Under UAD 2.6, a missing field usually meant a revision request from a reviewer, sometimes days later. Under UAD 3.6, it often means a Fatal finding the moment the lender submits to UCDP. The UAD 3.6 compliance rules are the reason. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac publish them as Appendix H-1, and version 1.5 for the redesigned URAR has 728 of them: 592 Fatal and 136 Warning. This post explains how the rules work, what Fatal and Warning mean for you, and the rules most likely to catch an experienced appraiser on a Tuesday afternoon.
Key takeaways
- 728 rules, 592 Fatal (stop the submission) and 136 Warning (flag for the lender).
- Most rules are conditional: they only fire when some other answer makes them apply.
- "Even if the value is 0" appears in 29 rules. Blank isn't zero.
- 89 rules tell the reader to contact the software vendor. Those are mostly about how the XML was written.
- Running the rules while you work, not after delivery, is what saves the revision.
Where the rules come from
The rules are part of the UAD 3.6 specification set on the Fannie Mae UAD page and the Freddie Mac UAD page. The Freddie Mac UAD 3.6 FAQ points to Appendices H-1, H-2 and H-3 for the full list of UAD Compliance API rules. H-1 is the set for the redesigned URAR, and it's the one this post covers.
Each row in H-1 has:
| Column | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Rule ID | A number like UAD1187. This is what a lender will quote back to you |
| Message | Plain-English text, for example "Provide the interior condition rating." |
| Logic | The condition in data terms, for example "If InteriorConditionRatingCode is not provided" |
| Severity | Fatal or Warning |
| Property affected | Subject, a sales comparable, a rental comparable, a GRM comparable, or N/A |
| Section and label | Where it lives on the URAR |
The rules are written against the MISMO 3.6 XML, not the PDF. If you're not sure what that means, MISMO 3.6 XML explained covers it in plain English.
Fatal vs. Warning
Fatal means the submission is unsuccessful. The lender can't complete the UCDP submission until the report is fixed and resubmitted. In practice, that's a revision request with a short clock, and often an annoyed AMC coordinator.
Warning means the submission goes through, but the finding shows up on the lender's Submission Summary Report. The lender decides whether it's acceptable. Some lenders let warnings pass. Others send every warning back to you as a question. Plan as if Warnings will come back.
Here's how the 728 break down across the sections with the most rules:
| URAR section | Fatal | Warning |
|---|---|---|
| Data that doesn't display on the report | 78 | 23 |
| Site | 66 | 18 |
| Sales Comparison Approach | 70 | 12 |
| Assignment Information | 41 | 13 |
| Unit Interior | 43 | 7 |
| Project Information | 41 | 3 |
| Subject Property | 37 | 2 |
| Dwelling Exterior | 28 | 9 |
| Manufactured Home | 19 | 9 |
| Market | 19 | 3 |
| Cost Approach | 7 | 10 |
| Reconciliation | 14 | 1 |
Two things stand out. Site is one of the heaviest sections, because site influences, features, utilities, hazard zones and encumbrances are all structured now. And over a hundred rules check data that doesn't display on the printed report at all: coordinates, internal links between parts of the file, flags that turn sections on and off. That's software territory.
By property, 445 rules apply to the subject, about 100 apply to sales comparables, and the rest cover rental and GRM comparables, land comps or the report as a whole.
How the rules think
Only a small share of the rules are as simple as "this field must be filled." About 61 have logic as short as "If [field] is not provided." Most are conditional. Their logic starts with "If" and joins several conditions with "and":
- Trigger rules. If you said X, you must also say Y. If the property has a sales concession, indicate whether the amount is known (UAD1127). If a reconsideration of value was requested, comment on the outcome (UAD1751).
- Explicit-none rules. You must answer even when the answer is nothing. Provide the total number of ADUs, even if the value is 0 (UAD1010). Hazard zone type must be included, select "None" if there isn't one (UAD1313).
- Consistency rules. Two answers must agree. The net adjustment total must equal the sum of the line adjustments (UAD1461). The ADU count plus the non-ADU unit count must equal the total living units (UAD1693).
- Sanity rules. Values must make sense. The effective date can't be in the future (UAD1258). The opinion of market value must be at least one dollar (UAD1263). Year built can't be after the effective date (UAD1053).
The ones that bite
These are the rules that catch appraisers who've been doing this for twenty years, because they ask for things the 1004 never did.
Zero is an answer
| Rule | Severity | Message |
|---|---|---|
| UAD1187 | Fatal | Provide the Finished Above Grade (Nonstandard) area, even if the value is 0 |
| UAD1484 | Fatal | Provide the Finished Below Grade (Nonstandard) area, even if the value is 0 |
| UAD1010 | Fatal | Provide the total number of ADUs, even if the value is 0 |
| UAD1779 | Warning | Provide the comp's Finished Area Above Grade (Nonstandard), even if the value is 0 |
On a 1004, you left a box blank when it didn't apply. UAD 3.6 needs to know that you looked and found nothing. A blank field and a zero are different answers.
Sketch and measurement
| Rule | Severity | Message |
|---|---|---|
| UAD1676 | Fatal | Indicate whether a sketch or floor plan has been included |
| UAD1677 | Fatal | Provide the measurement standard (ANSI, AMS) used, when a sketch is included |
| UAD1678 | Fatal | Describe the standard when the measurement standard is "Other" |
Your sketch software has to report the standard, not just the area. See ANSI Z765 and GLA under UAD 3.6.
Photos
| Rule | Severity | Message |
|---|---|---|
| UAD1274 | Fatal | The required subject property photos must be included |
| UAD1275 | Fatal | Provide a photo of each sales comparable used in the valuation |
| UAD1043 | Fatal | Provide the legal description or an image of the legal description |
Photos are checked by their category in the XML. A photo with the wrong category is, to the rules, a missing photo.
Defects and condition
| Rule | Severity | Message |
|---|---|---|
| UAD1046 | Fatal | Indicate whether the subject property amenities have any defects, damages or deficiencies |
| UAD1094 | Fatal | Indicate whether the outbuilding has any defects, damages or deficiencies |
| UAD1160 | Fatal | Provide the interior condition rating |
| UAD1267 | Fatal | Provide the as-is overall condition rating (when value is subject to completion or repairs) |
The as-is rating on a subject-to report is easy to miss. If your value is subject to repairs, the report still needs the property's condition today.
Comps and the market
| Rule | Severity | Message |
|---|---|---|
| UAD1396 | Fatal | Provide the proximity to subject distance for the sales comparable |
| UAD1428 | Fatal | Provide the total days on market for the sales comparable |
| UAD1634 | Fatal | Provide the median days on market for the active listings |
| UAD1461 | Fatal | Net adjustment total doesn't equal the sum of the individual adjustments |
| UAD1657 | Warning | Provide the price trend source for each data source used |
History and the paper trail
| Rule | Severity | Message |
|---|---|---|
| UAD1191 | Fatal | Indicate whether the subject property has a prior sale or transfer |
| UAD1750 | Fatal | Indicate whether a reconsideration of value has been requested |
| UAD1659 / UAD1660 | Fatal | Indicate whether the highest and best use is financially feasible / legally permissible |
Warnings that come back as questions
| Rule | Message |
|---|---|
| UAD1353 | No public electricity connection has been identified. Please check for accuracy |
| UAD1051 | The property can only be considered new construction when year built is within 1 year of the effective date |
| UAD1512 | Appraiser certification #10 doesn't align with the property valuation method |
| UAD1212 | Provide the federal agency (VA, USDA, FHA) for which the appraisal was prepared |
| UAD1367 | Provide the site zoning classification code |
Tip: When a lender forwards a finding, ask for the rule ID, not just the message. "UAD1677" points to one field. "Missing measurement info" could mean three.
The vendor rules
89 of the 728 messages end with "For assistance with this message, contact the appraisal software vendor." Examples: latitude must have at least five digits after the decimal (UAD1742); external depreciation must be delivered as a positive number in the XML (UAD1234); custom grid row labels must be identical across comps (UAD1455).
You mostly can't fix these by typing a different value. They're about how the file was built. If you see one, send it to your software vendor with the report. If you see them often, that tells you something about your software.
Catch it before the AMC does
The best time to see a Fatal finding is while the field is still on your screen, not three days after delivery when the AMC sends it back. That means running the rules locally, as you work, with each finding pointing at the field that caused it.
A short workflow that works:
- Fill the report in order. Many rules are conditional, so earlier answers change what's required later.
- Watch the findings list, not just the PDF. A clean-looking PDF can still have a dozen Fatal findings in the data.
- Clear Fatal first, then Warnings. Treat Warnings as questions the reviewer will ask.
- Rebuild the package and re-check. Every build should validate the XML against the GSE schema.
- Keep your rule IDs. If a lender quotes one, you can trace it back fast.
Carat's AI-powered readiness checks work this way. They run hundreds of the H-1 rules locally while you work, and each finding links straight to the field. The share of rules it evaluates locally is large and growing, and the XML is validated against the GSE schema on every build. You or your client still submit to UCDP. For more on catching problems before delivery, see how AI catches AMC revision requests before you deliver, and for the full list of AMC asks, the AMC revision request survival guide.
Where this fits
The compliance rules are the part of UAD 3.6 that changes your day most directly. For the whole picture, read the complete UAD 3.6 guide. To work through your setup before November 2, use the UAD 3.6 readiness checklist.
If you'd like to see which rules your own report trips, create an Carat account and build one. It's $99 a month per appraiser, unlimited reports.
Frequently asked questions
How many UAD 3.6 compliance rules are there?
Appendix H-1 version 1.5, the compliance rules for the redesigned URAR, lists 728 rules: 592 Fatal and 136 Warning.
What is the difference between a Fatal and a Warning in UAD 3.6?
A Fatal finding makes the UCDP submission unsuccessful until the report is corrected and resubmitted. A Warning does not stop the submission, but it is reported to the lender on the Submission Summary Report for review.
Where can I find the UAD 3.6 compliance rules?
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac publish them on their Uniform Appraisal Dataset pages. Appendix H-1 is the rule set for the redesigned URAR, and the GSE FAQ also points to Appendices H-2 and H-3.
Who runs the UAD 3.6 compliance rules?
The GSEs run them through the UAD Compliance API when a lender submits to UCDP. Good appraisal software runs the same rules locally so you can fix findings before you deliver.
Why does a rule say to contact the appraisal software vendor?
Those messages usually point to how the XML was written, such as a number format or an internal reference, rather than to something the appraiser entered. Report them to your software vendor.