works: you are building a vendor relationship and you want to make sure the contractor understands what real estate closing work requires. That is not adversarial. It is professional.

A contractor who is experienced with real estate repair work will answer these questions without hesitation. They have been asked before. They know what agents need. A contractor who becomes defensive or evasive at these questions is demonstrating exactly why they should not be trusted with a closing-deadline repair job.

Question	Framing That Works
Can you provide your TDLR license number?	I ask all contractors I work with to confirm their license for each trade. The lender requires it for the closing file.
What documentation do you provide at completion?	My agents need a complete package before re-inspection. Can you walk me through exactly what you deliver?
How many real estate amendment jobs have you done?	I want to make sure you understand the timeline pressure of closing deadlines. What does your real estate repair experience look like?
Has your work ever failed re-inspection?	Every contractor encounters re-inspection issues eventually. What is your process when that happens?
Can I get your guarantee in writing?	I always have the warranty documented before we start. Can you put the terms in writing for me?
Do you handle all trades or should I coordinate separately?	I need to know upfront so I can manage the seller’s expectations on coordination. Do you cover all the trades on a typical amendment?

4. The Red Flags That Disqualify a Contractor Immediately

Some answers are not just weak. They are disqualifying. An agent who hears any of these responses should not use that contractor on a real estate transaction regardless of price, referral source, or apparent quality of work.

Red Flag Response	Why It Disqualifies	What It Predicts
Cannot provide TDLR license number for licensed trade work	Unlicensed work is not accepted by FHA/VA lenders. Documentation will be rejected.	Documentation gap at closing. Work may need to be redone licensed.
Does not provide documentation unless specifically asked	Active documentation chasing required on every job. Closing file will be incomplete until followed up.	Closing delay from missing documentation at title table.
Has never done real estate repair work before	No understanding of closing deadline pressure or lender documentation requirements.	Timeline management failure. Closing deadline treated like any other project.
Cannot explain what they would do if work fails re-inspection	No recovery process. If work fails, agent is managing the problem alone.	Re-inspection failure with no clear path to correction before closing.
Offers no workmanship guarantee	No accountability for work quality after job completion.	Seller has no recourse if work fails post-closing.
Does not know what a repair amendment is	Contractor is not familiar with real estate transaction context.	Will not understand why the timeline, documentation, and scope requirements are different from residential remodeling.

5. What a Strong Contractor Answer Looks Like vs a Weak One

The contrast between a contractor who understands real estate repair work and one who does not shows up in how they answer basic questions. These examples are representative of what agents actually hear.

Question	Strong Answer	Weak Answer
What documentation do you provide?	We deliver itemized receipts for every trade with license numbers, HVAC service certificates, water heater compliance documentation, and completion photos — all assembled at job completion before re-inspection.	I can send you a receipt after I get paid.
What is your TDLR license number?	My electrical license is [number], plumbing is [number]. You can verify both on the TDLR website.	I am licensed, I just do not have the number with me right now.
Has your work ever failed re-inspection?	Yes, occasionally items come up on re-inspection. When that happens we return within 24 hours and address it. I have not had a closing fail over a re-inspection issue.	My work does not fail re-inspection.
Can you handle all trades on an amendment?	Yes. We coordinate electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and general carpentry under one submission. One project manager handles the scope from estimate to documentation.	We do electrical and general work. You would need someone else for plumbing and HVAC.

For the full financial case on what happens when agents do not run this checklist and default to the lowest-bid contractor, see fixbeforeclosing.com/real-estate-repair-coordination-hidden-cost-after-inspection/. And for how the contractor relationship functions specifically under a DFW closing deadline, fixbeforeclosing.com/working-with-contractors-closing-deadline/ covers the operational side in detail.

6. How Fix Before Closing Answers This Checklist

Fix Before Closing is built around the criteria in this checklist. These are not aspirational standards. They are how the business operates on every amendment submitted.

Criterion	Fix Before Closing Answer
Licensing by trade	All trades performed through Fix Before Closing use licensed contractors. TDLR license numbers are available on all documentation at job completion.
Documentation package at completion	A complete documentation package — receipts, certificates, photos, permit documentation — is delivered at job completion before re-inspection on every job.
Closing deadline experience	Fix Before Closing was built for real estate closing deadlines. Every job is managed with the closing date as the primary scheduling constraint.
Re-inspection track record	Fix Before Closing manages re-inspection preparation before the appointment and addresses any issues immediately when they arise.
Workmanship guarantee	All work completed through Fix Before Closing carries a one-year workmanship guarantee. Available in writing.
Trade coordination	Fix Before Closing coordinates all trades on a single repair amendment. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and general carpentry under one project manager. One submission. One documentation package.

Conclusion

Agents who evaluate contractor relationships before they need them under pressure close more consistently than agents who make contractor decisions on the fly during the option period. The six-criteria checklist in this post takes thirty minutes to run. It protects every closing that follows.

Run this checklist on your current contractor. If the answers are strong, you have confidence in that relationship going into the next deal. If the answers are weak, you now know before a transaction is at stake rather than after.

Fix Before Closing answers all six criteria clearly and in writing. Submit your next amendment through fixbeforeclosing.com/repair-request/ or call 817-438-0079.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should agents evaluate their repair contractor before a deal is under contract?

Because the evaluation is much harder to do correctly once the option period clock is running. An agent who discovers their contractor cannot answer basic questions about licensing or documentation on Day 3 of a 10-day option period has no time to find a better option. An agent who ran the checklist before the deal started already knows whether their contractor can deliver what the closing requires.

What is the most important criterion on this checklist?

Licensing by trade, because it determines whether the work can be documented in a way the lender will accept. All the other criteria matter, but unlicensed work on an FHA or VA transaction creates a problem that cannot be solved after the fact. The lender will not accept documentation from an unlicensed contractor regardless of how good the work looks. Licensing is non-negotiable.

Can an agent use this checklist on Fix Before Closing?

Yes, and the answers are straightforward. Licensed contractors on all trades with verifiable TDLR numbers. Complete documentation package delivered at job completion. Real estate closing deadline experience on every job. Re-inspection addressed immediately when issues arise. One-year workmanship guarantee in writing. All trades coordinated under one submission. Call 817-438-0079 to ask any of these questions directly before your next deal.

What should an agent do if their current contractor fails this checklist?

Maintain the relationship for other work if appropriate, but do not use that contractor for real estate repair amendment work where closing deadlines and lender documentation requirements apply. Find a contractor who can answer all six criteria before the next deal goes under contract. The cost of discovering a contractor’s limitations during an active transaction is almost always higher than the cost of finding a better contractor beforehand.

What areas does Fix Before Closing serve for repair amendment work?

Fix Before Closing handles post-inspection repair amendments throughout the Fort Worth side of the DFW Metroplex, including Keller, Fort Worth, Hurst, Euless, Grapevine, North Richland Hills, Saginaw, Roanoke, Haslet, Southlake, and many more. Call 817-438-0079 or submit through the repair request form to confirm coverage for your listing.