What Can a Buyer Ask for After a Home Inspection in Texas?

During your Texas option period, you can ask the seller for specific repairs, a closing cost credit, a price reduction, or some combination of all three. Texas sellers are not legally required to make any repairs — but in the current Dallas market, with homes averaging 45 to 55 days before going under contract, most sellers address safety and major system issues or offer credits to keep the deal moving. Your request goes through the TREC Amendment to Contract (Form 39-8), and the seller has the right to agree, counter, or decline.

By Matt Watson, Broker, REALTOR® | June 5, 2026

You've got a 20-page inspection report in front of you, 50 line items, and 7 days left in your option period. Some items are cosmetic. Some are confusing. A few are genuinely alarming. And you're wondering: what do I actually have the right to ask for here?

This is one of the most anxious moments in any Dallas real estate transaction, and it's one of the questions I walk buyers through more than almost anything else.

Here's the honest answer: you can ask for quite a lot. But how you ask — and what you ask for — matters a great deal in terms of whether the seller agrees, counters, or decides the deal isn't worth keeping together.

Your inspection happens during your option period, the negotiated window in your Texas contract that gives you the unrestricted right to terminate for any reason. Most Dallas contracts use a 7 to 10 day option period. During that time, you're free to hire as many inspectors as you want — general inspection, foundation, HVAC, roof, sewer scope, whatever makes sense for the property.

If you want a clear picture of the full timeline from contract to closing, this post on the Texas contract-to-close timeline walks through every phase, including where the option period fits. And if you're newer to how the option period works mechanically — the option fee, the earnest money, and what your termination rights actually look like — this overview of the Texas option period covers the foundation before you dive into negotiation strategy.

After you review your inspection results, you have four choices:

1. Accept the property as-is and move forward
2. Ask the seller to make specific repairs before closing
3. Ask for a closing cost credit or price reduction instead of repairs
4. Terminate the contract and get your earnest money back

If you want to stay in the deal but negotiate, that negotiation happens through the TREC Amendment to Contract (Form 39-8). Your agent prepares it, you sign it, and it goes to the seller. The seller then has a defined window to accept, counter, or reject.

Texas Sellers Aren't Required to Fix Anything — Here's What That Actually Means

Let's address this directly: Texas sellers have no legal obligation to make repairs after a home inspection. None. The contract doesn't require it.

This surprises a lot of buyers, especially those coming from states with stronger repair mandates. But here's why it doesn't mean you're powerless.

The seller's obligation is simply to respond to your amendment. They can accept your request, come back with a counteroffer — offering to fix some items but not others, or offering a smaller credit — or decline entirely. What they cannot do is ignore the negotiation entirely and hope you don't notice.

And practically speaking, in the current Dallas market, most sellers want to keep the deal together. With active listings up more than 7% year-over-year across the DFW metro and homes taking longer to sell than they did in 2022 or 2023, a seller who rejects every reasonable request risks having the buyer terminate and starting over with a new listing. That's an expensive outcome.

So you do have leverage. The question is how to use it without overplaying your hand.

The most common mistake buyers make is treating the inspection report as a complete punchlist and submitting every single item. A 50-item amendment signals to the seller that you're overwhelmed, that you may have unrealistic expectations, and that the negotiation is going to be exhausting. It rarely produces better results than a focused, strategic request.

What actually works: prioritize the top 3 to 5 items that matter most. Focus on health, safety, and the major systems — HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roof, and any structural concerns. Separate "must address" items from cosmetic preferences. Make your ask clear, specific, and reasonable.

Repairs vs. Credits: Which Should You Ask For?

Once you know what you want to address, you have a meaningful choice: do you ask the seller to fix it, or do you ask for money back at closing?

Each approach has real advantages and real drawbacks. Here's how I think through it with my clients.

When repairs make sense:

• The item is a lender-required repair (FHA, VA, and some conventional loans require certain habitability conditions before they'll approve a loan — missing handrails, exposed wiring, or a compromised roof can trigger a mandatory fix)
• The fix is simple and clearly defined — replacing a broken window, addressing a gas leak, repairing a specific plumbing issue
• You need it done before you move in and you don't want to manage the project yourself after closing

When a credit makes more sense:

• You want control over how and when the work gets done
• The repair involves multiple bids or subjective quality standards (you don't want the seller hiring the cheapest contractor for work that affects your daily life)
• The item doesn't affect your safety but does affect your budget after closing — older HVAC units, cosmetic repairs, deferred maintenance items

One important detail on credits: if the amendment specifies a "repair credit," your lender may require documentation and a re-inspection to verify the work was actually done, even though no repair happened. The cleaner approach is to ask for a closing cost credit with no strings attached. The math is the same — the seller contributes dollars toward your closing costs at the closing table — but it avoids lender complications and gives you full flexibility after closing.

On a $450,000 home in Uptown or Oak Lawn, a $5,000 to $8,000 closing cost credit is a very normal negotiation outcome in the current market. On a $700,000 townhome in East Dallas, that number can go higher, depending on what the inspection found and how motivated the seller is. You can get a full breakdown of typical Dallas buyer closing costs — including what sellers commonly offer to cover — in this guide to buyer closing costs in Dallas.

A word on price reductions: Some buyers prefer to ask for a purchase price reduction instead of a credit. Both reduce the seller's net proceeds, but a price reduction lowers your loan amount and monthly payment slightly, while a credit reduces your out-of-pocket cash at closing. In most cases, a closing cost credit is more immediately useful for buyers managing cash flow on a purchase — but it's worth running both scenarios with your lender before you decide.

How the Request Actually Works (The TREC Amendment Process)

Once you know what you want to ask for, your agent prepares the TREC Amendment to Contract. The amendment specifies whether you're requesting repairs, a closing cost credit, a price adjustment, or a combination.

The key requirement: repair requests must be specific. The form uses Paragraph 7D(2) for repairs, and TREC's guidance is clear — the request must identify exactly what needs to be fixed. "All items on the inspection report" is not a valid request. "Replace the failed water heater as identified in the inspection report" is.

If you're requesting a credit or price adjustment rather than repairs, the amendment reflects the updated number, and your closing documents will reflect the change at the table.

The seller has until a specified deadline to sign and return the amendment. If they counter, your agent negotiates the gap. If they decline, you still have your option period — you can terminate and get your earnest money back, or you can accept the property as-is and close.

For Dallas condo and townhome buyers, there's an additional layer worth understanding: some deficiencies may be in common areas rather than the unit itself. HOA responsibility versus owner responsibility is an important distinction to sort out before you ask the seller to fix something they may not control. Your inspector, your agent, and the HOA resale certificate will help clarify who owns what. If you're buying a condo in Uptown or Oak Lawn and haven't dug into the resale certificate yet, this post on the Texas HOA resale certificate covers exactly what to look for.

Understanding what your inspector found is the first step. Knowing what to do with it — and how to frame your request in a way that keeps the deal together — is where an agent who knows this market becomes genuinely valuable.

If you're in your option period right now and trying to figure out what to ask for, I'm happy to walk through the inspection report with you. Reach out at mattwatson.com or give me a call. We'll figure out the right approach together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Texas sellers legally required to fix anything after a home inspection?

No. Texas sellers have no legal obligation to make repairs after a home inspection. Under the TREC contract, the seller can accept, counter, or reject any repair request. That said, most sellers in the current Dallas market choose to negotiate rather than risk the buyer terminating the contract — especially with inventory high and homes averaging longer time on market than in prior years.

What is the TREC Amendment to Contract and when is it used?

The TREC Amendment to Contract (Form 39-8) is the document used to modify an existing Texas real estate contract. During the option period, buyers use it to request repairs, closing cost credits, or price adjustments based on inspection findings. The seller must respond before the option period expires.

Should I ask for repairs or a closing cost credit after a home inspection in Texas?

In most cases, a closing cost credit is the cleaner option. It gives you flexibility to handle repairs on your own timeline and avoids lender complications that can arise with repair-specific credits. Repairs make sense when the issue is lender-required, clearly defined, or needs to be completed before you move in safely.

How much can a Dallas buyer realistically ask for after an inspection?

It depends on what the inspection found and the current market conditions. In the 2026 Dallas buyer's market, closing cost credits of $3,000 to $8,000 are common on homes in the $400,000 to $700,000 range. Larger issues — foundation concerns, HVAC failure, significant plumbing problems — can justify more. A focused request on 3 to 5 material items typically produces better results than submitting every line item on the report.

What happens if the seller refuses to make repairs or offer a credit?

If the seller declines your request and you're still within your option period, you have two choices: accept the property as-is and proceed with the purchase, or terminate the contract and receive your earnest money back. The option fee you paid is not refundable, but your earnest money is protected as long as you terminate before the option period expires.

Your option period is your most powerful negotiation window in a Texas real estate transaction. Use it strategically, keep your request focused on what actually matters, and choose between repairs and credits based on your specific situation and loan type.

If you're buying a condo or townhome in Uptown, Oak Lawn, East Dallas, or North Oak Cliff and you want someone who knows this market to help you navigate the inspection negotiation, I'd be glad to help. Connect with me at mattwatson.com — no pressure, just straightforward guidance from someone who has been doing this in Dallas for over 25 years.

About Matt Watson, Broker, REALTOR®
Matt Watson is a Dallas-based real estate broker and REALTOR® with over 25 years of experience in the city's urban core neighborhoods. He specializes in condos, townhomes, and single-family homes in Uptown, Oak Lawn, East Dallas, and North Oak Cliff. Whether you're buying your first condo or selling a longtime home, Matt brings deep local knowledge and straightforward guidance to every transaction. Connect with Matt at mattwatson.com.