Inspection repair requests in Sammamish arrive on a short clock. Your buyer's inspector has been through the house, and a list of requested repairs or a request for a credit has landed in your inbox. Under the standard Washington contract, you usually have three business days to answer it.

This guide walks through that window from the seller's side. It covers how the addendum works, what each of your four answers does to the deal, and how repairs, credits and price changes differ. We checked every rule below against the February 2026 revision of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) forms in September 2026. Your contract may change the default days, so read your own copy.

How Inspection Repair Requests Work in a Sammamish Sale

Most Sammamish sales use NWMLS Form 35, the inspection addendum. It makes the sale conditional on the buyer's "subjective satisfaction" with inspections. In other words, the buyer does not have to prove a defect to be unhappy with one. The general inspection must be done by the buyer or by a home inspector licensed under Washington's inspector law, RCW 18.280.

Within the inspection period, 10 days after mutual acceptance if the contract does not say otherwise, the buyer gives one of four notices. They can approve the inspection, terminate and get their earnest money back, give notice of additional inspections, or propose repairs or changes to the agreement. That last notice is the one that starts your clock.

If the buyer's inspector recommends a specialist, such as a roofer or a sewer contractor, the buyer can extend the period. The default is 5 more days after that notice. Silence also counts. If the buyer sends nothing by the deadline, the contingency is waived and you are not obligated to make any repairs.

The Deadlines for Inspection Repair Requests in Sammamish

The timing rules sit in the purchase agreement itself, NWMLS Form 21. A period starts the day after the event that triggers it and ends at 9:00 p.m. on its last day. Any period of 5 days or less skips Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. So your 3-day response window is really three business days, while the 10-day inspection period is calendar days.

Here is how that plays out. If a buyer delivers a request on a Friday, your three days are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, ending at 9:00 p.m. Wednesday. For that reason, a request that lands before a holiday weekend gives you more time than it seems.

Two more rules shape the negotiation. First, the buyer's request and your response are each irrevocable for their time period, so neither side can pull an offer back mid-window. Second, the rounds do not repeat. After your response, the buyer has one reply period, and the deal either reaches a written agreement or the buyer terminates by that deadline. If the buyer does nothing, the contingency is waived.

Your Four Answers to Inspection Repair Requests in Sammamish

The response form, NWMLS Form 35R, lists the seller's options. Each one sets up a different next step.

1. Agree to everything. The contingency is satisfied and the sale moves toward closing. The buyer does not need to reply. Why it matters: this closes the question fastest, and it also commits you to every item on the list, on the contract's repair terms.
2. Agree to some items. You list only the conditions you will correct. Why it matters: the buyer's 3-day reply period starts, and they can accept, propose something else, or terminate.
3. Reject everything. Why it matters: the buyer can still accept the home as it is. They can also terminate and get their earnest money back, so the next decision rests entirely with the buyer.
4. Reject and propose an alternative. For example, you might offer a credit in place of a repair, or a price change in place of both. Why it matters: it answers the request with a counterproposal, so the negotiation continues with your terms on the table next to the buyer's.

There is also the answer the form does not list, which is no answer. If you let your window run out, the buyer's reply clock starts at the end of your period. They can then accept the home as it is or terminate. Choosing silence gives up your chance to shape the outcome.

Repairs, Credits or a Price Reduction on a Sammamish Home

Form 35 names all three: repairs to the property, adjustments to the purchase price, and credits for repairs to be done after closing. They lead to the same place, but they carry different work and risk.

A seller repair stays your job until it is done. It must be finished at your expense "in a commercially reasonable manner and in accordance with all applicable laws," at least 3 days before closing by default. The buyer can pay the inspector who flagged it to come back and check the work before closing. Contractor calendars on the Eastside fill up, so a repair you cannot schedule in time can put pressure on your closing date. Permits count too. If the work needs one, it has to be done in line with the rules.

A credit or price change hands the work to the buyer after closing. You are no longer on the hook for scheduling, re-inspection or the quality of someone else's repair. Buyers often prefer this for larger items because they can choose their own contractor. How a credit fits the buyer's side of the transaction is something their team confirms, and it belongs in the written agreement.

Whatever you settle on belongs in writing, signed by all buyers and all sellers. Form 35R treats a request and your response as part of the agreement once they are signed. If a buyer ever offers to pay for repairs before closing, the form itself advises both sides to have an attorney review that agreement.

Common Inspection Items on Sammamish Plateau Homes

The median Sammamish home was built in 1994, and about three in four were built between 1980 and 2009, according to Census Bureau estimates. That puts many Plateau homes at the age where original systems come up on a report. These are the items we see raised most often in inspection repair requests in Sammamish.

• Roofs. Age, remaining life and moss are frequent notes on a heavily treed lot. A roofer's evaluation is a common extension request.
• Decks. Many decks date from the original build, and inspectors look closely at attachments, railings and soft boards.
• Drainage on sloped lots. Downspouts, grading and water near the foundation matter on the Plateau's hillsides. Our guide to trees, slopes and what you can build on a Sammamish lot covers the city rules. Check them before you agree to remove a tree near the house.
• Sewer lines and septic systems. Form 35 allows a sewer video inspection unless the parties opt out. Homes on septic usually carry a separate septic addendum, NWMLS Form 22S. Our guide to Sammamish homes with a septic system or well explains what King County requires.
• Water heaters and furnaces. Original equipment in a 30-year-old home is a routine note, especially with no service records.

None of these means a home has a problem. They are simply what an inspector checks first on a house of this age.

What a Pre-Listing Inspection Changes for Sammamish Sellers

A pre-listing inspection moves the discovery to before the listing. You can fix, price or disclose on your own schedule instead of inside a 3-day window. Our 90-day timeline for getting a Sammamish home ready to list covers when to decide on one.

It does not stop a buyer from inspecting, and it does not stop repair requests. What it changes is the surprise factor. A buyer who already read about a known item in your disclosure, or saw the repair receipt, is less likely to be surprised by it during their own inspection. Keep in mind that what you learn becomes part of what you know when you complete the seller disclosure statement, NWMLS Form 17.

If the Buyer Walks Away After the Inspection

A terminated sale leaves you with information. Form 35 keeps the buyer's report private unless you ask for it in writing, and many sellers never see it. If you did request it, or the repair list described a problem, think about what that means for the next buyer.

Washington's disclosure law, RCW 64.06.040, does not require you to amend your statement during a sale for information that came from that buyer's inspector. A new buyer is a new disclosure, though. Separately, RCW 18.86.030 requires a broker to disclose known material facts that are not apparent or readily ascertainable. Talk with a real estate attorney about what your next disclosure should say before you relist.

For the full list of seller costs in a Sammamish sale, see our breakdown of what it costs to sell a home in Sammamish. For the listing side, how to sell your Sammamish home for top dollar covers pricing and preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Inspection Repair Requests in Sammamish