Selling a house in Richfield is not the same as selling one in Plymouth, and one of the biggest differences is the point-of-sale inspection. A handful of Twin Cities cities require a city-mandated evaluation before a home can be listed or shown, while most suburbs require nothing at all. Some programs force repairs before closing, some only ask for a disclosure report, and a few check nothing but the sewer line. If you’re buying or selling in 2026, here’s a plain-English rundown of which cities have these rules and how they affect your timeline and budget.
What Is a Point-of-Sale Inspection in Minnesota?
A point-of-sale inspection is a city-required evaluation of a home that happens because the property is being sold. Depending on the city, you’ll hear it called Truth-in-Sale of Housing (TISH), Truth-in-Housing, Time-of-Sale, or code compliance. They’re all the same basic idea: the city wants a licensed evaluator or city inspector to look at the home’s basic safety systems before ownership changes hands.
It is not the same as a buyer’s home inspection. A city evaluation usually takes under an hour and focuses on minimum housing standards: smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, water heater relief valves, gas piping, electrical panels, egress, and obvious structural issues. A private home inspection takes several hours and goes much deeper. Buyers still need their own inspection even when the city report comes back clean.
These programs fall into three rough buckets:
- Repair-required programs – the report lists items that must be fixed before closing, or the buyer must formally agree to fix them afterward.
- Disclosure-only programs – the report simply tells buyers what the evaluator observed. Repairs are generally optional.
- Sewer-only programs – the city requires a camera inspection of the private sewer line, with corrections if it’s leaking or connected improperly.
Which Twin Cities Cities Require a Point-of-Sale Inspection in 2026?
The list has gotten shorter over the past decade as several suburbs repealed their programs, though one city added a new one. Here’s where things stand based on Structure Tech’s statewide Truth-in-Housing list, last reviewed in February 2026:
| City | Program type | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | TISH – repairs required | Report needed before showings |
| St. Paul | TISH – disclosure only | Hard-wired smoke detector rules apply |
| Bloomington | Time-of-sale – city inspection | Covers houses, condos, townhomes |
| St. Louis Park | Code compliance – city inspector | One of the stricter programs |
| Richfield | Point of sale | All dwellings |
| New Hope | Point of sale | All dwellings |
| Columbia Heights | Time-of-sale + sewer | Newest program, started May 2024 |
| South St. Paul | Time-of-sale | Includes mobile homes |
| Maplewood | TISH – disclosure only | Report needed before showings |
| Golden Valley, Mounds View, St. Anthony Village, West St. Paul, Orono, Tonka Bay | Sewer inspection only | Camera check of private sewer line |
No longer required: Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Hopkins (ended January 2021), Osseo, and Robbinsdale (ended February 2024). If you bought in one of these cities years ago and remember going through a city inspection, you won’t need one when you sell.
Most of the western suburbs, including Edina, Plymouth, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, and Wayzata, don’t appear on the list. The exception for lake buyers: Orono and Tonka Bay both require sewer inspections, so if you’re shopping around Lake Minnetonka, check which city the address actually sits in. Ordinances change, so always confirm with the city before listing.
Minneapolis vs. St. Paul: same name, very different rules
Both cities call their program TISH, but they work differently. In Minneapolis, a full Truth in Sale of Housing report is required before the home can be shown. The report lists any required repairs and stays valid for two years or one sale. If repairs aren’t done before closing, the buyer signs an agreement with the city and has 90 days after closing to complete them. That matters if you’re eyeing a bungalow in South Minneapolis.
St. Paul’s TISH program is disclosure only. The report must be available to buyers within three calendar days of listing, is good for one year and one sale, and isn’t required for sales to immediate family. Beyond smoke detector requirements, sellers generally don’t have to fix what the report flags, but buyers will see every item, and that shapes offers.
What Sellers Need to Know Before Listing
If your city requires a point-of-sale inspection, treat it as step one of your listing plan, not something you squeeze in the week photos go live. A few practical tips:
- Schedule early. In spring, evaluators and city inspectors book up. Two to three weeks before your target list date is a comfortable cushion.
- Knock out the easy fixes first. Missing smoke or CO detectors, a water heater without a discharge tube, loose handrails, and uncovered junction boxes show up on reports constantly. Fixing them beforehand keeps your report cleaner.
- Budget for permits. Some required repairs, like relief valves or gas work, need a permit and a licensed contractor, which adds time.
- Expect buyers to read it closely. Even disclosure-only reports become negotiating material. A long list of flagged items can make buyers nervous about what else is lurking.
An agent who lists regularly in your city will know which evaluators are responsive and which repairs come up most. Our seller resources walk through the rest of the prep timeline.
What Buyers Need to Know About City Inspection Reports
For buyers, the city report is a free head start, so read it before you write an offer. It can reveal an aging furnace, a sewer line that needs work, or electrical issues you’d want priced into your number.
In repair-required cities, find out whether the seller plans to complete the work or wants you to assume it. Assuming repairs can sometimes win a competitive house, but in Minneapolis it means a 90-day deadline after closing, and lenders may want funds held in escrow to cover the work. Make sure you have contractor quotes, not guesses.
And again, a clean city report doesn’t replace your own home inspection. The city checks minimum standards; your inspector checks the roof, the attic, the foundation, and everything in between. Visit our buyer resources for more on protecting yourself during the offer process.
Point-of-Sale Inspection FAQs
Who pays for a point-of-sale inspection?
The seller orders and pays for it, since it’s required before listing or showing. Fees are set by the evaluator or the city and usually land in the low hundreds of dollars. Required repairs are a separate cost.
Can I sell a house that failed its city inspection?
Usually, yes. “Failing” typically means the report lists required repairs. In cities like Minneapolis, the buyer can agree to take responsibility for those repairs after closing, often with funds held in escrow.
Does Edina or Plymouth require a point-of-sale inspection?
Neither city appears on the current list of cities with time-of-sale requirements. Still, confirm with the city before you list, since ordinances can change.
Get Local Guidance Before You List or Buy
City inspection rules are a perfect example of why hyper-local experience matters. An agent who sells in Minneapolis every month knows the TISH process cold; an agent from a suburb without a program may not. MinnMatch pairs buyers and sellers with vetted Twin Cities agents who know the rules in your specific city, and it’s free. See how it works, or get matched with a local agent who can walk you through your city’s requirements before they cost you time or money.
