# What to do after a home inspection in Alberta: renegotiate, ask for repairs or walk away By Banish Angural · Published October 18, 2026 > After a home inspection in Alberta, you can waive the condition and go ahead, ask the seller for a price reduction, credit or repairs through a written amendment, or let the condition lapse and walk away. Under the standard clause, an unwaived condition ends the contract and the deposit is returned under its terms. Check your contract with your lawyer. The report is in, you have read it, and your condition deadline is a few days away. Now comes the decision: go ahead, ask for something, or walk away. This post explains how those options usually work in Alberta. Every contract is different, so treat it as general information and check the details with your REALTOR® and real estate lawyer. ## What are your options after a home inspection in Alberta? You generally have four. [CMHC](https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/professionals/industry-innovation-and-leadership/industry-expertise/resources-for-mortgage-professionals/making-offer-purchase-a-home) describes the core choice: if the inspection shows repairs are needed, you and your agent decide whether to withdraw the offer or renegotiate. - **Go ahead as is:** you waive the inspection condition in writing and plan the repairs yourself. - **Renegotiate:** you ask the seller for a lower price, a credit or repairs, and any change is written into the contract. - **Get more time:** you ask the seller to agree in writing to extend the condition date while a specialist takes a closer look. - **Walk away:** you do not waive the condition, and the contract ends under its terms. The [Real Estate Council of Alberta](https://www.reca.ca/news/should-you-make-a-condition-free-offer-the-risks-you-need-to-know-before-you-bid/) notes that if a buyer does not waive conditions by the agreed deadline, the offer becomes void. So doing nothing is also a choice, and it ends the deal. ## Which findings are worth negotiating? Focus on the findings that were not reasonably obvious when you made your offer and that change the value or safety of the home. That usually means safety issues and major defects, not maintenance or cosmetic items. Our guide on [how to read a home inspection report](https://edmontonhomeinspector.com/blog/how-to-read-home-inspection-report) explains how to sort them. A long list of small requests can sour a negotiation. A short list of real issues, backed by a contractor quote, is easier for a seller to take seriously. Ask yourself: if this were fixed, would I happily pay the agreed price? ## How do you get repair quotes before the deadline? Call contractors as soon as the report arrives. Your inspector cannot help with numbers: under Alberta's [Home Inspection Business Regulation](https://open.alberta.ca/publications/2011_075), neither an inspector nor an inspection business may give you an estimate of the cost of a repair or improvement. A few tips: - Send the contractor the relevant pages and photos from the report so they know what to look at. - Ask your REALTOR® to arrange access with the listing side for any site visit. - Ask for a written quote, even a rough one, that you can share in a negotiation. - Start with the trade the report names, such as an electrician, plumber, roofer or structural engineer. Specialists are often booked up, so if you cannot get answers before the deadline, talk to your REALTOR® about asking for an extension early. ## Price reduction, credit or seller repairs: which is better? Each has trade-offs. Your REALTOR® will know what is common for the home and the market. - **Price reduction:** simple and clean. You handle the repair yourself, with your own choice of contractor. Ask your lender how a lower price affects your mortgage and down payment. - **Credit or holdback:** money adjusted at closing for a known repair. How this is handled depends on your lender and lawyer, so ask them before you agree to it. - **Seller repairs:** the seller arranges the work before possession. You don't control the contractor or the quality, so ask for licensed trades, receipts, any permits, and a chance to check the work before closing. For safety issues, some buyers prefer seller repairs so the problem is dealt with before move-in. For larger or more personal work, such as a roof or a new furnace, many prefer a price change so they can choose the contractor. ## How are changes written into the contract? In writing, signed by both sides. Any agreed change to the price, terms or dates is recorded in an amendment to your purchase contract, which your REALTOR® prepares. The [Alberta Real Estate Association's guide to supplementary clauses](https://albertarealtor.ca/hubfs/AREA%202026%20Residential%20Purchase%20Contract%20Clauses%20and%20Phrases.pdf) stresses that time is of the essence, so condition dates do not move unless both sides agree in writing. Once the amendment is signed, you still need to waive the condition with written notice before the deadline. The same [AREA guide](https://albertarealtor.ca/hubfs/AREA%202026%20Residential%20Purchase%20Contract%20Clauses%20and%20Phrases.pdf) says that once the buyer delivers a written waiver in time, the contract becomes unconditional. Your lawyer can confirm how your specific amendment and waiver fit together. ## What if the seller says no? A seller does not have to agree to a price change or repairs. They can say yes, say no, or make a counter-offer. If you cannot reach a deal, you are back to the original choice: go ahead on the original terms or let the condition lapse. It helps to decide your walk-away point before you ask. Knowing what you would accept makes the conversation calmer and quicker. ## Can you walk away, and what happens to your deposit? Yes, if the inspection condition is still in place. In the [AREA guide's](https://albertarealtor.ca/hubfs/AREA%202026%20Residential%20Purchase%20Contract%20Clauses%20and%20Phrases.pdf) sample clause, if the buyer does not waive the condition by the deadline, the contract automatically ends and the deposit is returned in accordance with the contract. The [AREA](https://albertarealtor.ca/practically-speaking/who-should-hold-real-estate-deposits) notes that in most Alberta deals, the deposit is held in trust by the buyer's or seller's brokerage. Timing is everything. Once you waive the condition, the deal is firm. [RECA](https://www.reca.ca/news/should-you-make-a-condition-free-offer-the-risks-you-need-to-know-before-you-bid/) warns that a buyer who then fails to complete may forfeit their deposit and could face legal action. If you are unsure, talk to your lawyer before your deadline, not after. For more on how the condition itself works, see [is a home inspection a condition of sale in Alberta?](https://edmontonhomeinspector.com/blog/home-inspection-condition-of-sale-alberta) ## What if a problem shows up after possession? A home inspection is visual, so some problems can only appear later. Sellers have duties too. [RECA](https://www.reca.ca/wp-content/uploads/PDF/Material-Latent-Defects.pdf) explains that sellers must disclose material latent defects they know about: defects that cannot be seen on a reasonable inspection and that make a home dangerous, unfit to live in, or very costly to fix. If you find something like that after moving in, speak to a real estate lawyer. ## Where should you get advice on your own deal? From your REALTOR® for strategy and paperwork, and from your real estate lawyer for what your contract actually says about amendments, waivers and deposits. This post is general information, not legal advice. If you are still searching, a clear [pre-purchase inspection](https://edmontonhomeinspector.com/services/pre-purchase-home-inspection) report makes these conversations easier. See [how it works](https://edmontonhomeinspector.com/how-it-works) for the steps, for homes in [Edmonton](https://edmontonhomeinspector.com/service-areas/edmonton), [St. Albert](https://edmontonhomeinspector.com/service-areas/st-albert) or [Leduc](https://edmontonhomeinspector.com/service-areas/leduc). ## Sources - [Making an offer to purchase a home](https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/professionals/industry-innovation-and-leadership/industry-expertise/resources-for-mortgage-professionals/making-offer-purchase-a-home), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - [Should you make a condition-free offer? The risks you need to know before you bid](https://www.reca.ca/news/should-you-make-a-condition-free-offer-the-risks-you-need-to-know-before-you-bid/), Real Estate Council of Alberta - [Home Inspection Business Regulation (Alta Reg 75/2011)](https://open.alberta.ca/publications/2011_075), Alberta King's Printer - [Residential Purchase Contract: Guide to Supplementary Clauses](https://albertarealtor.ca/hubfs/AREA%202026%20Residential%20Purchase%20Contract%20Clauses%20and%20Phrases.pdf), Alberta Real Estate Association - [Who should hold real estate deposits?](https://albertarealtor.ca/practically-speaking/who-should-hold-real-estate-deposits), Alberta Real Estate Association - [Material latent defects](https://www.reca.ca/wp-content/uploads/PDF/Material-Latent-Defects.pdf), Real Estate Council of Alberta ## Questions readers ask ### Can I ask the seller to fix things after a home inspection in Alberta? Yes. You can ask for repairs, a price reduction or a credit, and the seller can agree, refuse or counter. Any change should be written into an amendment signed by both sides. ### Do I get my deposit back if I walk away after the inspection? Under the standard Alberta clause, if you do not waive the inspection condition by the deadline, the contract ends and the deposit is returned under the contract’s terms. Once you waive, the deal is firm. Confirm your own contract with your lawyer. ### Should I ask for a price reduction or for seller repairs? A price reduction lets you choose your own contractor, while seller repairs get the work done before move-in. Your REALTOR® can advise on what fits your deal.