San Diego Real Estate · Transaction Guides

Request for Repair After a Home Inspection: How It Works for Sellers and Buyers

By Natalie Joy Harris, REALTOR®, SRES, CA DRE# 01909266  ·  Updated October 8, 2026  ·  9 min read

The inspections are finished, the reports are in, and now a document called a "Request for Repair" arrives. If you have not sold a home in a long time, this moment can feel unfamiliar. It is also one of the most routine, well-structured steps in a California sale. Here is how it works, first from the buyer's side of the table and then from yours as the seller.

What Is a Request for Repair?

The key word is request. Nothing in a Request for Repair is automatic. It is the opening move in a conversation between two parties who both want the sale to close, and it takes place inside the buyer's investigation contingency, the window of time (17 days by default in the standard California purchase agreement, though your contract may say otherwise) during which the buyer can inspect the home and still back out.

Most sellers feel more at ease once they see that the process is predictable. There are only a few possible answers, a clear order of steps, and an agent on each side to help you through it.

The Buyer's Perspective: How a Repair Request Is Made

Step 1: The inspections happen

Soon after the offer is accepted, the buyer schedules a general home inspection. Depending on the property, they may also order a termite and wood-destroying pest inspection, a sewer line camera inspection, a roof inspection, or a specialist's evaluation of something the general inspector flagged. Each produces a written report.

Step 2: The buyer sorts what matters from what does not

Nearly every report, even for a well-kept home, lists dozens of items. A good buyer's agent helps the buyer separate the findings into groups: safety concerns and major systems, items likely to be expensive later, and cosmetic or routine maintenance. Experienced buyers know that asking for everything can slow things down and sour a negotiation. Most focus their request on the items that truly affect safety, function, or cost.

Step 3: The buyer submits the Request for Repair

The buyer's agent completes the RR form, lists each item, and states what the buyer is asking for. The request can include repairs to be completed before close of escrow, pest-control work, a credit toward closing costs, or a combination of these. It does not have to be one or the other; a buyer might ask the seller to complete certain repairs and also provide a credit for the remaining items. A reduction in the purchase price can be requested too, though it is less common. The buyer attaches the inspection reports so the seller can see exactly what the requests are based on.

Step 4: The buyer waits for a response, and keeps their options open

Because the investigation contingency is still active, the buyer is not locked in. A careful buyer will wait to hear from the seller before removing it. If the response is acceptable, the buyer signs and the matter is resolved. If it is not, the buyer can negotiate further, or cancel within the contingency period, depending on the terms of the contract.

Step 5: The buyer agrees, signs, and removes the contingency

When the buyer accepts the seller's response and signs the form, the inspection contingency identified on that form is removed. Other contingencies, such as the loan or appraisal contingency, are typically removed on a separate Contingency Removal form. This is the point where a buyer moves from "I'm still checking" to "I'm committed."

Step 6: The buyer verifies the work before closing

If the seller agreed to complete repairs, the buyer will want proof that the work was done. The buyer typically confirms this during a final walk-through shortly before closing, and may ask for receipts or invoices from the contractors who did the work.

The Seller's Perspective: What to Do When the Request Arrives

Step 1: Read it with your agent, not alone

Your first stop is a conversation with your agent. Some items on a repair list are minor and inexpensive. Others may be significant. Your agent can help you understand which is which, what a reasonable response looks like in the current market, and how your response may affect the buyer's willingness to move forward.

Step 2: Get a sense of the real cost

Before you respond, it helps to know what the repairs would actually cost. A quick call to a licensed contractor, plumber, electrician, or roofer can turn a frightening-sounding line item into a clear number. Sometimes a $300 fix sounds like a $3,000 problem on paper, and sometimes it is the other way around.

Step 3: Choose your response

You generally have four paths:

Agree to everything

You can accept the full request on the RR form itself. This is the fastest path and often the best choice when the list is short and fair.

Agree to some items

You can agree to certain items and decline others. This is common. For example, a seller might agree to fix a leaking valve and a missing smoke detector but decline to repaint a faded fence. A partial response may be written on the RR form, or on the Seller Response and Buyer Reply form (RRRR) if you want to propose different terms.

Offer a credit, or a combination of repairs and a credit

Many sellers prefer to avoid coordinating contractors while they are also packing, downsizing, and planning a move. A credit toward the buyer's closing costs puts the repair in the buyer's hands. A credit can also be paired with repairs, for example by completing a few key items before closing and offering a credit for the rest. A price reduction is another option, but it is less common in repair negotiations. We cover the pros and cons below.

Decline

You may say no to the entire request. The buyer then decides whether to move forward as is, return with a revised request, or cancel during the contingency period. Declining is within your rights, but it is wise to talk through the likely result with your agent first.

Step 4: Understand that your agreement is conditional

When a seller agrees to repairs, credits, or a price change on these forms, the agreement is conditional on the buyer removing the related inspection contingency. In plain terms, the seller is saying, "I will do this, as long as you confirm you are moving forward." That protects you from fixing items for a buyer who then walks away.

Step 5: If repairs are agreed, plan the work carefully

Repairs need to be finished before closing, so it helps to line up contractors early. Hire licensed professionals where licensing is required, ask whether permits apply, keep copies of every receipt and invoice, and be ready to provide access to the home. Work should be done in a good and workmanlike manner, since the buyer will be checking it.

Step 6: Know what your disclosure duties are

Once you have received the buyer's inspection reports, the conditions in them are known to you. If the sale does not close, you will generally need to share those reports and disclose those conditions to future buyers. That is true even if you declined every repair. Your agent will guide you on updating disclosure paperwork as needed.

The Back-and-Forth: How Negotiation Works

Many repair requests are settled in one round. Some take two or three. Here is how the negotiation commonly flows:

Round one. The buyer submits the RR. The seller replies directly on the RR form (agree, partially agree, or decline) or uses the RRRR form to propose something different.

Round two. If the seller used the RRRR, the buyer can accept the seller's response, counter it with their own terms, or start over with a fresh Request for Repair.

Resolution. The process ends when both sides sign the same set of terms, or when the buyer cancels or the seller lets the matter go unresolved.

Some agents prefer to use a different tool, the Amendment of Existing Agreement and Escrow Instructions (AEA), to document the final deal. It works much like a formal offer and can be cleaner in transactions where the lender may ask to see the paperwork. Your agent will tell you which form fits your situation.

Repairs, Credits, or a Combination: Which Is Better?

It is not an either-or choice. A buyer can ask for repairs to be completed before close of escrow, a credit, or both, and a seller can respond in the same way. Many negotiations end with a blend, such as the seller completing the safety-related repairs while the buyer takes a credit for the rest.

Making the repairs

Repairs can feel straightforward and can build goodwill. They also put you in charge of scheduling, quality, and timing, and they must finish before closing. For a seller already juggling a move, that can be a lot to manage.

Giving a credit

A credit usually reduces the buyer's cash needed at closing or the closing costs they owe, and it removes you from the contractor business. Buyers often like it because they can choose their own contractors and do the work to their own standard after closing. One caution: lenders and certain loan programs limit how large a seller credit may be and what it can be used for, so confirm with the buyer's lender before agreeing.

Combining repairs and a credit

A combination is often the most practical middle ground. The seller handles the items that are urgent or lender-required, and the buyer receives a credit for items they would rather manage themselves after closing. Both the repairs and the credit are documented in writing, and the repairs must be completed before close of escrow.

Reducing the price

A price reduction is less common in repair negotiations than repairs, credits, or a combination of the two. It is simple, but it may affect the appraisal and the buyer's loan amount, and it changes the recorded sale price of your home. It is worth discussing the tradeoffs with your agent before choosing this route.

Required repairs are different

Some conditions cannot simply be traded for money. If the buyer is using an FHA or VA loan, the lender may require certain repairs to be completed for the loan to be approved. In other cases, a serious safety or habitability issue may need to be fixed regardless of credits. This is a good reason to involve the lender's requirements early.

What If the Two Sides Cannot Agree?

It is not unusual for a repair negotiation to feel stuck for a day or two. If it does not resolve, the buyer generally has three choices: move forward without the requested items, return with a smaller or revised request, or cancel the purchase within the contingency period and receive their deposit back according to the contract.

One detail worth knowing: under the standard California purchase agreement, contingencies do not simply disappear when the time period ends. The buyer must actively remove them. If a buyer goes quiet after the deadline, the seller can issue a formal Notice to Buyer to Perform, which gives the buyer a short window to act (or cancel). Your agent will handle this step if it ever becomes necessary.

A Few Gentle Thoughts for Homeowners Who Have Not Sold in Years

If your last sale was decades ago, today's inspection process may seem more detailed than you remember. That is normal. Inspectors now write thorough reports, and buyers have more tools to compare and negotiate. A long report does not mean something is wrong with your home. It usually means the inspector was careful.

A few things help the process feel manageable. Ask your agent to explain each item in plain language. Bring a trusted family member into the conversation if that helps. Decide early how much hands-on repair work you want to oversee, because a credit can sometimes be the calmer path when you are also managing a move. And remember that you are always allowed to take a day to think before responding.

The Bottom Line

The Request for Repair is simply a structured conversation: the buyer asks, the seller responds, and the two sides settle on terms that let the sale move forward. Buyers keep their options open until they are comfortable. Sellers keep control over how they respond. With the right guidance, it is a very ordinary part of the process, and most repair negotiations end with both sides moving on to closing.

This article is general educational information, not legal or tax advice. Contract forms, timelines, and lender rules vary by transaction. Please consult your real estate agent, attorney, or lender about your specific situation.