Real estate closing checklist
Every deadline a closing runs on, in the order they happen
This is the checklist the Contract10 engine actually computes, one row per deadline type. It is generic, not a reading of any specific contract, use it as a template, or upload a real contract to get it filled in with cited dates.
Earnest money due
moneyDeposit must be delivered to escrow.
Counted from the acceptance date, default basis business days, rolls forward off a weekend or holiday.
Where to find it: Days to deliver the deposit to escrow.
Seller disclosures delivered
diligenceSeller must deliver the statutory and contractual disclosures.
Counted from the acceptance date, default basis calendar days, rolls forward off a weekend or holiday.
Where to find it: Days for the seller to deliver disclosures.
Inspection period ends
diligenceLast day to complete inspections.
Counted from the acceptance date, default basis calendar days, rolls forward off a weekend or holiday.
Where to find it: The inspection, due-diligence or option period. In Texas this is the option period; in Georgia, due diligence.
Inspection objection due
diligenceLast day for the buyer to object or request repairs.
Counted from the acceptance date, default basis calendar days, rolls forward off a weekend or holiday.
Where to find it: Where the form separates inspecting from objecting, the deadline to deliver the objection or repair request.
Title review ends
titleLast day to object to items in the title commitment.
Counted from the acceptance date, default basis calendar days, rolls forward off a weekend or holiday.
Where to find it: Days to review and object to the title commitment.
Appraisal contingency ends
financingLast day to act on a low appraisal.
Counted from the acceptance date, default basis calendar days, rolls forward off a weekend or holiday.
Where to find it: Days for the appraisal contingency.
Loan approval / financing contingency ends
financingLast day for the buyer's financing contingency.
Counted from the acceptance date, default basis calendar days, rolls forward off a weekend or holiday.
Where to find it: Days for loan approval or the financing contingency.
All contingencies removed
diligenceDeadline to remove remaining contingencies in writing.
Counted from the acceptance date, default basis calendar days, rolls forward off a weekend or holiday.
Where to find it: Deadline to remove all remaining contingencies in writing.
Final walkthrough
closingBuyer's final walkthrough before signing.
Counted from the closing date, default basis calendar days, rolls backward off a weekend or holiday.
Where to find it: Days BEFORE closing for the walkthrough. Counted backward from the closing date.
Default basis and roll direction are the engine's defaults, applied only when the contract itself doesn't state a basis. If a period isn't in the contract, no deadline is emitted for it, a missing row is honest, a guessed one is not.
Want your state's common starting values?
See which standard form your state's resales usually run on, and editable common starting values for each period, on the state deadlines pages.
FAQ
Questions about the checklist
How do I calculate an inspection contingency deadline?
Take the acceptance (effective) date, count forward the number of days the contract states for inspection on the basis it states (calendar or business days), then roll forward off a weekend or federal holiday if the raw date lands on one. That is exactly the arithmetic the free calculator runs.
Do weekends count in real estate contract deadlines?
It depends on the contract's stated basis: calendar days count every day, business days skip weekends and holidays. When a computed deadline lands on a weekend or federal holiday, the engine rolls it forward to the next business day, except the final walkthrough, which rolls backward so it can't slip past closing.
What happens if you miss a contingency deadline?
Once a contingency period ends without the buyer acting (objecting, terminating, or removing it in writing, depending on the state's form), the right tied to that contingency is usually gone, and earnest money can be at risk from that moment. The exact consequence is written into the specific contract, not something Contract10 asserts on your behalf.
Is this checklist specific to my state or my contract?
No. This page lists the deadlines the engine knows how to compute and what triggers each one, not any state's specific day counts. For a state's common starting values see /deadlines, and for your actual contract, upload it or type your real dates into the free calculator.
Can I use this as a transaction coordinator checklist template?
Yes. The list below is every deadline type the engine tracks, in the order a transaction typically runs. Print this page, or run an actual contract through Contract10 to get the same checklist filled in with real, cited dates.
Get this checklist filled in with real dates
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