Home Warranties

As with any product, your home should come with a warranty. A warranty will prevent any unpleasant surprises in the first years after your move-in. When having your home built, in a development or on your own land, you will need to be familiar with builders’ warranties. Other warranties associated with a new home include contractors’ warranties, manufacturers’ warranties and third-party insurance coverage to back the builders’ warranties. However, this article will focus on the specific questions and answers for builders’ warranties.

What’s covered and for how long?

Generally, builders’ warranties will cover such things as workmanship, materials and structural defects. When having a home built, the warranty will take effect either when you close the sale or when you move into the home. The majority of builders’ warranties cover workmanship and materials for one year, however, some builders offer warranties for two years or longer. Structural defects, such as uneven floors and cracks in the foundation, are usually covered for up to 10 years.

Choosing a reputable builder will make your warranty period a much more pleasant experience. Even the most skillful builder will make some mistakes during the construction of your home, but a reputable builder will be sure to fix any problems that are covered by the warranty and while your warranty is still in effect. If you are experiencing minor defects, your builder will probably address them at scheduled times.

In addition, most manufacturers provide a warranty for the products or appliances used in new homes. At the time of closing, you will receive these warranties and owner’s manuals.

What isn’t covered?

Builders’ warranties generally leave out problems caused by adverse weather, negligence, or failure to conduct proper maintenance. Basically, such things as damage caused from lightning, floods and earthquakes are not covered. Animal damage also falls under this category. Furthermore, if you forget to change your furnace filter or repaint your home’s exterior then your builder will not be held responsible.

Keep in mind, any defects that arise in items that were not part of the original home will not be excluded under the warranty coverage.

Warranty claims

When problems arise, your builder may prefer that you call him or her so that specific needs can be addressed. However, in some cases, your builder(s) will give you a list of contractors and their telephone numbers to call directly in the case of an emergency. Emergencies would include plumbing leaks, gas leaks and the total loss of heat, air conditioning, water or electricity. Also, roof leaks are sometimes considered emergencies, but they can only be repaired in dry weather.

Keep in mind, severe storms may cause roof damage, but that should be reported directly to your homeowner’s insurance company because weather-related damage usually isn’t covered under builders’ warranties.

Be sure to report all defects that aren’t emergencies to the builder. The builder will schedule the necessary repairs and use the complaint to monitor product quality and customer satisfaction. On the other hand, if you notice major structural problems such as uneven floors, cracks in the foundation or drywall, or ill-fitting doors and windows, you should contact your builder immediately to arrange an inspection. These problems can be costly and time-consuming to fix.

Overall, you should now that all warranties have limits. Be sure to ask about the standards to which the builder will adhere when determining the validity of warranty repair requests. You should understand and make good use of your warranty coverage because it is a major part of your home care plan.

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