The Condition Deadline Scope Planner takes your offer-accepted date and condition deadline and returns a book-by date: the deadline minus two business days, skipping weekends. It labels the timing from very tight to room to book, and adds notes when the cleanout is unknown, the house predates 1960, or the line needs a locate. A booking exists only once the inspector confirms it.
- The book-by date is the condition deadline minus two business days, with Saturdays and Sundays skipped.
- Three days or fewer between acceptance and deadline is always "Very tight — book today".
- A book-by date that falls on or before the acceptance date means the window is already squeezed.
- Unknown cleanouts, pre-1960 houses and locate requests each add a note, because each can add time.
Condition Deadline Scope Planner
01 /What does the Condition Deadline Scope Planner do?
The planner answers one question for a Calgary buyer or Realtor: by what date must the sewer scope and its report be finished so there is still time to act on them? It works backward from the condition deadline in your purchase contract, reserves two business days for reading the report, getting a quote and deciding, and shows the date that leaves you.
Buyers use it to see whether the condition period is realistic before they sign; Realtors use it to set expectations with a client and to write a clear request to a provider. Sellers' agents can use it too, to anticipate when a buyer's inspector will need access to the house.
It is deliberately simple. It does not know any provider's calendar, it does not book anything, and it does not read your contract. It turns two dates and three facts about the house into a schedule you can act on the same afternoon the offer is accepted.
02 /What do I enter?
| Input | Choices | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Offer accepted | A date | Today |
| Condition deadline | A date | Seven days from today |
| When the house was built | Before 1960; 1960–1989; 1990 or later | 1960–1989 |
| Cleanout access | Known and accessible; not sure; none found | Not sure |
| Need the line's route marked? | No; yes — trees, additions or a garage over it | No |
Use the dates exactly as written in the signed contract. If the deadline has a time of day, remember that the planner works in whole days; a deadline at 9 a.m. leaves less of that day than one at 9 p.m.
03 /How does the planner calculate the book-by date and verdict?
The book-by date is the condition deadline stepped back two business days. Each step moves back one calendar day, and Saturdays and Sundays do not count toward the two, so a Monday deadline gives a Thursday book-by date. Statutory holidays are not skipped, so check the calendar around long weekends.
The planner then counts the calendar days between acceptance and the deadline and applies four rules in order. The first rule that matches sets the verdict.
| Rule | Verdict | Badge |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days or fewer between acceptance and deadline | Very tight — book today | Red |
| Book-by date falls on or before the acceptance date | Tight — book as soon as possible | Red |
| 6 days or fewer | Book in the next day or two | Amber |
| Anything longer | Room to book | Green |
The result shows the number of days, the verdict, the book-by date, and a three-row timeline: the scope and report, finished by the book-by date; two business days to review with your Realtor; and the condition deadline, by which you waive, negotiate or walk away. If the deadline is earlier than the acceptance date, it asks you to check the dates.
04 /What do the extra notes mean?
Three inputs add notes under the timeline. Each flags something that commonly stretches a scope beyond a single short visit.
| You entered | Note added | Why it matters for timing |
|---|---|---|
| Cleanout: not sure, or none found | Ask the seller's side where the cleanout is; without one, the scope may go through a toilet flange or roof vent | Pulling and resetting a toilet or working from the roof takes longer and may need consent |
| Built before 1960 | Older lines are more often clay or cast iron; leave time for a repair quote | A finding is likelier, and quotes take time to arrange |
| Route needs marking | Add a line locate so the route is marked on the ground | Useful where trees, additions or a garage sit over the line; ask for it when booking |
05 /Worked examples: how does the planner handle real calendars?
These examples use 2026 dates and follow the planner's rules exactly.
| Accepted | Deadline | Days | Book-by | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 24 Sep | Fri 2 Oct | 8 | Wed 30 Sep | Room to book |
| Mon 28 Sep | Fri 2 Oct | 4 | Wed 30 Sep | Book in the next day or two |
| Thu 1 Oct | Mon 5 Oct | 4 | Thu 1 Oct | Tight — book as soon as possible |
| Fri 25 Sep | Mon 28 Sep | 3 | Thu 24 Sep | Very tight — book today |
Check the first row by hand to see the method. Friday 2 October minus one business day is Thursday 1 October; minus a second is Wednesday 30 September. Eight days separate acceptance and deadline, the book-by date is well after acceptance, and eight is more than six, so the fourth rule applies.
The third row is the one that surprises people. Four days sounds workable, but a Monday deadline pushes the book-by date back over the weekend to the Thursday the offer was accepted, so the scope effectively needs to happen at once. The fourth row fails the first rule before the book-by date is even considered.
06 /How should I use the result?
- Send the request with the book-by date
Put the condition deadline and the planner's book-by date in the first line of your scope request, with what you know about access.
- Sort out access at once
If the planner added the cleanout note, ask the listing side today where the cleanout is and whether a toilet can be pulled.
- Choose the right package
For pre-1960 houses or unknown material, a scope with locating avoids a second visit; see sewer scope services.
- Line up a quote contact
If a defect turns up, you will need a contractor's written quote inside the two review days.
- Ask early for any extension
If the provider cannot meet the book-by date, talk to your Realtor about an extension while there is still time to agree it in writing.
Realtors can copy the dates straight into the sewer scope due diligence checklist.
07 /What are the planner's limits?
- It does not book. A booking is confirmed only when the inspector confirms it.
- It ignores holidays. Stat holidays count as business days in the calculation.
- It uses whole days. Deadline times of day are not considered.
- Two days is a floor, not a target. Complex findings may need longer to quote; earlier is always better.
- A route mark is not a dig locate. If a repair means digging, a utility locate request needs at least three full working days' notice, which will not fit inside most condition periods.
- It is not contract advice. Your purchase contract and your Realtor set the actual terms and deadlines.
Next, score the house itself with the Buyer Sewer Risk Check, or read sewer scope for home buyers for the full condition-period picture.
FAQQuestions people ask
Why does the planner leave two business days before the condition deadline?
Two business days is a practical minimum to read the report, get a written quote if something was found, and make a decision with your Realtor. More is better when a defect is likely.
Does the planner count statutory holidays?
No. It skips only Saturdays and Sundays, so move your book-by date earlier yourself if a holiday falls in the window.
What should I do if the planner says "Very tight — book today"?
Send the scope request immediately with the deadline stated, sort out access the same day, and talk to your Realtor about whether a written extension is realistic if no slot is available.
Does the planner check inspector availability?
No. It calculates dates only. Availability is confirmed by the provider after the request is sent.
Why does a pre-1960 house get an extra note?
Older lines are more often clay tile or cast iron, so a finding that needs a repair quote is likelier, and quotes take time to arrange.
NETWORKGo deeper across the HAUSE Sewer network
How long a sewer scope takes, from booking to the report
How long a sewer scope inspection takes: typical time on site, what adds time, how far ahead to book, and when to expect the video and the written report.
SewerRoots.caPlanting Distance Checker
Planting Distance Checker: pick a tree, shrub or perennial group, enter its distance from the sewer lateral, and see if the spot meets the guideline.
SewerJetting.caIs hydro jetting safe for old pipes?
Is hydro jetting safe for old pipes? How jetting affects vitrified clay, cast iron, Orangeburg, concrete and plastic, and why camera-first matters.
