Arizona Contract Deadlines: Inspection Period and BINSR

Arizona contract deadlines, in short: in the Arizona REALTORS resale purchase contract, the inspection period is 10 days after acceptance unless changed, the seller has 5 days to answer a BINSR, the buyer then has 5 days to cancel, the SPDS is due in 3 days and the LSU in 10. Days are calendar days ending at 11:59 p.m.

More on this topic: Contract deadlines by state, every guide in one place.

This guide uses the November 2025 Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract, with section numbers so you can check your own copy; confirm the “Updated” date in your form's footer. It's general information, not legal advice; the executed contract controls. Other states: see the deadlines in a purchase contract or Colorado contract deadlines explained.

Key takeaways

• Most deadlines run from Contract acceptance: SPDS 3 days, claims history 5, LSU 10, inspection period 10 (Sections 2e, 4a, 4b, 6a).
• The BINSR deadlines chain: seller 5 days after the buyer's notice, buyer 5 days after the seller's response or its deadline, whichever is first (Section 6j).
• Loan approval or a notice of inability is due three full days before COE: for a Friday COE, by 11:59 p.m. Monday (Sections 2b, 8i).
• A missed obligation becomes a breach only after a cure notice and three days (Section 7a).
• Days are calendar days from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.; the day of the event isn't counted (Sections 8h, 8i).

What are the deadlines in an Arizona purchase contract?

They're spread through the contract rather than collected in one table. These are the main ones in the November 2025 form:

How long is the inspection period in Arizona?

Ten days after Contract acceptance, unless another number is written in (Section 6a). During it the buyer inspects, consults agencies, lenders and insurers, checks codes and verifies MLS information. Before it expires, the buyer must deliver one signed notice of all items disapproved; Arizona REALTORS' Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response (BINSR) form is available for this (Section 6i).

Acceptance is the date the signed contract, and any counteroffer, is delivered to and received by the appropriate broker (Section 8i). Disapprovals of the SPDS, claims history and similar documents are due within the inspection period or five days after receipt, whichever is later (Sections 4a, 4b).

How does the BINSR work and what are its deadlines?

In the notice, the buyer either cancels immediately, getting the earnest money back if items were disapproved as allowed, or gives the seller a chance to correct or address them (Section 6j). Then:

1. The seller responds in writing within five days, or the number written in, after delivery of the buyer's notice. Silence counts as a refusal.
2. If the seller won't correct an item, the buyer may cancel within five days after the seller's response or after the seller's time to respond runs out, whichever comes first, and the earnest money is released to the buyer.
3. If the buyer doesn't cancel in time, the buyer closes without the items the seller didn't agree in writing to fix.
4. Agreed repairs are completed, with paid receipts delivered to the buyer, three days before the COE Date unless another number is written in.

The form is blunt: verbal discussions won't extend these periods; only a written agreement signed by both parties will. Missing the notice or the cancellation window is deemed the buyer's election to proceed without the repairs. See the repair request process.

What is the cure period in Arizona?

Three days. A party that fails to comply with the contract must first be given a notice specifying the non-compliance; if it isn't cured within three days after delivery, it becomes a breach (Section 7a). If escrow or the recorder's office is closed on the last day and COE is needed to cure, COE happens on the next day both are open. The same cure notice applies to a buyer who doesn't deliver closing funds or the 2b loan notice (Sections 1d, 2c).

On a buyer's breach, the seller may keep the earnest money as liquidated damages, and must take that option where the breach is a missing 2b loan notice, or a loan that fails because the appraisal contingency was waived (Section 7b). An unfulfilled contingency isn't a breach. See also missing a contingency deadline.

How are days counted in an Arizona contract?

All days are calendar days, and a day begins at 12:00 a.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. (Section 8h). The day of the act or event that starts a period isn't counted and the last day is (Section 8i). The form has no general rule moving deadlines that land on weekends or holidays. The exceptions involve closing: if escrow or the recorder's office is closed on the COE Date, or on the last day of a cure period that needs COE, COE happens on the next day both are open (Sections 1d, 7a).

Acts due three days before COE need three full days: if COE is a Friday, the act is due by 11:59 p.m. on Monday (Section 8i).

When is earnest money due in Arizona?

The form doesn't set a number of days. Section 1c says that upon acceptance the earnest money will be deposited with the escrow company or the broker's trust account, as checked, and lists the payment method. Check the escrow instructions and any additional terms for a specific deadline.

How do you track Arizona contract deadlines without missing one?

Enter the acceptance-based dates on day one: SPDS, loan application, leased items, claims history, LSU and the end of the inspection period. Then add the chained dates as they happen: the BINSR response deadline when the buyer's notice goes out, the buyer's cancellation window when the seller responds, title objections when the commitment arrives, and the appraisal window when the value comes in. Count the pre-COE dates back from the COE Date with the “three full days” rule.

In Closingbird, acceptance-based deadlines are “10 days after acceptance” and so on, in calendar days, matching Section 8i. Deadlines counted before closing use whole days, so for the 2b loan notice use “4 days before closing” (Monday for a Friday COE) or a fixed date. Closingbird counts only from acceptance or closing, so for the BINSR, title and appraisal windows, set a fixed date once the triggering notice arrives. Each owner gets a morning reminder. See deadline tracking.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the inspection period in Arizona?

Ten days after Contract acceptance in the Arizona REALTORS resale contract, unless the parties write in a different number (Section 6a).

How long does a seller have to respond to a BINSR?

Five days after the buyer's notice is delivered, unless another number is written in. No written response counts as a refusal (Section 6j).

How long does the buyer have after the seller's BINSR response?

Five days after the seller's response, or after the seller's time to respond expires, whichever is first, to cancel and recover the earnest money (Section 6j).

When is the SPDS due in Arizona?

Within three days after Contract acceptance (Section 4a). Disapprovals are due within the inspection period or five days after receipt, whichever is later.

What is the cure period in an Arizona contract?

Three days after delivery of a notice specifying the non-compliance; uncured, it becomes a breach (Section 7a).

Are Arizona contract deadlines calendar days?

Yes. Days are calendar days running from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., and the starting day isn't counted (Sections 8h, 8i).

Run it in Closingbird

Upload an Arizona purchase contract and check the dates Closingbird fills in against your form, then add the BINSR dates as notices go out. Start a free trial (14-day free trial, no credit card required) or see pricing.

Related reading

• The deadlines in a purchase contract
• Colorado contract deadlines explained
• The repair request process
• Missing a contingency deadline
• Deadline tracking in Closingbird

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Rules and prices change, and many vary by state, so confirm with the source, your state's real estate commission or your broker before you rely on them.

• Arizona REALTORS: Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract, updated November 2025, sample (Internet Archive capture, February 8, 2026)