Your builder's 1-year warranty is a valuable asset. A professional inspection before it expires can save you thousands in repairs that the builder must fix for free. Here's everything Northern Colorado homeowners need to know.
When you purchase a newly constructed home, most builders provide a standard 1-year warranty covering workmanship and materials. An 11-month warranty inspection is a comprehensive evaluation performed by an independent, certified home inspector before that warranty expires.
The purpose is simple: identify defects, settling issues, and construction problems that have developed since you moved in, giving you a documented list to submit to your builder for repairs while they're still obligated to fix them at no cost to you.
Why "11-Month"? We recommend scheduling in month 10 or 11 because this gives you time to receive your inspection report, submit claims to your builder, and allow them their typical 30-day response window before your 1-year anniversary.
Think of it this way: you wouldn't let a manufacturer's warranty expire on a new car without having a mechanic check for covered issues. Your home is the biggest investment you'll ever make, and the stakes are much higher.
New homes aren't perfect. Even with quality builders, issues develop during the first year as your home settles, goes through seasonal temperature changes, and systems get real-world use. Here's why a professional inspection is essential:
Under your warranty, the builder is legally obligated to repair defects in workmanship and materials at no cost to you. Once that warranty expires, every repair comes out of your pocket. An inspection ensures you don't miss anything covered.
Many defects aren't visible to the average homeowner. Improper grading that will cause future foundation problems, HVAC systems that aren't calibrated correctly, electrical issues behind walls, or plumbing problems that haven't yet caused visible damage. A trained inspector knows where to look.
Builders respond to professional inspection reports. A detailed, documented report with photos carries more weight than a handwritten list and gives you leverage in getting repairs completed.
After performing hundreds of warranty inspections in Northern Colorado, we consistently find the same types of issues across different builders. Here are the most common defects:
Soil settling around the foundation creates negative grading, where water flows toward your home instead of away from it. This is one of the most expensive issues to fix after warranty because it can lead to foundation damage, basement water intrusion, and crawl space moisture problems.
Heating and cooling systems are often installed quickly during construction and may not be properly balanced or calibrated. We frequently find rooms that don't heat or cool properly, refrigerant levels that are off, and ductwork that wasn't sealed correctly.
As homes settle, caulking around windows, trim, tubs, and countertops separates. Left unaddressed, these gaps allow water infiltration and air leaks that affect energy efficiency and can cause structural damage.
Settlement cracks in drywall, nail pops, and paint defects are common as the home's framing adjusts to its foundation. While cosmetic, these are covered under warranty and should be documented.
Misalignment, improper sealing, opener problems, and weatherstripping gaps.
Sticking, poor seals, broken locks, and frames that don't close properly.
Dishwashers, disposals, range hoods, and other builder-provided appliances with issues.
Cracks in concrete, sticking doors, uneven floors, and structural movement.
Our region presents unique challenges for new construction that we pay special attention to during warranty inspections:
Many of the rapidly growing areas in Northern Colorado, including new developments in Timnath, Windsor, and Johnstown, are built on expansive clay soils. These soils swell when wet and shrink when dry, causing significant foundation movement during the first year. We look carefully for signs of this movement including:
The construction boom in Northern Colorado means many homes are built quickly to meet demand. While most builders maintain quality standards, the fast pace can lead to overlooked details, incomplete punch list items, and workmanship issues that only become apparent after move-in.
Timnath, Windsor, Johnstown Homeowners: If your home is in a newer development built on former agricultural land, expansive soil issues are especially common. Schedule your warranty inspection early in month 10 to allow extra time for builder response.
Timing is critical for warranty inspections. Here's our recommended timeline:
Contact us to schedule your inspection. This gives you maximum flexibility for the inspection date and ensures plenty of time for the complete process.
We perform the inspection and deliver your detailed report within 24-48 hours. The report includes photos, descriptions, and a summary suitable for submitting to your builder.
Submit your warranty claim with our report. Builders typically need 30 days to respond and schedule repairs. Getting your claim in before your anniversary date ensures coverage.
Pro Tip: Check your closing documents for your exact warranty start date. It's typically your closing date, not your move-in date. Some builders use the certificate of occupancy date.
Our 11-month warranty inspection covers the same comprehensive systems as a buyer's home inspection. We evaluate:
We also use thermal imaging to identify hidden moisture issues, insulation gaps, and HVAC problems not visible to the naked eye.
Contact us to schedule your inspection. We typically can accommodate appointments within a week and offer flexible scheduling including Saturdays.
The inspection takes 2-3 hours for a typical home. You're welcome to attend and walk through with us, though it's not required. We'll answer questions and point out items as we find them.
Within 24-48 hours, you receive a comprehensive digital report with photos, descriptions, and location details for every item found. The report is formatted for easy submission to your builder.
We include a summary page listing all warranty items, perfect for attaching to your formal warranty claim. This professional documentation helps ensure your builder takes your request seriously.
If you have questions about the report or need clarification for your builder, we're here to help. Our goal is to help you get every covered item repaired.
Let's look at the real math of an 11-month warranty inspection:
A typical 11-month warranty inspection costs $385 in Northern Colorado. This is the same comprehensive inspection we perform for home buyers.
Based on our experience, the average warranty inspection identifies $5,000 to $15,000 in repair items that the builder is obligated to fix for free. Here are some real examples of what we find:
Return on Investment: Even if your inspection only finds $1,000 in warranty-covered repairs, you've still come out ahead. Most inspections find 10-20x their cost in covered repairs.
Here are actual issues we've found during recent 11-month warranty inspections in Loveland, Fort Collins, Windsor, and surrounding areas:
We found significant negative grading on three sides of the home, water pooling against the foundation after rain, an HVAC system that wasn't heating the master bedroom properly, 12 nail pops in the garage drywall, and a dishwasher that wasn't draining completely. Builder repaired all items, estimated value: $8,500.
Foundation settling had caused cracks at multiple window corners, three doors weren't closing properly, the garage door weatherstripping had separated, and we identified insulation gaps in the attic using thermal imaging. Builder addressed all concerns within 3 weeks.
Despite being a higher-end custom build, we found HVAC supply registers that weren't connected to ductwork, missing caulking around multiple windows, a bathroom exhaust fan venting into the attic instead of outside, and appliances that hadn't been properly secured. All items repaired under warranty.
5.0 Stars from 85+ Google Reviews
"Drew did our 11-month warranty inspection and found several issues we hadn't noticed. Builder fixed everything before our warranty expired! The detailed report made submitting our claim easy."
Google Review - Windsor, CO
"Extremely thorough inspection with well organized and detailed digital report. Perfect for submitting to the builder. Drew found grading issues and HVAC problems we never would have caught."
Google Review - Loveland, CO
"Drew's inspection was the most thorough home inspection I have ever had done! Saved us thousands in repairs that the builder had to cover. Highly recommend before your warranty expires."
Google Review - Fort Collins, CO
If you're approaching month 10-11, don't wait. Schedule your warranty inspection today and protect your investment.