Your Delaware Builder's Warranty Is Practically Useless
Unless You're Aware Of Problems Areas
Residential builders in Kent and Sussex County typically provide a one-year warranty to cover most construction defects; however, if issues aren’t found during that period, they become a costly problem for the owner or seller.
Some area builders attempt to transfer the cost of correcting their mistakes by prohibiting third-party inspections, which is why we advise those building a new home to have an attorney review the builder’s contract prior to signing.
A builder’s employees oft-times are not the ones building, rather they supervise and frequently rely on other contractors or subcontractors to complete construction. While the associates in the established trades, such as electricians, have established businesses, licensure, and processes in place to assure installation competency, the subcontractors working on the framing, roofing, and other major parts of the home—do not. This means it’s up to the county inspectors, which are assigned specific items to verify and who can spend little time at a job site, and the builder’s own quality control program to catch problems. With the harried construction of multiple structures in subdivisions and lots scattered throughout Kent and Sussex counties, it’s highly likely that some construction defects will go unnoticed. For example, the framing in the crawlspace could have undergone two or more inspections and, because these came before the rough-in, the inspectors were not there to see that several of the floor joists were compromised during the plumbing installation. Sometimes years after the warranty expires, the problem isn’t noticed until the house is inspected by the buyer’s inspector—resulting in costly, unanticipated repairs that encumber and threaten the sale.
How Could This Happen?
Most homeowners are adroit at identifying symptoms, such as drywall cracks and water staining, but they couldn’t possibly know much about the underlying problems that worsen over time. Moreover, unless experienced in the construction or building trades, most inspectors are only as good as their education, which emphasizes the inspection of pre-existing structures. Perhaps more alarming is the fact that Delaware requires no specialized training or certification in the inspection of new homes. So, hiring a franchise inspector could result in a person showing up with little background in new home construction; moreover, builders won’t read their generic, sometimes erroneous, critiques. This results in the homeowner paying hundreds for a report that doesn’t do much for them.
What Should You Do?
Hiring the right home inspector gives you more value and peace of mind. Our Certified Master Inspector is also New Residential Structure (NRS) certified and has decades of construction experience. We know what to look for when evaluating a newly built home and our punch lists are tailored to your home—succinctly identifying and prioritizing post-construction issues before the warranty expires. If you have any concerns about your new construction home and need an independent, knowledgeable inspection, give us a call.