Complete Post-Inspection Repair Checklist for Texas Sellers

The inspection report is in. The findings are flagged. Now you need to move fast, make the right calls, and get everything documented before your closing deadline.

This checklist covers every step Texas sellers need to take after receiving an inspection report. Use it to stay organized, prioritize correctly, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks between inspection and closing day.

Step 1: Read the Full Report Before Doing Anything Else

Do not skim the inspection report. Read every finding and every inspector comment in full. Inspector language matters. Words like ‘safety hazard’ and ‘immediate attention’ mean something different from ‘monitor’ or ‘recommend servicing.’ Understanding what category each finding falls into determines how you respond.

What to look for as you read:

• Any item marked as a safety hazard or requiring immediate attention
• Findings that reference systems not functioning as intended
• Items the inspector recommends a licensed specialist evaluate further
• Informational comments that note age or condition without flagging a defect
• Items the inspector marks as outside the scope of the standard inspection

Sort every finding into one of four categories before you call your agent or respond to the buyer: lender-required, high priority, negotiable, or informational. That sort determines your entire strategy.

Step 2: Identify Lender-Required Repairs Immediately

Your buyer’s loan type determines what must be physically repaired before the loan will fund. Credits do not satisfy lender conditions. If your buyer is using an FHA or VA loan, these items are non-negotiable.

FHA and VA commonly require:

• Recalled electrical panels replaced (Federal Pacific, Zinsco)
• GFCI outlets installed in all required locations
• Active roof leaks or significant structural roof damage repaired
• Non-functional heating systems repaired or replaced
• Water heater PRV and discharge pipe deficiencies corrected
• Missing handrails on stairs and decks installed
• Peeling exterior paint addressed (FHA)
• Evidence of active pest infestation treated (VA)
• Active plumbing leaks creating water damage repaired

Get these items scheduled with licensed contractors within 24 hours of receiving the report. Every day you wait on lender-required repairs is a day your closing timeline compresses.

Step 3: Get Licensed Contractor Quotes Within 48 Hours

For every Tier 1 and Tier 2 repair item, contact licensed contractors and get written quotes before responding to the buyer with your repair plan. You need real numbers to make informed decisions and to back up any credit offers you make.

Contacts to make within 48 hours:

• Licensed electrician for any electrical findings
• Licensed plumber for water heater, leak, and drain findings
• Licensed HVAC contractor for any heating or cooling findings
• Licensed roofer for any roof findings, including a recommendation to check insurance coverage for hail or wind damage
• General contractor or handyman for miscellaneous items

Do not agree to any repair scope before getting a quote. A repair you estimate at a few hundred dollars may require permits and specialist work that changes the cost and timeline significantly.

For questions about whether your homeowners insurance covers any of the findings, especially roof or water damage, contact your insurance agent before spending out of pocket. An independent agent who works with multiple carriers, like ProCo Insurance at 

procotexas.com, can help you understand your coverage options quickly.

Step 4: Respond to the Buyer with a Clear Plan

Buyers and their agents are waiting on your response. A prompt, organized response builds confidence. A slow or vague response creates anxiety and gives buyers room to escalate.

Respond within 3 to 5 days of the inspection report with a specific plan that covers every flagged item.

Your response should include:

• Which items you are completing with licensed contractors, with estimated completion dates
• Which items you are offering credits for, with written contractor estimates attached
• Which items you are declining to address, with a brief explanation of why they are informational or cosmetic

Your agent handles the communication, but you need to give them a clear, organized breakdown to work from. Vague commitments like ‘we will look into the electrical’ are not responses, they are delays.

Step 5: Schedule All Repairs and Confirm Completion Dates

Once your repair plan is agreed to, every repair needs a scheduled date and a confirmed completion date that fits within your closing window. Build in buffer time. Repairs should be complete at least 5 days before closing to allow for re-inspection scheduling, documentation review, and any follow-up work.

Scheduling checklist:

• Confirm each contractor’s scheduled start date in writing
• Confirm each contractor’s committed completion date
• Verify that permits will be pulled where required and factor in permit processing time
• Identify any repairs with dependencies and sequence them correctly
• Flag any repair where timeline is uncertain and communicate that to your agent immediately

For sellers managing multiple trades across a tight timeline in the DFW area, 

DFW Rent Ready coordinates handyman and multi-trade repair work for property make-ready situations with turnaround timelines built around closing windows.

Step 6: Collect Documentation From Every Contractor

Every completed repair needs written documentation before re-inspection. Do not wait until the day before closing to chase this paperwork.

Required from each contractor:

• Contractor full name and company name
• Texas license number for the relevant trade
• Description of work performed, specific to the inspection finding
• Date of completion
• Permit number if a permit was required
• Warranty terms if applicable

Organize documentation by inspection item number or description. Send the complete package to your agent as soon as all repairs are complete so they can forward it to the buyer’s agent and lender without delay.

Step 7: Prepare for Re-Inspection

Before the buyer’s re-inspector arrives, do a final walkthrough of every repair yourself. Test every GFCI outlet. Run every plumbed fixture. Cycle the HVAC. Test the garage door auto-reverse. Open and close every repaired window and door.

If anything does not work correctly, call the contractor back immediately. Catching a failed repair yourself before re-inspection is far better than having the re-inspector find it.

Re-inspection preparation checklist:

• Complete documentation package sent to buyer’s agent before re-inspection date
• All agreed repairs physically complete and tested
• Contractor contact information available in case re-inspector has questions
• Clear communication with buyer’s agent about which items were repaired vs. credited
• Any permit inspection scheduled and completed where required

Step 8: Confirm Lender Documentation Is Submitted

For lender-required repairs, your agent or the title company needs to confirm that repair documentation has been submitted to the loan officer and reviewed by the underwriter. This step is separate from satisfying the buyer. The lender has its own conditions that need to be cleared before the loan funds.

Do not assume that because the buyer is satisfied with the repairs, the lender is also satisfied. Follow up with your agent to confirm lender conditions are cleared well before closing day.

The Full Checklist at a Glance

Day 1 after inspection report:

• Read the full report and sort every finding by category
• Identify all lender-required items
• Call your agent to align on strategy

Within 48 hours:

• Contact licensed contractors for quotes on all Tier 1 and Tier 2 items
• Check insurance coverage for applicable findings
• Draft your repair plan response

Within 3 to 5 days:

• Respond to buyer with organized repair plan and credit offers backed by estimates
• Schedule all agreed repairs with confirmed completion dates

During repair execution:

• Confirm contractor start dates the day before each scheduled visit
• Collect documentation from each contractor as work is completed
• Flag any timeline or scope issues to your agent immediately

Before re-inspection:

• Test every repair yourself
• Send complete documentation package to buyer’s agent
• Confirm permit inspections are scheduled where required

Before closing:

• Confirm lender repair conditions are cleared
• Verify re-inspection passed and buyer is satisfied
• Confirm all documentation is in the transaction file

Use This Checklist or Let Fix Before Closing Run It For You

This checklist works for sellers who have the time, the contractor network, and the bandwidth to manage the post-inspection repair process themselves. Many sellers do not have all three, especially when they are simultaneously managing a move, a job, and the other demands of a real estate transaction.

Fix Before Closing handles every step on this checklist. We review the report, triage the findings, dispatch licensed contractors, collect documentation, and prepare sellers for re-inspection. The goal is always the same: closing on time after inspection findings, without the seller having to manage every moving part alone.

👉 Submit repair requests anytime here: Repair Request Form

📞 Contact us today:

• • Email: manager@fixbefore.com
    
  • Phone: 817-438-0079

Got an inspection report and need help working through this checklist? We review reports and help Texas sellers build a clear action plan from Day 1.