Do I Have to Make Repairs After the Buyer's Inspection in Texas?

No. Under the standard Texas resale contract, you do not have to make repairs after the buyer's inspection unless you agree to them in writing. If the buyer has an option period, they can ask for repairs, a credit or a lower price, and you can say yes, say no or counter. If you can't agree, the buyer can walk away and get their earnest money back. Here is how seller repairs after inspection really work in Texas, and how to decide what to do.

Why Texas sellers aren't required to make repairs after inspection

Most Denton County homes sell on the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) One to Four Family Residential Contract. The current version, TREC form 20-19, has been required since July 1, 2026. Two parts of it matter here:

• Paragraph 7D, property condition. The buyer either accepts the home "as is," or accepts it as is as long as you make specific repairs that are written into the contract up front. Anything not written in is not your obligation.
• Paragraph 5, the option period. If the buyer paid an option fee, they can end the contract for any reason before 5:00 p.m. on the last option day. That is their leverage. It's also why repair requests almost always arrive during the option period.

So the buyer's inspection report is not a to-do list for you. It's the start of a negotiation. As the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M explains, accepting a home "as is" does not stop the buyer from inspecting or renegotiating. It just means nothing is promised unless it's in writing.

Your four options when the repair request arrives

Most requests come on a TREC Amendment to Contract (form 39-11), along with the inspection report. You generally have four choices:

1. Agree to the repairs. You fix the listed items before closing, at your cost.
2. Offer a credit or a lower price instead. The amendment can lower the sales price or change how much you pay toward the buyer's costs. The buyer then handles the work after closing.
3. Counter. Agree to some items, offer money for others, and decline the rest.
4. Decline the request. The buyer then decides whether to move forward or end the contract before the option period runs out.

Nothing is final until both sides sign the amendment. A verbal "we'll take care of it" doesn't count.

If you agree to repairs, the contract sets the rules

Once you sign up for repairs, paragraph 7F of the contract spells out how they have to be done:

• Before closing. Unless you agree otherwise in writing, the work has to be finished before the closing date, with any required permits.
• By the right people. Repairs must be done by someone licensed to do that work. If the trade doesn't require a license, it has to be someone who does that work commercially. Your brother-in-law with a toolbox usually doesn't qualify.
• With paperwork. You give the buyer documentation showing the scope of work and payment. If the work comes with a transferable warranty, you arrange to transfer it at closing at your cost.
• If it isn't done. The buyer can use their contract remedies or push closing back up to 5 days.

Which items you repair and which get a credit instead is negotiated during the option period. It depends on the home, the buyer, their lender and the market, so every deal is different. If you do agree to repairs, line up your contractor early so the work doesn't push back your closing date.

Lender-required repairs are a different story

Sometimes the buyer's lender or appraiser, not the buyer, calls for a repair. This is common with FHA and VA loans, for things like peeling paint, a missing handrail or wood rot. Under paragraph 7E, neither side has to pay for lender-required repairs unless you agree in writing. If no one agrees to pay, the contract ends and the buyer gets their earnest money back. If the cost is more than 5% of the sales price, the buyer can also choose to end the contract.

In real life, a small lender-required repair is usually worth fixing. It keeps the deal and your timeline intact.

Saying no has a cost too

Turning down every request can backfire, even though the contract allows it:

• The buyer may walk. You keep the option fee, but you're back on the market with fewer fresh days. Our post on why houses don't sell explains why that matters.
• You now know about the problem. The Seller's Disclosure Notice asks about defects you're aware of and items that need repair. If a deal falls apart over a real problem, plan on updating your disclosure for the next buyer. Our guide to what Texas sellers have to disclose covers this.
• The next buyer will likely find it too. So the question is often not whether you'll deal with it, but when and for how much.

Our rule of thumb: take safety items, active leaks and anything a lender will flag seriously. Push back on cosmetic items, routine maintenance and anything the buyer could see at their first showing.

What this looks like in Corinth and Oakmont

In our part of Denton County, the repair requests we see most often are pretty predictable:

• Roofs. After a hail season, inspectors often note damaged shingles. If you've had an insurance claim or a roof replacement, have the paperwork ready.
• Foundations. North Texas clay soil moves as it gets wet and dries out. A note about cracks may call for a structural engineer's opinion, not a panic.
• HVAC, water heaters and electrical items. Age, missing GFCI outlets and service needs show up on many reports, especially in established neighborhoods like Oakmont Country Club Estates.

Sellers who handle the obvious items before listing, or get their own pre-listing inspection, usually get shorter repair lists and fewer surprises. That's one of the options we walk through when you compare all of our selling options in Denton County, along with selling as-is.

Frequently asked questions

Does a seller have to fix anything after a home inspection in Texas?

Not under the standard TREC resale contract, unless the seller agreed in writing to specific repairs. The buyer can ask for repairs, a credit or a lower price during the option period, and the seller can agree, counter or decline.

What happens if I say no to the buyer's repair request?

The buyer decides whether to continue as is or end the contract. If they end it before the option period deadline, they get their earnest money back and you keep the option fee.

Is it better to give a repair credit or make the repairs?

It depends on the deal. What the seller repairs and what gets a credit is negotiated during the option period, and it varies with the home, the buyer and their lender. Lenders may limit how credits can be used, so check with the buyer's lender before agreeing.

Who pays for repairs the buyer's lender requires?

Neither side has to unless they agree in writing. If no one agrees to pay, the contract ends and the buyer gets their earnest money back. The buyer can also end it if the cost is more than 5% of the sales price.

This post explains how repair negotiations generally work under the TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract (form 20-19) as of November 2026. Every contract is different. This is general information, not legal advice. For questions about your contract or your rights, talk with a real estate attorney.

Photo credits: header photo by Marc Pell on Unsplash; repair records image from the Airheart Realty Team library. Sources: TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract (20-19), TREC Amendment to Contract (39-11), TREC Seller's Disclosure Notice (55-1) and the Texas Real Estate Research Center.