New Home and Warranty Inspections
Take Advantage of Your 11-Month Builder's Warranty
No home is perfect, not even a brand new one, so be sure to take advantage of your 11-month builder's warranty before it expires
An 11-month warranty inspection and report will make it easier to file claim on your builder's warranty.
What is an 11-month builder's warranty inspection?
An 11-month warranty inspection is a full home inspection performed by a home inspector, complete with the delivery of an inspection report. This is just like the home inspection you would get on any home you buy, no matter what its age. In fact, you may have already had a home inspection before you closed on your new construction home. And if you didn't, there's no better time than now to get one.
The 11-month warranty inspection received its name because homeowners typically schedule it to fall during their eleventh month in their brand new home. In reality, you can schedule your warranty inspection at any time before your one-year builder’s warranty expires. Your inspector’s goal will be to provide you with all the visually-available information you need about the state of your home and to alert you to issues they detect. Timing is key: you want to complete it while you still have at least three to four weeks left to make any necessary claims on your builder’s warranty before it expires.
Why should you get an 11-month builder's warranty inspection?
An 11-month warranty inspection will help you protect your investment. An ASHI or CREIA certified home inspector will be able to identify common problems that emerge in new construction and alert you to serious issues. You may not notice a small leak in your roof due to damage or an incorrect installation until rot and mold become a serious problem later — and this will almost certainly be after your warranty has expired, meaning you will have to pay for any repairs yourself. An experienced ASHI or CREIA certified home inspector knows what to look for and will be able find those problems that the average home owner or handyman could easily miss.
An 11-month warranty inspection report will make it much easier to make a timely, thorough claim on your warranty. An experienced and well-qualified home inspector will detail their findings and illustrate their inspection report with clear photographs, making it more likely that your claim will be honored in a timely manner and any needed repairs made.