Wisconsin WB-11 Offer to Purchase Deadlines (2026)

Wisconsin WB-11 offer to purchase deadlines, in short: unless the blanks say otherwise, earnest money is due 5 days after acceptance, the inspection Notice of Defects 15 days after, radon results 20, and the seller has 10 days to elect to cure. Deadlines exclude the day of the event and expire at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.

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

This guide uses the state-approved WB-11 Residential Offer to Purchase with an 8-15-24 mandatory use date, and line numbers from that edition; the Real Estate Examining Board revises the WB forms, so check the date in the top corner of your copy. It's general information, not legal advice; the executed offer controls. Other states: see the deadlines in a purchase contract or Colorado contract deadlines explained.

Key takeaways

• Many WB-11 deadlines have defaults if the blank is left empty: earnest money 5 days, inspection 15, radon 20, proof of funds 7, seller's cure election 10, appraisal cure 5.
• The financing commitment and appraisal deadlines have no default: if they're blank, ask before you calendar anything.
• Day counts exclude the day of the event; deadlines expire at Midnight, defined as 11:59 p.m. Central Time (lines 438–444).
• Business Days skip weekends and Wisconsin and federal legal holidays (lines 435–437); a closing date on a weekend or holiday moves to the next Business Day (lines 49–50).
• “Time is of the Essence” applies to earnest money, binding acceptance, occupancy, closing and contingency Deadlines unless struck (lines 88–93).

What are the deadlines in a Wisconsin WB-11?

They're spread through the offer. These are the main ones in the 8-15-24 edition:

How are Deadlines calculated in the WB-11?

By the Definitions section. Deadlines expressed as a number of “days” from an event, such as acceptance, exclude the day of the event and count the following calendar days; the Deadline expires at Midnight on the last day (lines 438–440). Business-day Deadlines are counted the same way but count only Business Days. Hour Deadlines run from the exact time of the event, 24 hours per calendar day. Midnight is 11:59 p.m. Central Time (line 444).

A Business Day is any calendar day except Saturday, Sunday, a legal public holiday under Wisconsin or federal law, and a day the President designates on which the postal service doesn't deliver (lines 435–437). Acceptance is when all buyers and sellers have signed the offer (lines 43–44); the offer binds the parties only once a copy of the accepted offer is delivered to the buyer by the binding acceptance date. The form warns that short deadlines running from acceptance may leave too little time for both.

The dates are illustrative; the executed offer controls.

How does the WB-11 inspection contingency and right to cure work?

The contingency is deemed satisfied unless, within the inspection deadline, the buyer delivers both a copy of the written inspection report and a written Notice of Defects listing the Defects the buyer objects to (lines 206–208). The form is blunt that a proposed amendment is not a Notice of Defects (line 209). Defects the buyer knew about before signing don't count (lines 210–211).

Unless the parties strike it, the seller has the right to cure (line 216). The seller cures by delivering written notice of its election within 10 days after the Notice of Defects, curing the Defects in a good and workmanlike manner, and giving the buyer a written report of the work no later than three days before closing (lines 217–221). The offer becomes null and void if the seller has no right to cure, says it won't cure, or misses the election deadline (lines 222–226). The radon contingency works the same way, with a 20-day default and a mitigation system as the cure (lines 227–246). See the repair request process.

How do the financing and appraisal deadlines work?

The financing commitment contingency is satisfied when the buyer delivers a copy of a written loan commitment that the buyer has signed, or that comes with the buyer's written direction for delivery; a commitment sent by the lender alone doesn't count (lines 270–277). If the buyer misses the commitment deadline, the seller may terminate by written notice delivered before the seller's Actual Receipt of the commitment (lines 281–283). If the loan isn't available, the seller may have 10 days to elect to finance the sale (lines 288–295).

The appraisal contingency is deemed satisfied unless the buyer delivers the appraisal report and a written objection within the days written in (lines 312–314). If the seller has the right to cure, it does so by adjusting the price to the appraised value within 5 days, if blank (lines 316–319). See low appraisal options.

When does the title commitment have to arrive?

At least 5 business days before closing, showing title as of a date no more than 15 days before delivery (lines 406–409). If title isn't acceptable, the buyer must object in writing by the time set for closing. The seller then has a reasonable time, up to 15 days, to remove the objections, with closing extended as needed; if the seller can't, the buyer has five days from that notice to waive, or the offer is null and void (lines 410–414). See title commitment exceptions and objections.

What happens if you miss a WB-11 deadline?

If “Time is of the Essence” applies to it, missing it is a breach of contract; if the parties struck it, performance within a reasonable time is allowed first (lines 88–93). Most contingencies are deemed satisfied when the buyer misses its notice deadline, so the protection is simply gone. Disbursing earnest money after a failed deal needs a written agreement signed by all parties; without one, the firm holding it must wait 60 days after the closing date before using the other options (lines 67–77).

Which Wisconsin forms go with these deadlines?

How do you track WB-11 deadlines without missing one?

On day one, check which contingencies are marked (an unmarked box isn't part of the offer, lines 451–452), fill in every blank with its default where empty, and ask about any financing or appraisal blank with no number. Enter the acceptance-based dates, then add the chained ones as they happen: the seller's cure election when the Notice of Defects goes out, the cure report three days before closing, and the title deadline five business days before closing.

In Closingbird, the inspection deadline is “15 days after acceptance”, counted from the day after, exactly as lines 438–440 do, and the title commitment is “5 business days before closing”. Closingbird's business days skip weekends and US federal holidays only, not Wisconsin's own legal holidays, and it doesn't move a closing that lands on a holiday: check those dates. Contract reading covers about the first 12,000 characters of a long document, so check that dates later in the eleven pages came through (see how contract reading works). For anything counted from a notice, set a fixed date. Every owner gets a morning reminder. See deadline tracking and business days vs calendar days.

Frequently asked questions

How many days is the inspection contingency in Wisconsin?

Whatever is written in the WB-11; if the blank is empty, the buyer has 15 days after acceptance to deliver the report and Notice of Defects (line 206).

How long does a Wisconsin seller have to cure defects?

If the seller has the right to cure, 10 days after the Notice of Defects to elect to cure, if blank, and the work report is due three days before closing (lines 216–221).

Do WB-11 deadlines include weekends?

Day-count deadlines use calendar days, so yes. Only Business Day deadlines skip weekends and holidays, and a closing date on a weekend or holiday moves to the next Business Day.

What time do WB-11 deadlines expire?

At Midnight, which the form defines as 11:59 p.m. Central Time (line 444).

When is earnest money due on a WB-11?

With the offer, or within the days written in after acceptance; 5 days if the blank is empty (lines 56–59).

Can a Wisconsin buyer back out if the condition report is late?

Yes. Under Wis. Stat. § 709.02, quoted in the offer, a buyer who doesn't get the report within 10 days after acceptance may rescind within two business days after that period by written notice.

Run it in Closingbird

Upload a WB-11, check the contingency dates Closingbird fills in against the offer, 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
• Colorado contract deadlines explained
• Calendar days vs business days
• Utah REPC due diligence 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.

• Wisconsin Real Estate Examining Board / DSPS: WB-11 Residential Offer to Purchase, 7-1-24 optional and 8-15-24 mandatory use dates (Internet Archive capture, August 30, 2025; dsps.wi.gov was unreachable on October 21, 2026)
• Wisconsin REALTORS Association: Explanation of the WB-11 Residential Offer to Purchase, 2024 edition (Spanish-language consumer brochure)
• Wisconsin REALTORS Association: 2024 Brings Change to the WB Forms (November 1, 2023)
• Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund: Wisconsin WB-11 Residential Offer to Purchase, 2020 Edition, seminar notes (March 11, 2020)
• Federal Reserve Board: K.8, Holidays Observed by the Federal Reserve System 2026-2030