Tennessee Inspection Period: RF401 Contract Deadlines

The Tennessee inspection period, in short: it's the number of days written in Section 8.D of the Tennessee REALTORS Purchase and Sale Agreement (RF401), counted from the day after the Binding Agreement Date. Before it ends, the buyer must terminate, accept the property as is, or send a repair list, which starts the Resolution Period.

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

This guide uses RF401 Version 08/17/2024, the latest edition we could read; Tennessee REALTORS revises its forms, so check the version date in your form's footer. It's general information, not legal advice; the executed contract controls. For other states, see the deadlines in a purchase contract, the Georgia due diligence period or the North Carolina due diligence period.

Key takeaways

• The inspection period is a blank in 8.D, and a blank the parties leave empty is deemed to be zero.
• A repair list ends the inspection period and starts the Resolution Period. If no agreement is signed by its end, the contract terminates and the earnest money goes back to the buyer.
• Loan obligations run on fixed clocks: apply and pay for the credit report within 3 days; insurance, Intent to Proceed and the appraisal order within 14 days (2.A).
• Days are calendar days ending at 11:59 p.m. local time, counted from the day after the Binding Agreement Date (17.E).
• Most deadlines that land on a weekend or federal holiday move to the next business day, but the Closing Date doesn't.

What is the inspection period in a Tennessee contract?

It's the window in Section 8.D, “Buyer's Inspection and Resolution”, in which the buyer must complete every inspection, including the Wood Destroying Insect Infestation Inspection Report, and give the seller written notice. A buyer who misses it forfeits the Section 8 rights and takes the property in its current condition, normal wear and tear excepted.

In the notice the buyer picks one of three options:

1. Give a list of written objections and terminate at once; all earnest money is returned.
2. Accept the property “AS IS”; the seller has no duty to repair.
3. Send a list of items to repair or replace, usually on the Repair/Replacement Proposal, which starts the Resolution Period.

A checkbox lets the buyer waive option 3, so there's no Resolution Period at all, and 8.E waives every inspection. The RF401 also says any blank not completed is deemed zero or not applicable, so an empty inspection period is a zero-day period.

How does the Resolution Period work?

The parties fill in a number of days following the seller's receipt of the repair list. Receipt ends the inspection period and starts the Resolution Period, during which both sides agree to negotiate in good faith. The buyer can withdraw the list during the period by written notice and is then treated as accepting the property as is.

The default is the opposite of most states: the agreement terminates at the end of the Resolution Period, with the earnest money refunded to the buyer, unless the parties sign a Repair/Replacement Amendment, the buyer accepts the property as is in writing, or the parties sign an amendment extending the period. TREEF's 2024 Contracts 101 guide adds that any extension has to be signed before the period ends. If the agreed repairs aren't done by the Completion of Repairs Deadline, the seller is in default and the buyer may terminate (Section 9). See also the repair request process.

What are the loan and appraisal deadlines in the RF401?

More on appraisal options in low appraisal options.

When is earnest money due in Tennessee?

Within the number of days after the Binding Agreement Date written in Section 3. If the Holder doesn't receive it on time, or the check bounces, the Holder notifies both parties and the buyer has one day to deliver immediately available funds. If the buyer doesn't, the buyer is in default and the seller may terminate by written notice; a seller who waits until the money arrives loses that right (3.A). The Holder may not disburse earnest money until 14 days after deposit unless the bank confirms it has cleared (3.B). See the earnest money deadline.

How are days counted in the RF401?

Section 17.E says days are calendar days ending at 11:59 p.m. local time where the property is, and the count starts on the day after the initial date, such as the Binding Agreement Date. A performance deadline that falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday (the federal holidays in 5 U.S.C. § 6103(a)) extends to the next business day, except the Closing Date, the Date of Possession, the Completion of Repairs Deadline and the offer expiration date. The Binding Agreement Date is the date and time the final acceptance is received, which either licensee may fill in (17.A).

The dates are illustrative; the executed contract controls. TREEF's 2024 guide quotes the same day-count wording as Paragraph 15E, so check the paragraph number in your edition.

What happens if you miss a deadline?

Each deadline carries its own result. Miss the inspection period and the buyer has accepted the property in its current condition. Miss the 3-day or 14-day loan obligations and the seller can demand compliance, starting a 2-day clock to default. Let the Resolution Period run out with nothing signed and the contract ends. Time is of the essence (17.D).

On default, the buyer's earnest money is forfeited to the seller as damages, and either side may also sue (Section 14). The agreement itself expires at 11:59 p.m. on the Closing Date unless the parties extend it in writing with the Closing Date/Possession Date Amendment or an equivalent (4.A). Notices take effect when actually received, and receipt by a party's licensee counts (17.G). See also what happens when a contingency deadline is missed.

Which forms go with these deadlines?

Form numbers are from TREEF's 2024 guide.

How do you track Tennessee deadlines without missing one?

1. Confirm the Binding Agreement Date and time on the acknowledgement of receipt, then count every deadline from the next day.
2. Enter the 3-day and 14-day loan obligations even if the lender says it's on it, and send RF656 notices as each is met.
3. Move any deadline that lands on a weekend or federal holiday to the next business day, except closing, possession, repairs completion and offer expiration.
4. When the seller receives the repair list, start the Resolution Period clock from that receipt.

Closingbird reads the executed contract and fills in the dates it finds, which you check and edit, then reminds each deadline owner every morning. A 10-day inspection period is “10 days after acceptance”, counted from the next day as 17.E does. Closingbird doesn't roll a deadline off a weekend or holiday by itself, so when 17.E moves one, set a fixed date. The Resolution Period runs from the seller's receipt of a list, not from acceptance, so give it a fixed date too. See deadline tracking.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the inspection period in Tennessee?

As long as the parties write into Section 8.D of the RF401. There's no default length, and a blank left empty is deemed to be zero.

Does the Tennessee inspection period include weekends?

Yes, days are calendar days. But if the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday, the deadline extends to the next business day (17.E).

What happens if the Resolution Period ends without an agreement?

The RF401 terminates and the earnest money is refunded to the buyer, unless the parties signed a repair amendment, the buyer accepted the property as is, or the period was extended in writing.

When does a Tennessee buyer have to apply for a loan?

Within 3 days after the Binding Agreement Date, including paying for the credit report and telling the seller who the lender is (2.A(1)).

What time do RF401 deadlines end?

At 11:59 p.m. local time where the property is located, unless the contract says otherwise (17.E).

Run it in Closingbird

Upload a Tennessee RF401, check the dates Closingbird fills in against Sections 2, 3, 4 and 8, and give each deadline an owner who gets a morning reminder. Start a free trial (14-day free trial, no credit card required) or see pricing.

Related reading

• The deadlines in a purchase contract
• Georgia due diligence period
• The repair request process
• South Carolina due diligence period
• 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.

• Tennessee REALTORS: 2024 Mid-Year Forms Changes (July 19, 2024), including RF401 Purchase and Sale Agreement, Version 08/17/2024 (Internet Archive capture, May 12, 2026)
• Tennessee Real Estate Educational Foundation: Contracts 101 student guide on the RF401 (2024), hosted by the Greater Chattanooga Association of REALTORS
• 5 U.S.C. § 6103, federal holidays (Cornell LII), the holiday list the RF401 refers to