How Tennessee contract days are counted
Day one, weekends, federal holidays, and the closing date, with a worked example from a real calendar.
Tennessee purchase agreements run on a handful of deadlines, and most of the stress in a transaction comes from counting them. The rules are simple once they’re written down. Here they are, with a real example.
Rule 1: Day one is the day after binding
Time periods in the Tennessee REALTORS® forms are calendar days, and counting starts the day after the Binding Agreement Date. If a contract binds on a Wednesday, Thursday is day one. A “3 days” deadline lands on Saturday, before any weekend move.
Rule 2: Deadlines end at 11:59 p.m., local time
A deadline runs through the end of its day, in the time zone where the property sits. That matters near the state line between Central and Eastern time.
Rule 3: Weekends and federal holidays roll forward
When a performance deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, it moves to the next business day. A Saturday deadline before a Monday holiday moves all the way to Tuesday.
Rule 4: Some dates don’t roll
The Closing Date stays where the contract puts it, as do a few others the form names, like the Date of Possession. If closing lands on a weekend, that’s a conversation to have with the title office, not something the counting fixes.
A worked example
A contract binds on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, with a 10-day inspection period, a 3-day resolution period, and closing on Friday, November 6.
- Day 10 is Saturday, October 10. Sunday doesn’t count, and Monday, October 12 is Columbus Day, so inspections are due Tuesday, October 13.
- The 3-day Resolution Period counts from that moved deadline: Friday, October 16.
- The mortgage application (day 3) and earnest money (day 3) both land on Saturday, October 3, so they move to Monday, October 5.
| Date | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Wed, Sep 30 | Binding Agreement Date |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Mortgage application (moved from Sat, Oct 3) |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Earnest money due (moved from Sat, Oct 3) |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Proof of funds |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Appraisal ordered |
| Tue, Oct 13 | Inspections due (moved from Sat, Oct 10) |
| Wed, Oct 14 | Insurance secured |
| Wed, Oct 14 | Intent to proceed |
| Fri, Oct 16 | Resolution Period ends |
| Tue, Nov 3 | Closing Disclosure due |
| Tue, Nov 3 | Final inspection begins |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Closing day |
The Closing Disclosure counts differently
The federal lending rule says the buyer must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing, and for this rule a business day is every day except Sundays and federal holidays. Saturday counts. For a Friday, November 6 closing, that’s Tuesday, November 3. For a Friday, November 27 closing, Thanksgiving doesn’t count, so it’s Monday, November 23.
This guide is for planning, not legal advice. Special stipulations, amendments, and the form version you used can change any of it. Confirm against the signed contract and ask your managing broker when something’s unclear.
Skip the counting: the Tennessee contract date calculator does all of this for any contract, and Hopstone Home does it for every client you put under contract.