The 11-Month Warranty Inspection: Don’t Let Your Builder Off the Hook

If you bought a newly constructed home in Plainfield or Naperville last year, you likely felt a sense of relief. Everything was brand new. You had a “bumper-to-bumper” warranty from the builder. You felt safe.

But time flies. That one-year anniversary is approaching faster than you think, and with it, the expiration of your builder’s comprehensive warranty.

At Norman Home Inspections, we urge every new homeowner to schedule an 11-Month Warranty Inspection. It is your last chance to have the builder fix construction defects for free.

Why Do I Need Another Inspection?

You might be thinking, “I’ve lived here for a year. I’d know if something was wrong.”

Not necessarily. While you would certainly notice a leaky roof or a broken window, many structural and mechanical issues are “silent” in the first year. They hide in the attic, crawlspace, or behind the electrical panel cover.

A house settles significantly in its first year. Lumber shrinks, concrete cures, and the soil compresses. This movement can create problems that weren’t there on day one:

• Roof Flashing Separation: As the house settles, flashing around chimneys and vents can pull away, creating slow leaks.
• Truss Uplift: The wooden trusses in your attic can warp, causing cracks in your ceiling drywall.
• Electrical Loose Connections: Thermal expansion and contraction can loosen wires in your breaker panel, creating fire hazards.

The “Punch List” Strategy

Builders are busy. If you call them with a vague complaint like “my floor is squeaky,” they might ignore it. But if you hand them a professional, 40-page report with photos and technical references, they pay attention.

Our 11-Month Inspection provides you with a definitive “Punch List” of defects. You can simply email this PDF to your builder’s warranty department and say, “Please fix these items before my warranty expires next month.”

What We Commonly Find in “One-Year-Old” Homes

In the Plainfield area, we frequently uncover these issues during warranty inspections:

1. Failed Sump Pump Checks

Builders often install “contractor grade” (read: cheap) sump pumps. We often find that the check valves have failed or the floats are getting stuck just 10 months into service.

2. Attic Ventilation Issues

We often find that insulation has been blown over the soffit vents, choking off the airflow. This traps moisture in your attic, which can lead to mold growth on the roof sheathing—a problem that costs thousands to fix later but is free to fix now.

3. Improperly Sealed Exterior Penetrations

The caulking around your AC line set, gas pipes, and cable wires often shrinks or cracks after the first winter. This leaves open invitations for water and pests.

The Math is Simple

The cost of an inspection is a fraction of the cost of a single major repair. If we find just one roof leak or one electrical hazard, the inspection pays for itself instantly.

Don’t let your warranty expire without using it. Make your builder deliver the quality you paid for.

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