How to Negotiate Repairs After a Home Inspection in Texas

By Stephen Harris | July 6, 2026

Once you’re under contract and the buyer has completed their inspection, you’ll usually receive a repair request — sometimes a list, sometimes a credit ask, sometimes both. How you respond in the next 24–48 hours will determine whether your deal survives the option period or falls apart before you ever get to the appraisal.

Here’s how the inspection negotiation process works in Texas, what to agree to, and what to push back on.

How Inspection Negotiations Work in Texas

The Texas TREC contract is sold as-is. That means you’re not legally required to make any repairs based on the inspection results — the home is conveyed in its current condition. But here’s the practical reality: the buyer is still in their option period, which gives them the unrestricted right to terminate the contract for any reason and recover their earnest money in full.

So the buyer isn’t negotiating repairs against the contract — they’re negotiating against their own right to walk away. If you decline all requests, they can exit without penalty. If you reach a fair agreement, the deal stays together. That’s the dynamic you’re navigating.

Repair requests come in the form of a TREC Amendment to Contract — a standard form that specifies what repairs are requested, what credits are offered, or what price adjustment is proposed. Both parties must sign the amendment for it to bind anyone. You can counter, accept, or decline. If the option period expires without a signed amendment and without termination notice, the buyer proceeds as-is.

Three Ways to Resolve Repair Requests

When you receive a buyer’s inspection repair request, you have three tools to work with:

Complete the repair before closing. You hire a licensed contractor, get the work done, and provide receipts and documentation. The buyer confirms the repairs at their final walkthrough. This works well for significant items — an active roof leak, an HVAC system that won’t heat — where a completed repair eliminates the concern entirely. It also works for VA/FHA-required repairs where a credit isn’t sufficient.

Offer a closing cost credit. Instead of completing the repair, you credit the buyer at closing — they choose their own contractor and handle the work after close. Credits are clean for sellers: no managing contractors, no scheduling, no potential re-inspection. They work well for items that are real issues but not safety hazards. A credit for a water heater that’s aging, a fence that needs paint, or a GFCI outlet that’s missing — these are reasonable credit items.

Negotiate a price reduction. A price reduction permanently adjusts the contract price downward in exchange for you making no repairs and providing no credit. This benefits the buyer over the life of the loan (lower principal, lower monthly payment) but is less common than a credit in Killeen’s price range, where buyers typically need cash-at-close help more than they need long-term payment relief.

What to Fix — and What to Hold On

Not all inspection items are equal. Here’s how to think about what’s worth agreeing to and what isn’t:

Almost always address: Active roof leaks, electrical hazards (exposed wiring, double-tapped breakers, fire risk), plumbing failures (active leaks, no hot water), non-functioning HVAC, and structural issues. These are the items buyers are most likely to walk over — and the ones that will surface again with your next buyer. Agreeing to address them keeps the deal alive and removes them from your relisting liability.

Reasonable to agree on: Missing GFCI outlets in bathrooms/kitchen, handrails on interior stairs, minor plumbing items (dripping faucets, running toilets), smoke and CO detector installation, and weatherstripping or caulking issues. These are low-cost, easy to document, and show good faith.

Reasonable to decline or counter: Cosmetic items (worn carpet, dated fixtures, paint touch-ups), normal wear-and-tear, items disclosed upfront, items the buyer already knew about from your TREC Seller’s Disclosure, and items the inspector flagged as “monitor” rather than “repair.” Buyers in this market sometimes send laundry lists — not every item on the list requires a response in their favor.

VA appraisal items require special attention. If your buyer is using a VA loan, some items on the inspection may also be MPR conditions — meaning they must be physically repaired before closing regardless of whether you offer a credit. Handrails, roof condition, peeling paint on pre-1978 homes, and HVAC adequacy are common overlap items. Your agent should flag which inspection items are also VA appraisal risks so you’re not surprised when the appraisal comes back “subject to” the same issues. (For the full VA appraisal breakdown, see How Does a VA Appraisal Work — and What Does It Mean for Sellers?)

How to Respond — and How Fast

Speed matters. A buyer sitting in their option period gets more anxious the longer they go without a seller response. A seller who responds to a repair request within 24 hours with a specific, professional counter is in a much stronger position than one who goes silent for 3 days.

Your response through your agent should be specific — not “we’ll look at it” but “seller agrees to credit $2,500 at closing for the items listed in the inspection dated [date] and will complete the HVAC service before closing.” Specificity closes deals. Vagueness extends negotiations and invites more requests.

Document everything. Any agreed repairs or credits go into a signed TREC amendment. Verbal agreements don’t bind anyone at the closing table.

When the Buyer’s Request Is Unreasonable

In Killeen’s 2026 buyer’s market, buyers do sometimes overreach — submitting repair requests for items that are cosmetic, already disclosed, or far in excess of actual cost. You’re not obligated to say yes to everything.

A reasonable counter: acknowledge legitimate items, decline or reduce cosmetic ones, and keep the tone professional. Most buyers who have found a home they want, negotiated a price, and paid for an inspection are motivated to close. The inspection negotiation is one more step in the process — not necessarily a threat to the deal unless one side makes it one.

The question to ask yourself on every repair item: “If this buyer walks and I relist, will the next buyer’s inspector flag the same thing?” If the answer is yes, it’s usually worth resolving now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a seller have to make repairs after a home inspection in Texas?

No — the Texas TREC contract is sold as-is. The seller isn’t required to make repairs based on the inspection. But if no agreement is reached, the buyer can terminate during the option period and recover their earnest money. In Killeen’s buyer’s market, most sellers find it worth addressing legitimate repair items to keep deals together.

How are inspection repairs requested in Texas?

Through a TREC Amendment to Contract, signed by both parties. The amendment specifies repairs requested, credits offered, or price adjustments. If no amendment is signed before the option period ends, the buyer proceeds as-is or terminates. Nothing is binding until both parties sign.

What repairs should a seller agree to after a home inspection?

Prioritize safety hazards, major system failures, and anything that would also fail a VA or FHA appraisal — active roof leaks, electrical hazards, plumbing failures, HVAC issues. Decline or counter cosmetic items, normal wear-and-tear, and items already disclosed. Address the deal-breakers; hold the line on the wishlist items.

Is a repair credit or actual repairs better for the seller?

A credit is often cleaner — no managing contractors, no scheduling. But for items that would fail a VA or FHA appraisal, the repair must typically be physically completed before closing. Credits don’t satisfy appraisal conditions that require actual work. Confirm with your agent whether the item is an appraisal issue or a buyer negotiation item.

What if the seller and buyer can’t agree on repairs in Texas?

The buyer can terminate before the option period expires and recover their earnest money in full. If the option period expires without termination or a signed amendment, the buyer loses their unrestricted exit right and is bound by the remaining contract contingencies. Most buyers who intend to walk will send written termination before the 5 p.m. deadline on the final day.