The UAD 3.6 Readiness Checklist for Appraisers and Firms

This is the checklist version. Print it, work it, and you will be in better shape than most of your market by the time the mandate arrives on November 2, 2026.

1. Software and delivery

• Get a written release date for UAD 3.6 support from your form software vendor.
• Confirm what it costs on your license tier and whether your current plan includes it.
• Confirm that your software and delivery workflow support the complete UAD 3.6 submission package — not just creation of the URAR. UAD 2.6 submissions use XML with an embedded PDF; UAD 3.6 uses a ZIP package containing the UAD 3.6 XML, the PDF report, and an associated image folder.
• If you deliver through an AMC portal or a third-party delivery service, verify that the entire chain has been tested for UAD 3.6.
• Check any secondary tools you rely on: sketching, data collection apps, photo management, and anything that feeds your report.

2. Training

• Start with the GSE resources. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac publish job aids covering lessons learned, photo and image requirements, ANSI reporting requirements, and inspection and reporting tips.
• Then take your software vendor's training to learn its specific workflow.
• Add an independent or association course if you want deeper practical instruction.
• Complete at least one practice or voluntary UAD 3.6 assignment before the mandate if your clients and software allow it — Broad Production has been open since January 26, 2026.
• If you have staff or trainees, train them on the same schedule. Split knowledge creates rework.

3. Field data capture — do this first

UAD 3.6 introduces more structured and granular information requirements. If a required field depends on something you could have captured during the inspection, discovering the gap back at your desk can create unnecessary rework.

• Review the GSE Inspection and Reporting Tips and rebuild your checklist around the new and more granular property information requirements.
• Review the new photo and image requirements and update your photo routine so you consistently capture required and conditionally required images during the inspection.
• Confirm your ANSI measurement and reporting practices line up with the current guidance.
• Run the new checklist on your next several legacy inspections as practice. There is no penalty for collecting more than the old form needs.

4. Clients and transition planning

This is less about announcing your readiness and more about understanding theirs. For each of your major clients, know:

• When they expect to begin assigning UAD 3.6 work.
• Whether they'll transition gradually or on a defined date.
• Whether assignment instructions will clearly identify the UAD version.
• Whether their portal and delivery workflow are UAD 3.6 ready.
• Who handles transition questions or rejected submissions.
• How they plan to handle legacy UAD 2.6 assignments approaching November 2.

Then, on your side:

• Track the required format on every order. During the transition, client requirements will vary, and as November 2 approaches, legacy UAD 2.6 assignments need enough runway to be completed, delivered, reviewed, and initially submitted to UCDP before the mandate.
• Build slack into your calendar around the mandate window. Do not stack your heaviest month across it.
• Leave additional capacity for your first UAD 3.6 assignments. New workflows, unfamiliar fields, and client-specific review processes may create more back-and-forth while everyone adjusts.

5. Your own operating discipline

Every item above adds coordination work on top of an order load that was already full. The technical side of UAD 3.6 can be learned. The operational risk is letting the transition pile new requirements onto an already-full order pipeline and losing visibility into what is due, who is waiting, and which file needs what.

So the last item on the checklist is the least technical and the most valuable: get one place where orders, scheduling, deadlines, tasks, and client communication live. Then the UAD 3.6 work is the only new thing you are carrying.

Print-and-work summary

• ☐ UAD 3.6 software availability confirmed
• ☐ Pricing / license impact confirmed
• ☐ Delivery workflow confirmed end-to-end
• ☐ Secondary tools checked for compatibility
• ☐ GSE inspection and reporting resources reviewed
• ☐ Vendor training completed
• ☐ Field inspection checklist updated
• ☐ Photo / image workflow updated
• ☐ New checklist practiced during inspections
• ☐ At least one UAD 3.6 assignment completed before the mandate, where available
• ☐ Major clients' transition plans confirmed
• ☐ UAD version tracked per order
• ☐ Legacy UAD 2.6 pipeline identified ahead of Nov. 2
• ☐ Extra capacity reserved around the transition
• ☐ Team / staff workflow documented