Adam,
I’d like to express our thanks to you and your father for the help you provided us. You were both very informative and thorough. I value all the information you provided me because I always like going into decisions informed. This home is by far one of our biggest. The knowledge you provided us is invaluable and will definitely be utilized.
We came across your company through a referral and also from research on your website. We will definitely recommend you to our friends and family. We are very pleased with the services you provided and look forward to working with you in the future. Thanks again for answering my million questions. I’m sure one or two more may come up later down the road.
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving,
Ephraim and Teresa C.,
Really a nice quality information is provided by the service providers who are following a monthly procedure to upgrade the comfortability of the life of the public.I am thankful for that service and also ready to follow your valuable instructions that will changes the lifestyle of the people. Georgia Home Inspections
We purchased a new (Meritage) home about 7 months ago and did not have a home inspection performed before closing. We assumed that because it was a new home and under warranty, it wasn’t a necessary expense. We’ve had some issues and the builder is working with us to get them resolved…not necessarily as fast as we would like. Is there any benefit to having a home inspection performed (now) after we have purchased the home. I have some concerns about what I consider major issues and I don’t feel like we are in a position of strength…they already have our money… and concerned the builder may retaliate in some way for getting a home inspection done at this point. We are trying to be reasonable and not to rock the boat since they already have our money. I’m concerned that we will purchase an inspection report, confirm my concerns, but the builder won’t take any action. We will be out the money for the report, but no leverage to get anything done. Is the builder obligated to perform the repairs you find?
Brad,
Thanks for raising these issues. You can tell, from looking around the website, that we do both construction phase inspections AND End-of-Warranty inspections. So my answer will address your dilemma from both angles.
Assuming the home was under construction and/or ownership was transferred prior to September 15, 2009, you should have some leverage with the now-defunct Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC). Yes, you read it correctly … “now defunct.” But that’s another blog.
The State legislature “sunsetted” TRCC last year, but if your home was under construction during any time period while the agency was operating, your home builder would have been obligated to comply with the agency’s warranty provisions, or come up with a substitute warranty provision with which you would have had to agree in writing. I’ve dug up a couple of excerpts from the TRCC website which may partially address your concerns.
1. Whatever “express” warranty you and the builder signed must be complied with. When you dig out the twenty-six pounds of documents you signed with your builder, there should be a document which specifically lists the warranty terms that bind both the builder and you. Go there first, Brad. You should see something that resembles the following three categories of warranty: Workmanship and Materials (one-year), Mechanical and Delivery System (two-year), Structural (10 year). Start there.
2. Before the TRCC was ever established, the Texas courts recognized an implied warranty for materials and workmanship, and for habitability. In other words, your builder should build you a home constructed in a manner that compies with basic, industry-wide construction standards, and that is safe and healthy to live in. That’s where your fundamental rights as a home-buying consumer begin. And that is where a professional home inspection can be of lasting effect for you. If it’s not safe now, it may not have been constructed properly. We can track down those mistakes and deficiencies, and you can use our Report to persuade the builder (even if you have to hire an attorney) to fix such problems.
3. Every builder relies on a reputation, whether it’s the company that built your house or Uncle Bob’s Custom-built Outhouses. The old saying is true: One negative comment will cancel ten or more positive ones. If you and your neighbors whose builder was the same raise enough fuss, it’ll make waves for builder, the sub-contractors, for the contractors. Heck, it might even make the local news consumer reporter’s special report.
4. Unless you live outside a city limit, there should be a local Chief Building Official, or building permit office, which was responsible to inspect the various phases of the construction of your house. Even if you live outside a city limit, the TRCC regulations applied by way of third-party inspectors the builder was required to have inspected and passed or failed these same phases. If a professional home inspector now locates issues which were overlooked or not completed correctly, there MAY be some recourse to the permitting official/agency. I know that’s iffy at best, but it’s possible.
5. Finally, as to the idea of “wasting” the money for an inspection: look around this website, especially the blog called “Surprise inspection Discoveries.” We don’t find scary things on every inspection, but we didn’t EXPECT to find them on any of these. It’s our job to hunt down the problems. So, I ask you: If there are safety or health issues in your home, don’t you want to know, no matter whether the builder pays for it or not? That kind of peace of mind is worth a lot, especially if you have kids. believe it or not, we are always happy when we can tell our Clients, “The home is in good shape.”
Hope this helps, Brad, and if you want, keep up the blog talk. It never hurts to put these discussions in public. Other folks may be having similar questions.
And be sure to call us at (817) 797-2461. We can talk further. Even if you don’t schedule us for the inspection, I’d like to help you in any way I can.