TREC Inspection Report: The REI 7-6 Form Explained

Short answer: Every Texas real estate inspection for a buyer or seller of a substantially complete one-to-four family home must be reported on TREC's Property Inspection Report Form, REI 7-6 (footer dated 8/9/21, required since February 1, 2022). It has six sections, from Structural Systems to Optional Systems, and every item is marked I, NI, NP or D. The content rules are the standards of practice in 22 TAC §§535.227 to 535.233. TREC proposed a rewrite in May 2026 and withdrew it in August 2026. A new draft went to TREC in October 2026 and was on its November 9, 2026 agenda for possible proposal. None of it has been adopted, so REI 7-6 and the current standards remain in force as of November 11, 2026.

This guide is for Texas inspectors, and for inspectors moving to Texas who have used free-form reports elsewhere. Texas is different: the state writes the form, fixes its layout, and defines what "deficient" means. Everything below was checked against the rules in November 2026, with the rule cited so you can read it yourself.

What REI 7-6 is and when you must use it

REI 7-6 is TREC's promulgated Property Inspection Report Form. TREC's form page lists its effective date as February 1, 2022. It was voluntary from September 1, 2021 and required from February 1, 2022.

Rule 535.223 adopts it by reference and says inspections "performed for a prospective buyer or prospective seller of substantially complete one-to-four family residential property shall be reported on Form REI 7-6."

The rule does not apply to:

• reinspections of a property for the same client;
• inspections performed for or required by a lender or government agency;
• inspections where other law requires a different form;
• builder quality-control inspections of new homes where the builder requires a different report, provided the first page carries the builder notice set out in the rule;
• buildings that are not substantially complete.

So a new-construction phase inspection or a lender-ordered inspection can use your own format. A buyer's inspection of a finished house cannot.

What TREC requires of every Texas inspector

Before the form, the license. TREC issues three inspector licenses: Apprentice Inspector, Real Estate Inspector and Professional Real Estate Inspector. The Texas licensing guide covers the path.

Once licensed, these are the rules that shape every report:

TREC does not require a pre-inspection agreement. Its FAQ says inspectors "are free to use or not use a contract." Using one is still wise; see home inspection agreements.

The structure of REI 7-6

The form opens with a preamble TREC wrote and you may not change: the purpose of the inspection, what the inspector is and is not required to do, the client's responsibilities, report limitations, and a notice about hazardous conditions such as missing GFCI and AFCI protection, safety glass, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire-rated doors, escape openings, baluster spacing and CSST bonding. Then an "Additional Information Provided by Inspector" section, then the six system sections.

The I, NI, NP, D boxes

Every item gets checkboxes for Inspected, Not Inspected, Not Present and Deficient. Rule 535.223(5) requires you to check the right boxes for each item "and explain the findings in the corresponding section in the body of the report form." If you check more than one box, you must explain why in that section.

What you may and may not change on the form

Rule 535.223 is strict. If you use software, you "must reproduce the text of the standard form verbatim and the spacing, borders and placement of text must be identical to the standard form."

You must renumber pages after adding space or items, and number every page including addenda.

The standards of practice, 22 TAC 535.227 to 535.233

The form says where to write. The standards say what to write.

General provisions that shape every report

Scope. A real estate inspection "is a limited visual survey and basic performance evaluation of the systems and components of a building using normal controls." It does not require specialized equipment such as thermal cameras, moisture meters, sewer cameras or drones. If you go beyond the standards, you "must possess the competency required to do so."

General requirements. Operate fixed equipment in at least one mode with ordinary controls, inspect accessible systems "from near proximity" and from inside the attic and crawl spaces, and complete the standard form.

Limitations. You are not required to determine "the presence or absence of pests, termites, or other wood-destroying insects or organisms," mold, asbestos or lead, code compliance, life expectancy or age, or the cause of a condition. You are not required to provide repair cost estimates.

Departure provision. You may skip a required item only if you and the client agree, you are not qualified to inspect it, conditions prevent inspection, are hazardous to you or your actions may damage the property, or it is a shared multifamily element not touching the unit. You must tell the client and record the reason on the report.

An example from §535.228

The system rules are specific. For foundations, the inspector shall "render a written opinion as to the performance of the foundation," report the foundation type and the crawl space vantage point, report the indications used to reach the opinion (binding doors, sloping floors, cracks, rotating masonry), and report as Deficient items such as deteriorated materials and crawl space ventilation that is not performing. You are not required to enter a crawl space with less than 18 inches of headroom or an access opening smaller than 24 by 18 inches.

Deficiency language that fits the rules

"Deficient" is a defined word in Texas. Under §535.227, a deficiency is a condition that, in the inspector's reasonable judgment, "adversely and materially affects the performance of a system, or component" or "constitutes a hazard to life, limb, or property as specified by these standards of practice." "Deficient" means "reported as having one or more deficiencies."

That definition drives your wording:

A good Texas finding does three things: names the item and location, states the observed condition in the language of the standard ("not performing", "deteriorated", "damaged"), and says who should evaluate or correct it. More on this in how to write defect comments that hold up.

On wood-destroying insects, TREC's FAQ is direct: under a home inspector license, you "MAY NOT comment on whether termite infestations exist," but you "should comment on visible damage regardless of the underlying cause and note it as a deficiency." The WDI report itself is the Texas Department of Agriculture's SPCS/T-5, issued by a licensed pest professional. See WDO vs WDI inspections and the NPMA-33 guide.

The 2026 rule changes: proposed, withdrawn, drafted again

You may have heard that TREC changed the standards in 2026. As of November 11, 2026, it has not. Changes have been proposed, withdrawn and drafted again, and none has been adopted.

Do not build templates around draft text. If TREC proposes the changes, they are published in the Texas Register, and TREC accepts written comments for 30 days after publication. Until TREC adopts a change, the draft retention, roof, septic and sewer camera provisions are not requirements. Check TREC's rules page for the current status. Note that the current rule already expects roof access: §535.228(c) says you inspect roof coverings "from the surface of the roof," unless you cannot safely reach or stay on it or walking it may cause significant damage, and you report the vantage point. If you scope sewers today, you do it as a separate service beyond the standards; see sewer scope inspections.

Delivering the TREC report efficiently

The two-day delivery rule in §535.222 is a legal deadline. Formatting a TREC report by hand, renumbering pages and keeping the preamble verbatim is where time goes.

Use software that ships the form. Binsr has the TREC form built in, with the I, NI, NP and D statuses on every item. You are not rebuilding the form yourself, so your time goes into the findings.

Build your comment library to the Texas definitions. Write reusable comments that use "deficient", "not performing" and "deteriorated" the way the standards do, and keep code language out. Binsr's library holds 12,000+ comments and templates written by inspectors, which you can edit to Texas wording.

Attach everything else after the form. Photos, a summary and your agreement are allowed as attachments after the standard form. Binsr lets one inspection produce several reports, so an optional pool or sewer report can go out separately.

Aim for same day. The rule gives you two days, and nothing stops you delivering sooner. See same-day inspection reports for the workflow.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

• How to become a home inspector in Texas
• WDO vs WDI inspections for home inspectors
• NPMA-33 form: how to fill it out
• What a good home inspection report includes
• Same-day inspection reports
• How to price ancillary inspection services

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