What Is a BINSR in Arizona? The Inspection Period, Explained for Buyers

The short answer: BINSR stands for Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response. It's the Arizona REALTORS form you use, before your inspection period ends, to accept the home, cancel, or ask the seller to fix or address specific items. The standard contract gives you 10 calendar days to inspect, and the seller then has 5 days to respond.

What you'll learn:

• How Arizona's 10-day inspection period works
• What goes on a BINSR, and the three choices you make on it
• The 5-day deadlines that follow
• When to ask for repairs and when to ask for a credit

If you're buying in Arizona for the first time, or moving here from another state, the BINSR is one of those local terms you'll hear in your first week under contract. It's also where some of the most important decisions in your purchase happen. Here's how it works, step by step.

What is the inspection period in Arizona?

Under the Arizona REALTORS Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract, the inspection period is 10 days after contract acceptance unless we write in a different number. Those are calendar days, weekends included.

It's your window to investigate everything about the home: the general home inspection, termite, pool, roof, sewer scope, insurance quotes, and anything else that matters to you. It's also when you review the seller's disclosure statement (the SPDS, due within 3 days of acceptance), the seller's 5-year insurance claims history (due within 5 days), and the HOA documents.

Ten days goes fast. That's why I have my buyers book an inspector the day we go under contract, so there's time for a follow-up specialist if the inspector flags something. A roofer, an HVAC tech or a plumber with a camera can't always come out the same day, especially in summer.

One rule many buyers don't expect: the contract requires you to give the seller copies of your inspection reports, at no cost.

What is a BINSR?

When your inspections are done, you deliver the BINSR to the seller before the inspection period ends. On it, you make one of three choices:

Accept the home. You're satisfied and moving forward.

Cancel. You disapprove of the property and cancel the contract. You must list the items you disapprove.

Give the seller a chance to correct or address specific items. This is the most common choice. You list what you'd like fixed, replaced or credited. For example: repair the roof leak above the primary bedroom, service both AC units, replace the cracked pool tile, and fix the reversed hot and cold at the guest bath sink.

All of your inspections need to be finished before you send the BINSR. The form itself confirms that.

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

Under the standard contract, the seller has 5 days after receiving your BINSR to respond. They can agree to everything, decline everything, or respond with something in between, like fixing the roof but offering a credit instead of servicing the AC. If the seller doesn't respond within the 5 days, that counts as a refusal to correct the items.

Then it's your turn. If the seller didn't agree to everything, you have 5 days to decide whether to cancel or move forward with what they offered. Verbal promises don't count. Everything goes in writing.

Can I back out during the inspection period in Arizona?

Yes. During the inspection period, you can cancel by delivering a BINSR that disapproves the property and lists the items you disapprove. When you cancel properly within the inspection period, your earnest money comes back to you.

The key word is properly. Deadlines and written notice matter. If the inspection period ends and you haven't acted, you lose this cancellation right and your earnest money can be at risk. I wrote more about how earnest money is protected in Arizona. This is one of the places where having someone track every date for you really protects you.

Can I change my mind after I send the BINSR?

No. Once you deliver the BINSR, your choice is locked. If you give the seller the chance to correct items, you can't turn around the next day and cancel immediately instead. You'll wait for the seller's response and then decide.

That's why I sit down with my buyers after the inspection and go through the report before we write anything. We separate the true problems (safety, water, roof, structure, major systems) from normal wear on a lived-in home, and then decide on a strategy. A focused BINSR with real issues gets a better response than a 40-item list that includes every loose cabinet hinge.

Should I ask for repairs or a credit?

Both are on the table, and the right answer depends on the item.

A credit or a price change is often cleaner for big-ticket items. You choose the contractor, you control the quality, and the work happens after you own the home. On an older AC or a pool pump, that's usually the better deal for you. Right now, with the Valley leaning toward buyers, sellers are used to these requests: a record 58% of Valley closings in August 2026 included a seller concession, per the Cromford Report.

A repair makes more sense when the item affects your loan or your safety on move-in day, like an active leak, an electrical hazard or a broken gate on the pool fence. If you ask for repairs, ask for receipts from licensed contractors. Under the contract, the seller's repair receipts are due 3 days before closing, and we confirm the work at the final walkthrough.

Lenders limit how much a seller can credit you, and credits go toward costs your lender allows, not cash in hand. Your lender will tell you what's allowed on your loan.

East Valley things to watch for on an inspection

AC age and condition. It's the most important system in an Arizona home, and in July you'll find out fast if it's on its last summer.

Roof underlayment on tile roofs. The tile can last decades. The underlayment beneath it often doesn't.

Termites. Subterranean termites are common in the desert, so a termite inspection is standard.

Pool equipment. Pumps, heaters and filters add up fast. Here's what each inspection costs.

Solar. If the home has solar, we need to know if it's owned, financed or leased, and review those terms during this same window.

Sources: Deadlines: Arizona REALTORS Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract (10-day inspection period, SPDS within 3 days, claims history within 5 days, 5-day seller response, 5-day buyer election, inspection reports provided to seller, repair receipts 3 days before closing); Arizona REALTORS contract series, Part 7B. Concessions: Cromford Report via Ahwatukee Foothills News, Sept 7, 2026 (August 2026 data).

Deadlines here are the defaults in the standard Arizona REALTORS resale contract, and your contract can change them. Confirm your dates with your agent and escrow officer, and take legal questions to an attorney. This is general information, not legal advice.

Plan your Arizona home purchase

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Dana Massey · Compass · dana@danamassey.com · 480-818-7554