Fannie Mae Form 1081, titled “Final Certification of Substantial Project Completion,” is the document a lender uses to confirm that a renovation or construction project tied to a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage has been substantially finished according to the plans approved at origination.1Fannie Mae. Selling and Servicing Guide Forms It is the paperwork that clears the way for the final draw of held-back funds or for a construction loan to convert into permanent financing.
What the Form Certifies
On a renovation loan such as Fannie Mae’s HomeStyle Renovation program, money for the work is typically held in escrow and released in stages as construction progresses. Before the last of that money moves and the loan settles into its permanent form, someone has to attest on the record that the job is done. Form 1081 is that attestation.
“Substantial completion” is the standard the form applies. In practice, that means the property is habitable and the work matches the scope originally approved, even if a few minor punch-list items are still open. The finished condition on the ground has to line up with the plans and specifications the lender signed off on when the loan closed.
Who Fills It Out
The lender or servicer completes Form 1081, not the borrower. The lender arranges for an inspector or appraiser to visit the property, look at the finished work, and confirm it matches the approved scope. That inspection is what the certification rests on.
The borrower’s role is smaller but not passive. You need to keep the contractor on schedule, make sure the property is accessible when the inspector comes out, and respond to any questions your loan officer raises during close-out. If a lender has sent you the form directly and you are not sure why, call the loan officer before signing or returning anything. They own the certification process and can tell you what, if anything, they actually need from your side.
Where To Find the Form
Form 1081 is published as a PDF on Fannie Mae’s Selling and Servicing Guide Forms page at singlefamily.fanniemae.com.1Fannie Mae. Selling and Servicing Guide Forms That portal is where lenders and servicers pull the current version. Borrowers rarely have a reason to download it themselves, because the lender produces and files the form as part of closing out the project.
How Form 1081 Fits Into a Renovation Loan Close-Out
Think of Form 1081 as the last checkpoint between an active construction file and a fully funded, permanent mortgage. Before it is signed, the loan is still in its renovation phase: funds sit in escrow, disbursements happen against progress, and the lender is watching the work. After it is signed, the escrowed money can be released to pay the final invoices, and the loan can settle into standard servicing.
Because the form depends on a physical inspection, timing matters. If the contractor is close but not finished, the inspection will not produce a clean certification, and the final disbursement waits. If there are punch-list items that do not affect habitability or the approved scope, the lender may still be able to certify substantial completion. Which items count as minor is a judgment call the lender and inspector make together based on the original plans.
If You Are Looking for a Different Form
Form 1081 is often confused with the Fannie Mae paperwork used when a homeowner is in financial trouble. They are unrelated. If you are behind on payments, facing foreclosure, or asking your servicer for a modification, forbearance, short sale, or deed-in-lieu, the form you need is Fannie Mae Form 710, the Mortgage Assistance Application.2Fannie Mae. Receiving a Borrower Response Package Form 710 collects your income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and hardship details, and it is the centerpiece of the Borrower Response Package your servicer reviews before offering any workout option. Nothing about Form 1081 moves that process forward, and nothing about Form 710 affects a construction close-out.
If you are unsure which track you are actually on, the fastest way to sort it out is a call to your servicer or a free session with a HUD-approved housing counselor, whom you can find through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/find-a-housing-counselor or by calling 1-855-411-2372.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Find a Housing Counselor