The BINSR is the form Arizona buyers use to ask for repairs or a credit after the home inspection. You send it before your inspection period ends, the seller has five days to answer, and then you decide whether to move forward or cancel. What you put on that form, and how you word it, matters a lot more than most buyers think.
I hand my clients a big report. The BINSR is where that report turns into a negotiation. Here is how it works, and how I’d use it if it were my house.
What the BINSR is and when it’s due
BINSR stands for Buyer’s Inspection Notice and Seller’s Response. It’s an Arizona REALTORS form that goes with the standard resale purchase contract. Under that contract, all inspections must be completed within 10 days unless you and the seller agree on a different period. Before that period runs out, you deliver a signed notice listing every item you disapprove of.
The form gives you three choices. You accept the house with no corrections, you reject it and cancel, or you give the seller a chance to correct or address the items you list. Pick carefully. Arizona REALTORS guidance points out that a buyer can’t change that election once it’s made. The same article notes that the form itself asks you to confirm your inspections are done, so get the sewer scope, termite inspection and any specialist visits finished before you send it.
What belongs on the repair request
Not everything in the report belongs on the BINSR. If we called out every hairline crack and loose cabinet hinge, nobody would ever sell a house. I tell my clients not to stress about anything under 100 bucks. Note it and move on. Spend your leverage on the items that cost real money or affect safety.
Here’s how I’d sort it:
- Safety items. Missing GFCI protection near water, exposed wiring, double taps in the panel, a leaking gas connection, a pool gate that won’t self-close. These go on the list.
- Water and termites. Active leaks, roof problems, a broken sewer line, active termites. Water is the root of most damage I find in Arizona, and termites follow the water.
- Systems that don’t work. An AC that won’t cool, a water heater that leaks, a dishwasher with no water supply.
- Big-ticket items that need a specialist. Structural concerns, an aging roof, a sewer belly. Get the specialist out during your inspection period so you have a real number to ask for.
- Leave off the small stuff. Cosmetic cracks, worn caulk, a missing door stop. Those are your first weekend in the house.
Then be specific. On one reinspection, the request said “fix all leaks,” and one leak got skipped because nobody tied it to a report item. Reference the report item number and say exactly what you want done. “Have a licensed plumber repair the leak at the water heater supply line, item 8.2” leaves a lot less room for argument than “fix plumbing.” I wrote more about that in what I find when I go back to check seller repairs.
The seller’s five days, and yours
Once the seller gets your BINSR, the clock starts. The form says the seller “shall respond within five (5) days” unless another time is written in. The seller can agree, refuse, or counter with different terms on an addendum. If the seller says nothing, Arizona REALTORS explains that silence is treated as a refusal.
If the seller refuses some or all of your items, you have five days after their response to cancel, or you can close without those corrections. Do nothing and you’re treated as choosing to close without them. Mark those dates on your calendar the day you send the form.
One more thing buyers sometimes miss. The seller doesn’t have to agree to anything. A broken AC on your list is a request, not a requirement. That’s why your negotiation starts with good information from the inspection and real estimates from the trades.
Repairs or a credit
For years the form steered buyers toward asking the seller to fix things. That changed with the October 2022 contract and BINSR. Arizona REALTORS explains that the revision removed the old limit to seller repairs, so asking for a credit instead keeps your inspection contingency intact.
Here’s my take. Sometimes it’s easier to just take a credit. When the seller does the work, the seller picks who does it, and the seller’s goal is usually to get to closing. I’ve been back to check repairs where a structural truss fix was done by the seller’s dad with no engineer’s sign-off. Was it repaired? Yes. Was it repaired right? I don’t know. With a credit, you hire your own licensed contractor after you own the house, and you know who did the work.
A few rules on credits from the Arizona REALTORS guidance:
- Keep the wording plain. They suggest stating the term simply, like “Seller to credit Buyer $5,000 in closing costs”, without explaining what it’s for.
- Talk to your lender first. Your lender may limit total credits, and the addendum has to go to the lender.
- Base the number on bids. Get estimates from the right trade before you name a figure. A guess is easy for the seller to push back on.
If the seller makes the repairs
Sometimes repairs make more sense, like a safety item you want handled before you move in. If the seller agrees to do the work, the contract has guardrails, and you should hold them to it.
- Licensed contractor when the law requires it. The BINSR cites A.R.S. 32-1121. Under that statute, the handyman exemption only covers casual or minor work under $1,000 in total, and never work that needs a local building permit.
- Workmanlike work. Agreed repairs must be done in a workmanlike manner, whoever does them.
- Paid receipts. The contract calls for paid receipts for the repairs to be delivered to you before closing. Ask for them, and ask for the name of whoever did the work.
- Check the license. Look up the contractor on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors and make sure the license class matches the work. My post on checking a contractor’s ROC license walks through it.
Then get a reinspection before your final walkthrough. If you’re asking for work to get done, it’s good to get a third party to come back and look at it. Things aren’t always perfect, and at least you know what you’re getting before you sign.
What to do after your inspection report arrives
- Read the report the day it comes in. My reports are delivered within 24 hours, which leaves you most of your inspection period to act.
- Call me with questions. I’d rather walk you through an item than have you guess at it.
- Book specialists right away. Roofer, licensed plumber, electrician, HVAC tech or structural engineer, for an estimate on anything big.
- Sit down with your agent. Pick the items that matter, decide between repairs and a credit, and reference report item numbers.
- Send the BINSR before the period ends. Then track the seller’s five days and your five days after their answer.
For more on the next steps, see what to do after the inspection. In the end it’s your house and your call. The inspection just makes sure you’re negotiating with the facts.
Home inspections for Arizona buyers in Gilbert and across the Valley
A residential home inspection gives you the report your BINSR is built on, and a sewer camera inspection covers the line nobody can see. We inspect homes in Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler and beyond. Every home inspection includes a termite (WDO) inspection at no extra charge, plus a 1-year termite warranty through Firehouse Pest Control in Gilbert if no active termites are found.
Buying a home? Book your inspection online or call 623-399-0079.
Property Inspections Plus is a Gilbert, AZ home inspection company led by Certified Master Inspector Dan Pierce. We inspect homes across the East Valley, the Phoenix metro and the rest of Arizona. See all of our service areas.
