Final Walkthrough Before Closing: A California Buyer's Checklist
The final walkthrough before closing is the buyer’s last visit to the home, usually in the final days of escrow, to confirm that the property is in the condition the contract promises, that agreed repairs are finished and that everything included in the sale is still there. It is not a second inspection and not a new chance to cancel over the home’s condition. In transactions on California Association of REALTORS® forms, the purchase agreement calls it the buyer’s final verification of condition.
C.A.R. redesigned its Residential Purchase Agreement in December 2025, and the form text is available only to members and their clients, so this checklist describes the walkthrough in general terms rather than quoting paragraph numbers or default day counts. Your signed contract, including the date it sets for the walkthrough, controls. Use the tables below on your phone or print them, and bring the documents listed in the next section.
What the final walkthrough is for
By the time of the walkthrough you have usually removed your contingencies, so the question is narrower than it was during inspections. You are checking four things:
- Condition hasn’t changed. Recent RPA versions include a seller duty to maintain the property in substantially the same condition as on the date of acceptance; a public guide to the December 2022 version quotes it as covering the pool, spa, landscaping and grounds. Check the wording in your own signed form. New damage, a leak that appeared after a storm or a dead lawn in July are fair topics.
- Agreed repairs are done. Anything the seller agreed to in your repair negotiation should be finished, in the way the agreement describes, with paperwork. Our guide to the request for repair in California explains how those agreements are made.
- Included items are still there. Appliances, window coverings, fixtures and any personal property the contract lists stay with the house. Items the seller excluded can go.
- The seller has moved out as agreed. Unless the contract gives the seller possession after closing, the house should be empty of the seller’s belongings, debris and trash, or close to it.
What the walkthrough is not: an occasion to raise items you saw, or could have seen, during your investigation period. Those were for the contingency period, and a seller has little reason to address them now.
When to schedule it
The contract states when the buyer may do the final verification, counted back from the close of escrow. Most buyers aim for a day or two before signing, close enough that nothing is likely to change and early enough to fix a problem without moving the closing date. In our California escrow timeline, the walkthrough falls in week four, after the Closing Disclosure arrives and before loan signing.
- Book it after the seller’s movers have left, so you can see floors and walls that furniture covered.
- Go in daylight if you can, and allow an hour for a house, more for acreage.
- Ask the listing agent to confirm that power, water and gas are still on. You can’t test a furnace or a well pump without them.
- If the seller is staying after closing under a rent-back, agree in writing on a second look at move-out.
What to bring
- The signed purchase agreement and counter offers, especially the list of included and excluded items.
- The signed repair agreement, and the invoices, receipts, permits and warranties for each completed repair.
- Your home inspection and pest reports, to compare the repaired areas with what the reports described.
- A phone charger or small plug-in tester for outlets, and a flashlight for the attic hatch, crawlspace door and under sinks.
- Your agent. If you can’t attend, ask your agent to walk it with you on a live video call.
Room-by-room final walkthrough checklist
| Area | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Entry, doors and windows | All keys, fobs, garage remotes and gate codes; locks work; windows open, close and latch; screens present | Missing keys and remotes are easy to fix now and annoying later |
| Kitchen | Each burner and the oven heat; dishwasher runs a short cycle; disposal and range hood work; included refrigerator is there and cold; no leaks under the sink | Appliances listed in the contract should be present and working as they were when you made your offer |
| Bathrooms | Run every faucet and shower hot and cold; flush each toilet; check for drips at supply lines and under vanities; exhaust fans run | Small leaks show up after a house sits empty |
| Living areas and bedrooms | Walls and floors for damage from moving; light switches and ceiling fans; outlets in each room; closet doors | Move-out damage is a change in condition after acceptance |
| Heating and cooling | Turn the heat and any air conditioning on and confirm warm or cool air at the registers; thermostat responds | A system that ran at inspection should run now |
| Water heater | Strapping or bracing in place; no water on the floor; hot water reaches the far bathroom | Sellers must certify the water heater is braced under Health and Safety Code 19211 |
| Smoke and CO alarms | Alarms present and test buttons work; CO alarms where the house has gas appliances, a fireplace or an attached garage | Required under Health and Safety Code 13113.8 and 17926 |
| Garage, laundry and attic | Garage door opener and auto-reverse; included washer and dryer; no new water stains at the attic hatch | Roof leaks show first as ceiling stains |
| Exterior and yard | Irrigation timer runs; landscaping alive; gutters attached; fences and gates close; no debris or junk left behind | Recent RPA versions include landscaping and grounds in the condition the seller maintains |
| Repaired items | Each item on the repair agreement, against its receipt and permit | The walkthrough is your chance to verify the work before money changes hands |
California safety items to confirm
Three state rules show up at nearly every California closing, and the walkthrough is a good time to make sure the paperwork matches the house.
- Smoke alarms. Health and Safety Code 13113.8 requires a single-family home sold on or after January 1, 1986 to have an operable smoke alarm, and the seller must give the buyer a written statement of compliance before title transfers.
- Carbon monoxide alarms. Section 17926 requires an owner to install a carbon monoxide device in each existing dwelling unit that has a fossil-fuel-burning heater or appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage.
- Water heater bracing. Section 19211 requires water heaters to be braced, anchored or strapped against earthquake motion, and the seller to certify compliance to the buyer in writing.
The legal remedy for a missing smoke or carbon monoxide device is small, so it is simpler to ask the seller to fix it before closing or to buy an alarm yourself than to argue about it. Our home safety essentials checklist covers what to check before you buy alarms, strap kits and other first-week gear. If the property is in a high or very high fire hazard zone, confirm that the defensible space paperwork described in our AB 38 inspection guide is in your escrow file.
Checking repairs: receipts, permits and termite work
Repairs are where most walkthrough problems surface. For each item on the signed agreement, check three things.
- Is it done as described? “Repair the roof leak at the chimney” is not the same as “patch the ceiling stain.” Compare the work with the wording you signed.
- Who did it? Contractor licensing rules apply to larger jobs, so look for the contractor’s name and license number on the invoice. Our repair guide covers the minor-work exemption.
- Is there proof? Ask for invoices, paid receipts, permits with final sign-off where required, and any warranties, delivered before you sign.
If the seller agreed to complete termite work, ask for the pest company’s completion notice for the Section 1 items. Our termite report guide explains the sections and why a completion certification is a separate step.
Extra checks for rural and wine-country properties
A ranch, vineyard home or house on acreage has systems that a suburban checklist misses. Add these:
- Well. Run water for several minutes and watch the pressure; listen for the pump cycling too often. Ask where the pressure tank and well log are.
- Septic. Look for wet ground or odors over the leach field and confirm any pumping or repair the seller agreed to, with the pumper’s receipt. Our posts on wells, septic and rural utilities in Sonoma County and well and septic inspections in Napa and Marin cover what the inspections found.
- Propane. Find out whether the tank is owned or leased, and how full it is. The fuel left in an owned tank is sometimes credited in escrow.
- Irrigation and gates. Run each zone on the controller and test electric gates, keypads and any backup power.
- Outbuildings and ADUs. Walk the barn, shop, pool equipment and any second unit, since sellers often move out of those last.
If something is wrong
Stay calm and document it: photos, a short written list and a call to your agent before you leave the property. Most problems are settled in one of these ways:
- The seller fixes it before closing. Best for small items and anything the lender cares about.
- A credit through escrow. Both sides sign an addendum, but your lender has to approve it, and loan programs cap seller contributions. See our guide to seller concessions.
- An escrow holdback. Part of the seller’s proceeds stays in escrow until the work is done. Some lenders won’t allow one, so ask first.
- A short extension. If the problem is serious, such as a burst pipe or a missing appliance the seller is replacing, both parties can sign an extension of the closing date.
Refusing to close is a serious step. If the seller won’t address a real breach, such as unfinished agreed repairs or significant new damage, get advice before you act; our guide to cancelling a home purchase in California explains what’s at stake for your deposit.
This is general information, not legal advice; if a walkthrough problem threatens your closing, talk to a California real estate attorney before you refuse to sign or withhold funds.
Questions people ask
How long before closing is the final walkthrough?
Your purchase agreement sets the timing, counted back from the close of escrow. Most buyers schedule it a day or two before signing, after the seller has moved out, so there’s still time to fix a problem without delaying the closing.
Can I back out after the final walkthrough?
Not just because you’ve changed your mind. By then most contingencies are removed. If the seller hasn’t done agreed repairs or the home has new damage, you may have remedies under the contract, so talk to your agent and, if needed, an attorney before you refuse to close.
What if the seller hasn’t moved out?
Unless the contract gives the seller possession after closing, the seller should be out by the time the contract says. If they need more time, any stay after closing should be on a written agreement covering rent, deposit and insurance, signed before you close.
Is the final walkthrough required?
Check your contract, but in practice the walkthrough exists to protect the buyer, and skipping it means you lose your best chance to catch problems before you own them. If you live out of the area, have your agent walk it on video with you.
Should my home inspector come to the final walkthrough?
Usually not, but for a major repair, such as a new roof or foundation work, paying the inspector or a specialist to check the finished work can be worthwhile. Schedule it early enough to report back before signing.
What if the seller left furniture or junk behind?
Ask the listing agent to have it removed before closing. If that isn’t possible, a small credit for hauling, approved by your lender, is a common fix.
Get help before the last week
A smooth walkthrough starts weeks earlier, with a clear repair agreement and a list of included items in the contract. See where the walkthrough fits in our home buying process guide and the homebuying process overview, or keep our 25-step buyer checklist handy. To buy with an agent who walks the house with you, start with our buyer services. If you need a contractor, pest company or inspector, Diamond may refer you to partners we work with; you’re free to choose any provider.
Sources & notes
- California Public Law: Health and Safety Code section 13113.8 (smoke alarms on sale)
- California Public Law: Health and Safety Code section 17926 (carbon monoxide devices)
- California Public Law: Health and Safety Code section 19211 (water heater bracing and seller certification)
- Seb Frey: Quick Guide to the California Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA 12/22), seller’s maintenance duty
- California Association of REALTORS®: List of standard forms (updated June 2026)
Timing and form mechanics are described in general terms because the December 2025 RPA is available only to C.A.R. members; check your own contract.
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
