Colorado contract deadlines: how to read the CREC deadline table

Colorado contract deadlines work differently from almost every other state’s: instead of “10 days after acceptance,” the Colorado Real Estate Commission’s Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate asks the parties to write an actual date next to each deadline. That makes the file easier to read later. It also means a counting mistake made while drafting gets signed into the contract.

Quick answer: Colorado contract deadlines are written as dates in the § 3.1 table of the Commission’s residential contract (CBS1). Each one ends at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time unless the parties set a different Time of Day Deadline. A deadline that lands on a weekend or holiday moves only if “Will” is checked in § 3.3.3.

Which form sets Colorado contract deadlines?

For residential resale, brokers use the Commission’s Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Residential), form CBS1. The current version was adopted August 5, 2025, and is mandatory for contracts written on or after January 1, 2026. You can download it from the Colorado Division of Real Estate contracts and forms page.

Section 3.1 is a numbered table, roughly 40 rows long, with a column headed “Event Date or Deadline.” Row 1 is the Time of Day Deadline, and the rest run from earnest money through title, loan, appraisal, inspection, closing and possession.

Why does the Colorado contract use dates instead of day counts?

A written date leaves less room to argue. Nobody has to debate whether day one is the signing date or the day after, and anyone who opens the file months later sees the same deadline the parties saw. When the parties amend a deadline, they change a date rather than a count.

The trade-off sits with the person drafting. The dates do not recalculate themselves. If an offer goes out with dates built for a Monday signing and the seller signs Wednesday, every date stays where it was, and the buyer just lost two days of inspection time.

One more rule catches people. Under § 3.2, a deadline left blank, marked “N/A” or marked “Deleted” is not applicable, and the provision that uses it is deleted. In Colorado a blank does not fall back to a default. It removes the right.

How do you calculate a Colorado deadline from MEC?

MEC means mutual execution of the contract, the date both parties have signed. Many brokers think in terms of “MEC plus so many days,” then write the resulting date into the table.

When the contract counts a period of days without a stated end date, § 3.3.2 says the first day is excluded and the last day is included. So MEC plus 10, with MEC on a Tuesday, lands on the Friday of the following week. Use the same method when you draft so your table matches how the form itself counts.

What time do Colorado deadlines expire?

Under § 3.3.1, a “day” is the entire day ending at 11:59 p.m. United States Mountain Time, standard or daylight as applicable. The parties can enter a Time of Day Deadline in row 1, and then the objection, resolution, examination and termination deadlines end at that time instead. If row 1 is blank or “N/A,” 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time applies.

Timing of delivery matters too. A notice to terminate is effective when the other party receives it, and it must be received on or before the deadline. A notice that arrives late is ineffective, and the party who held the right is treated as having accepted the matter.

What happens if a Colorado deadline falls on a weekend or holiday?

Section 3.3.3 gives the parties a choice. If a deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal or Colorado state holiday, it “Will” or “Will Not” be extended to the next day that is not one of those. If neither box is checked, the deadline is not extended.

Because the form says federal or Colorado, both lists count when “Will” is checked. Colorado’s statute lists Frances Xavier Cabrini Day on the first Monday in October, while the federal calendar keeps Columbus Day on the second Monday. In 2027 that puts holidays on October 4 and October 11.

Which Colorado deadlines matter most?

• Watch the Record Title Deadline and the Record Title Objection Deadline. If the buyer sends no objection or termination by the objection deadline, the buyer accepts title as shown in the commitment and title documents.
• The Inspection Termination, Objection and Resolution Deadlines work together. The buyer can terminate by the Inspection Termination Deadline only if no Inspection Objection has been delivered. Sending an objection gives up that clean exit and starts the negotiation that must settle by the Inspection Resolution Deadline.
• The appraisal objection and resolution dates follow the Appraisal Deadline.
• The New Loan Availability Deadline is the buyer’s last date to terminate if the loan is not satisfactory.
• Closing happens on the Closing Date, or earlier if the parties agree.

Worked example: MEC on November 10, 2026

Say both parties sign on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. The buyer’s broker drafted from day counts and wrote these dates into the table.

Deadline	MEC plus	Date in table	If “Will” is checked
Record Title Deadline	10	Fri, Nov 20, 2026	No change
Inspection Objection Deadline	11	Sat, Nov 21, 2026	Mon, Nov 23, 2026
Inspection Resolution Deadline	14	Tue, Nov 24, 2026	No change
Record Title Objection Deadline	16	Thu, Nov 26, 2026 (Thanksgiving)	Fri, Nov 27, 2026
Appraisal Deadline	24	Fri, Dec 4, 2026	No change
New Loan Availability Deadline	31	Fri, Dec 11, 2026	No change
Closing Date	38	Fri, Dec 18, 2026	No change

Two things jump out. If neither box in § 3.3.3 is checked, the inspection objection is due by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on a Saturday and the title objection is due on Thanksgiving. Nothing moves.

If “Will” is checked, the inspection objection slides to Monday, but the Inspection Resolution Deadline stays on Tuesday. The parties now have one day to negotiate repairs instead of three. Rolling one date can squeeze the next, so read the table as a whole before anyone signs.

The executed contract controls, so confirm every date with the broker or attorney on the transaction before you calendar it.

Frequently asked questions

Do Colorado contract deadlines include weekends?

Yes. The deadlines are fixed dates, so the days in between include weekends and holidays. The only question is the deadline date itself. If it lands on a Saturday, Sunday or federal or Colorado holiday, it moves to the next business day only when “Will” is checked in section 3.3.3. If neither box is checked, it does not move.

What happens if a deadline in the Colorado contract is left blank?

Under section 3.2 of the Commission’s contract, a deadline left blank, marked N/A or marked Deleted is not applicable, and the provision that contains it is deleted. Colorado has no default day counts to fall back on, so a blank inspection or appraisal deadline can remove that right from the contract entirely.

What time zone do Colorado real estate deadlines use?

United States Mountain Time, standard or daylight as applicable. Unless the parties enter a Time of Day Deadline in row 1 of the section 3.1 table, each deadline ends at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on the stated date. That matters for out-of-state buyers signing notices from another time zone.

What does MEC mean in a Colorado contract?

MEC stands for mutual execution of the contract, the date on which both parties have signed it. Brokers usually build the deadline table by counting from MEC, excluding MEC itself and including the last day. If the signing date slips, the written dates do not move, so recheck them.

Building a Colorado table from scratch? Our free Colorado deadline calculator lets you enter each date and export a calendar or spreadsheet. If you would rather hand off the tracking, a Colorado transaction coordinator from our team can take the file, or book a call with Lisa.